diff --git a/shadowsocks/server.py b/shadowsocks/server.py
index 8493b0a..bb31bf2 100755
--- a/shadowsocks/server.py
+++ b/shadowsocks/server.py
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ import struct
 import logging
 import getopt
 import encrypt
+import os
 import utils
 import udprelay
 
@@ -176,7 +177,7 @@ def main():
     config_path = utils.find_config()
     try:
         optlist, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], 's:p:k:m:c:',
-                                      ['fast-open'])
+                                      ['fast-open', 'workers:'])
         for key, value in optlist:
             if key == '-c':
                 config_path = value
@@ -194,7 +195,7 @@ def main():
             config = {}
 
         optlist, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], 's:p:k:m:c:',
-                                      ['fast-open'])
+                                      ['fast-open', 'workers='])
         for key, value in optlist:
             if key == '-p':
                 config['server_port'] = int(value)
@@ -206,6 +207,8 @@ def main():
                 config['method'] = value
             elif key == '--fast-open':
                 config['fast_open'] = True
+            elif key == '--workers':
+                config['workers'] = value
     except getopt.GetoptError:
         utils.print_server_help()
         sys.exit(2)
@@ -217,6 +220,7 @@ def main():
     config_port_password = config.get('port_password', None)
     config_timeout = config.get('timeout', 600)
     config_fast_open = config.get('fast_open', False)
+    config_workers = config.get('workers', 1)
 
     if not config_key and not config_path:
         sys.exit('config not specified, please read '
@@ -249,6 +253,17 @@ def main():
         udprelay.UDPRelay(config_server, int(port), None, None, key,
                           config_method, int(config_timeout), False).start()
 
+    if int(config_workers) > 1:
+        if os.name == 'posix':
+            # TODO only serve in workers, not in master
+            for i in xrange(0, int(config_workers) - 1):
+                r = os.fork()
+                if r == 0:
+                    break
+        else:
+            logging.warn('worker is only available on Unix/Linux')
+
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     try:
diff --git a/shadowsocks/utils.py b/shadowsocks/utils.py
index f5bcba3..eba8200 100644
--- a/shadowsocks/utils.py
+++ b/shadowsocks/utils.py
@@ -125,4 +125,5 @@ optional arguments:
   -m METHOD             encryption method, for example, aes-256-cfb
   -c CONFIG             path to config file
   --fast-open           use TCP_FASTOPEN, requires Linux 3.7+
+  --workers WORKERS     number of workers, available on Unix/Linux
 '''
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