diff --git a/flags.go b/flags.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ba7f1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flags.go
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/haproxytech/haproxy-consul-connect/haproxy"
+)
+
+type stringSliceFlag []string
+
+func (i *stringSliceFlag) String() string {
+	return ""
+}
+
+func (i *stringSliceFlag) Set(value string) error {
+	*i = append(*i, value)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func makeHAProxyParams(flags stringSliceFlag) (haproxy.HAProxyParams, error) {
+	params := haproxy.HAProxyParams{
+		Defaults: map[string]string{},
+		Globals:  map[string]string{},
+	}
+
+	for _, flag := range flags {
+		parts := strings.Split(flag, "=")
+		if len(parts) != 2 {
+			return params, fmt.Errorf("bad haproxy-param flag %s, expected {type}.{name}={value}", flag)
+		}
+
+		dot := strings.IndexByte(parts[0], '.')
+		if dot == -1 {
+			return params, fmt.Errorf("bad haproxy-param flag %s, expected {type}.{name}={value}", flag)
+		}
+
+		var t map[string]string
+		switch parts[0][:dot] {
+		case "defaults":
+			t = params.Defaults
+		case "global":
+			t = params.Globals
+		default:
+			return params, fmt.Errorf("bad haproxy-param flag %s, param type must be `defaults` or `global`", flag)
+		}
+
+		t[parts[0][dot+1:]] = parts[1]
+	}
+
+	return params, nil
+}
diff --git a/flags_test.go b/flags_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fa6371e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flags_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/haproxytech/haproxy-consul-connect/haproxy"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestMakeHAProxyParams(t *testing.T) {
+	flags := stringSliceFlag{
+		"defaults.test.with.dots=3",
+		"defaults.another=abdc",
+		"global.with.spaces=hey I have spaces",
+		"global.with.dots=hey.I.have.dots",
+	}
+
+	r, err := makeHAProxyParams(flags)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	require.Equal(t, haproxy.HAProxyParams{
+		Defaults: map[string]string{
+			"test.with.dots": "3",
+			"another":        "abdc",
+		},
+		Globals: map[string]string{
+			"with.spaces": "hey I have spaces",
+			"with.dots":   "hey.I.have.dots",
+		},
+	}, r)
+}
diff --git a/haproxy/config.go b/haproxy/config.go
index f62b8d2..988a2a3 100644
--- a/haproxy/config.go
+++ b/haproxy/config.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package haproxy
 import (
 	"crypto/rand"
 	"encoding/base64"
+	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path"
@@ -14,18 +15,32 @@ import (
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
+var defaultsHAProxyParams = HAProxyParams{
+	Globals: map[string]string{
+		"stats":                     "timeout 2m",
+		"tune.ssl.default-dh-param": "1024",
+		"nbproc":                    "1",
+		"nbthread":                  fmt.Sprint(runtime.GOMAXPROCS(0)),
+		"ulimit-n":                  "65536",
+		"maxconn":                   "32000",
+	},
+	Defaults: map[string]string{
+		"http-reuse": "always",
+	},
+}
+
 const baseCfgTmpl = `
 global
 	master-worker
 	stats socket {{.SocketPath}} mode 600 level admin expose-fd listeners
-	stats timeout 2m
-	tune.ssl.default-dh-param 1024
-	nbproc 1
-	nbthread {{.NbThread}}
-	ulimit-n 65536
+	{{ range $k, $v := .HAProxyParams.Globals}}
+	{{$k}} {{$v}}
+	{{ end }}
 
 defaults
-	http-reuse always
+	{{ range $k, $v := .HAProxyParams.Defaults}}
+	{{$k}} {{$v}}
+	{{ end }}
 
 userlist controller
 	user {{.DataplaneUser}} insecure-password {{.DataplanePass}}
@@ -53,11 +68,10 @@ spoe-message check-intentions
 `
 
 type baseParams struct {
-	NbThread      int
 	SocketPath    string
 	DataplaneUser string
 	DataplanePass string
-	LogsPath      string
+	HAProxyParams HAProxyParams
 }
 
 type haConfig struct {
@@ -73,7 +87,7 @@ type haConfig struct {
 	LogsSock                string
 }
 
