diff --git a/connlimit.go b/connlimit.go
index d445df1..248d969 100644
--- a/connlimit.go
+++ b/connlimit.go
@@ -2,16 +2,23 @@ package connlimit
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
+	"time"
 )
 
 var (
 	// ErrPerClientIPLimitReached is returned if accepting a new conn would exceed
 	// the per-client-ip limit set.
 	ErrPerClientIPLimitReached = errors.New("client connection limit reached")
+	tooManyConnsMsg            = "Your IP is issuing too many concurrent connections, please rate limit your calls\n"
+	tooManyRequestsResponse    = []byte(fmt.Sprintf("HTTP/1.1 429 Too Many Requests\r\n"+
+		"Content-Type: text/plain\r\n"+
+		"Content-Length: %d\r\n"+
+		"Connection: close\r\n\r\n%s", len(tooManyConnsMsg), tooManyConnsMsg))
 )
 
 // Limiter implements a simple limiter that tracks the number of connections
@@ -173,7 +180,7 @@ func (l *Limiter) SetConfig(c Config) {
 	l.cfg.Store(c)
 }
 
-// HTTPConnStateFunc returns a func that can be passed as the ConnState field of
+// HTTPConnStateFuncWithErrorHandler returns a func that can be passed as the ConnState field of
 // an http.Server. This intercepts new HTTP connections to the server and
 // applies the limiting to new connections.
 //
@@ -181,13 +188,15 @@ func (l *Limiter) SetConfig(c Config) {
 // in the limiter as if it was closed. Servers that use Hijacking must implement
 // their own calls if they need to continue limiting the number of concurrent
 // hijacked connections.
-func (l *Limiter) HTTPConnStateFunc() func(net.Conn, http.ConnState) {
+// errorHandler MUST close the connection itself
+func (l *Limiter) HTTPConnStateFuncWithErrorHandler(errorHandler func(error, net.Conn)) func(net.Conn, http.ConnState) {
+
 	return func(conn net.Conn, state http.ConnState) {
 		switch state {
 		case http.StateNew:
 			_, err := l.Accept(conn)
 			if err != nil {
-				conn.Close()
+				errorHandler(err, conn)
 			}
 		case http.StateHijacked:
 			l.freeConn(conn)
@@ -199,3 +208,26 @@ func (l *Limiter) HTTPConnStateFunc() func(net.Conn, http.ConnState) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// HTTPConnStateFunc is here for ascending compatibility reasons.
+func (l *Limiter) HTTPConnStateFunc() func(net.Conn, http.ConnState) {
+	return l.HTTPConnStateFuncWithErrorHandler(func(err error, conn net.Conn) {
+		conn.Close()
+	})
+}
+
+// HTTPConnStateFuncWithDefault429Handler return an HTTP 429 if too many connections occur.
+// BEWARE that returning HTTP 429 is done on critical path, you might choose to use
+// HTTPConnStateFuncWithErrorHandler if you want to use a non-blocking strategy.
+func (l *Limiter) HTTPConnStateFuncWithDefault429Handler(writeDeadlineMaxDelay time.Duration) func(net.Conn, http.ConnState) {
+	return l.HTTPConnStateFuncWithErrorHandler(func(err error, conn net.Conn) {
+		if err == ErrPerClientIPLimitReached {
+			// We don't care about slow players
+			if writeDeadlineMaxDelay > 0 {
+				conn.SetDeadline(time.Now().Add(writeDeadlineMaxDelay))
+			}
+			conn.Write(tooManyRequestsResponse)
+		}
+		conn.Close()
+	})
+}
diff --git a/connlimit_test.go b/connlimit_test.go
index 59c7360..7560820 100644
--- a/connlimit_test.go
+++ b/connlimit_test.go
@@ -281,13 +281,40 @@ func TestHTTPServer(t *testing.T) {
 	lim := NewLimiter(Config{
 		MaxConnsPerClientIP: 5,
 	})
+	funToTest := func() func(net.Conn, http.ConnState) {
+		return lim.HTTPConnStateFunc()
+	}
+	testHTTPServerWithConnState(t, funToTest)
+}
+
+func TestHTTPServerWith429WithoutDuration(t *testing.T) {
+	lim := NewLimiter(Config{
+		MaxConnsPerClientIP: 5,
+	})
+	funToTest := func() func(net.Conn, http.ConnState) {
+		return lim.HTTPConnStateFuncWithDefault429Handler(time.Duration(0))
+	}
+	testHTTPServerWithConnState(t, funToTest)
+}
+
+func TestHTTPServerWith429WithDuration(t *testing.T) {
+	lim := NewLimiter(Config{
+		MaxConnsPerClientIP: 5,
+	})
+	funToTest := func() func(net.Conn, http.ConnState) {
+		return lim.HTTPConnStateFuncWithDefault429Handler(time.Duration(time.Second))
+	}
+	testHTTPServerWithConnState(t, funToTest)
+}
+
+func testHTTPServerWithConnState(t *testing.T, funToTest func() func(net.Conn, http.ConnState)) {
 
 	srv := httptest.NewUnstartedServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
 		w.Write([]byte("OK"))
 	}))
 
-	srv.Config.ConnState = lim.HTTPConnStateFunc()
+	srv.Config.ConnState = funToTest()
 	srv.Start()
 
 	client := srv.Client()
@@ -315,6 +342,9 @@ func TestHTTPServer(t *testing.T) {
 				}
 				atomic.AddUint64(&reset, 1)
 			} else {
+				if resp.StatusCode == http.StatusTooManyRequests {
+					atomic.AddUint64(&reset, 1)
+				}
 				resp.Body.Close()
 			}
 		}(i)