diff --git a/rpm/Makefile b/rpm/Makefile
index 5e2a45ef17..64047b2919 100644
--- a/rpm/Makefile
+++ b/rpm/Makefile
@@ -92,6 +92,11 @@ $(DISTROS): sources
 
 .PHONY: sources
 sources: rpmbuild/SOURCES/engine.tgz rpmbuild/SOURCES/cli.tgz rpmbuild/SOURCES/buildx.tgz rpmbuild/SOURCES/compose.tgz
+sources: rpmbuild/SOURCES/01-rlimit_nofile-rhel7.patch
+
+rpmbuild/SOURCES/%.patch:
+	mkdir -p $(@D)
+	cp $(CURDIR)/patches/$(@F) $@
 
 rpmbuild/SOURCES/engine.tgz:
 	mkdir -p $(@D)
diff --git a/rpm/SPECS/docker-ce.spec b/rpm/SPECS/docker-ce.spec
index b1c2555622..cb4fa2c612 100644
--- a/rpm/SPECS/docker-ce.spec
+++ b/rpm/SPECS/docker-ce.spec
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ Version: %{_version}
 Release: %{_release}%{?dist}
 Epoch: 3
 Source0: engine.tgz
+Patch0: 01-rlimit_nofile-rhel7.patch
 Summary: The open-source application container engine
 Group: Tools/Docker
 License: ASL 2.0
@@ -71,6 +72,9 @@ depending on a particular stack or provider.
 
 %prep
 %setup -q -c -n src -a 0
+%if 0%{?rhel} == 7
+%patch -p1 -P 0
+%endif
 
 %build
 
diff --git a/rpm/patches/01-rlimit_nofile-rhel7.patch b/rpm/patches/01-rlimit_nofile-rhel7.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..55a50aff88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rpm/patches/01-rlimit_nofile-rhel7.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+diff --git i/engine/contrib/init/systemd/docker.service w/engine/contrib/init/systemd/docker.service
+index d8c7867057..b73ecf7363 100644
+--- i/engine/contrib/init/systemd/docker.service
++++ w/engine/contrib/init/systemd/docker.service
+@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ StartLimitInterval=60s
+ # in the kernel. We recommend using cgroups to do container-local accounting.
+ LimitNPROC=infinity
+ LimitCORE=infinity
++# Older systemd versions default to a LimitNOFILE of 1024:1024, which is insufficient for many
++# applications including dockerd itself and will be inherited. Raise the hard limit, while
++# preserving the soft limit for select(2).
++LimitNOFILE=1024:524288
+ 
+ # Comment TasksMax if your systemd version does not support it.
+ # Only systemd 226 and above support this option.