-func newHaConfig(baseDir string, sd *lib.Shutdown) (*haConfig, error) {
+func newHaConfig(baseDir string, params HAProxyParams, sd *lib.Shutdown) (*haConfig, error) {
 	cfg := &haConfig{}
 
 	sd.Add(1)
@@ -119,11 +133,10 @@ func newHaConfig(baseDir string, sd *lib.Shutdown) (*haConfig, error) {
 	cfg.DataplaneUser = "hapeoxy"
 
 	err = tmpl.Execute(cfgFile, baseParams{
-		NbThread:      runtime.GOMAXPROCS(0),
 		SocketPath:    cfg.StatsSock,
-		LogsPath:      cfg.LogsSock,
 		DataplaneUser: cfg.DataplaneUser,
 		DataplanePass: cfg.DataplanePass,
+		HAProxyParams: defaultsHAProxyParams.With(params),
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		sd.Done()
diff --git a/haproxy/haproxy.go b/haproxy/haproxy.go
index fd4b625..d39df23 100644
--- a/haproxy/haproxy.go
+++ b/haproxy/haproxy.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func New(consulClient *api.Client, cfg chan consul.Config, opts Options) *HAProx
 }
 
 func (h *HAProxy) Run(sd *lib.Shutdown) error {
-	hc, err := newHaConfig(h.opts.ConfigBaseDir, sd)
+	hc, err := newHaConfig(h.opts.ConfigBaseDir, h.opts.HAProxyParams, sd)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/haproxy/options.go b/haproxy/options.go
index e2a365f..9905f41 100644
--- a/haproxy/options.go
+++ b/haproxy/options.go
@@ -1,5 +1,30 @@
 package haproxy
 
+type HAProxyParams struct {
+	Defaults map[string]string
+	Globals  map[string]string
+}
+
+func (p HAProxyParams) With(other HAProxyParams) HAProxyParams {
+	new := HAProxyParams{
+		Defaults: map[string]string{},
+		Globals:  map[string]string{},
+	}
+	for k, v := range p.Defaults {
+		new.Defaults[k] = v
+	}
+	for k, v := range other.Defaults {
+		new.Defaults[k] = v
+	}
+	for k, v := range p.Globals {
+		new.Globals[k] = v
+	}
+	for k, v := range other.Globals {
+		new.Globals[k] = v
+	}
+	return new
+}
+
 type Options struct {
 	HAProxyBin           string
 	DataplaneBin         string
@@ -9,4 +34,5 @@ type Options struct {
 	StatsListenAddr      string
 	StatsRegisterService bool
 	LogRequests          bool
+	HAProxyParams        HAProxyParams
 }
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index b5b0867..8bb1c69 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ func validateRequirements(dataplaneBin, haproxyBin string) error {
 }
 
 func main() {
+	haproxyParamsFlag := stringSliceFlag{}
+
+	flag.Var(&haproxyParamsFlag, "haproxy-param", "Global or defaults Haproxy config parameter to set in config. Can be specified multiple times. Must be of the form `defaults.name=value` or `global.name=value`")
 	versionFlag := flag.Bool("version", false, "Show version and exit")
 	logLevel := flag.String("log-level", "INFO", "Log level")
 	consulAddr := flag.String("http-addr", "127.0.0.1:8500", "Consul agent address")
@@ -128,6 +131,11 @@ func main() {
 		log.Fatalf("Please specify -sidecar-for or -sidecar-for-tag")
 	}
 
+	haproxyParams, err := makeHAProxyParams(haproxyParamsFlag)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
 	consulLogger := &consulLogger{}
 	watcher := consul.New(serviceID, consulClient, consulLogger)
 	go func() {
@@ -145,6 +153,7 @@ func main() {
 		StatsListenAddr:      *statsListenAddr,
 		StatsRegisterService: *statsServiceRegister,
 		LogRequests:          ll == log.TraceLevel,
+		HAProxyParams:        haproxyParams,
 	})
 	sd.Add(1)
 	go func() {