diff --git a/include/event2/listener.h b/include/event2/listener.h
index dededc50..0cb8583c 100644
--- a/include/event2/listener.h
+++ b/include/event2/listener.h
@@ -75,7 +75,9 @@ typedef void (*evconnlistener_errorcb)(struct evconnlistener *, void *);
    on a given file descriptor.
 
    @param base The event base to associate the listener with.
-   @param cb A callback to be invoked when a new connection arrives.
+   @param cb A callback to be invoked when a new connection arrives.  If the
+      callback is NULL, the listener will be treated as disabled until the
+      callback is set.
    @param ptr A user-supplied pointer to give to the callback.
    @param flags Any number of LEV_OPT_* flags
    @param backlog Passed to the listen() call to determine the length of the
@@ -93,7 +95,9 @@ struct evconnlistener *evconnlistener_new(struct event_base *base,
    on a given address.
 
    @param base The event base to associate the listener with.
-   @param cb A callback to be invoked when a new connection arrives.
+   @param cb A callback to be invoked when a new connection arrives. If the
+      callback is NULL, the listener will be treated as disabled until the
+      callback is set.
    @param ptr A user-supplied pointer to give to the callback.
    @param flags Any number of LEV_OPT_* flags
    @param backlog Passed to the listen() call to determine the length of the
@@ -123,6 +127,11 @@ struct event_base *evconnlistener_get_base(struct evconnlistener *lev);
 /** Return the socket that an evconnlistner is listening on. */
 evutil_socket_t evconnlistener_get_fd(struct evconnlistener *lev);
 
+/** Change the callback on the listener to cb and its user_data to arg.
+ */
+void evconnlistener_set_cb(struct evconnlistener *lev,
+    evconnlistener_cb cb, void *arg);
+
 /** Set an evconnlistener's error callback. */
 void evconnlistener_set_error_cb(struct evconnlistener *lev,
     evconnlistener_errorcb errorcb);
diff --git a/listener.c b/listener.c
index 1ff0f491..3052169d 100644
--- a/listener.c
+++ b/listener.c
@@ -73,7 +73,8 @@ struct evconnlistener {
 	evconnlistener_errorcb errorcb;
 	void *user_data;
 	unsigned flags;
-	int refcnt;
+	short refcnt;
+	unsigned enabled : 1;
 };
 
 struct evconnlistener_event {
@@ -89,7 +90,6 @@ struct evconnlistener_iocp {
 	struct event_iocp_port *port;
 	short n_accepting;
 	unsigned shutting_down : 1;
-	unsigned enabled : 1;
 	struct accepting_socket **accepting;
 };
 #endif
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ evconnlistener_new(struct event_base *base,
 
 	event_assign(&lev->listener, base, fd, EV_READ|EV_PERSIST,
 	    listener_read_cb, lev);
+
 	evconnlistener_enable(&lev->base);
 
 	return &lev->base;
@@ -268,7 +269,11 @@ evconnlistener_enable(struct evconnlistener *lev)
 {
 	int r;
 	LOCK(lev);
-	r = lev->ops->enable(lev);
+	lev->enabled = 1;
+	if (lev->cb)
+		r = lev->ops->enable(lev);
+	else
+		r = 0;
 	UNLOCK(lev);
 	return r;
 }
@@ -278,6 +283,7 @@ evconnlistener_disable(struct evconnlistener *lev)
 {
 	int r;
 	LOCK(lev);
+	lev->enabled = 0;
 	r = lev->ops->disable(lev);
 	UNLOCK(lev);
 	return r;
@@ -335,7 +341,23 @@ event_listener_getbase(struct evconnlistener *lev)
 	return event_get_base(&lev_e->listener);
 }
 
-void evconnlistener_set_error_cb(struct evconnlistener *lev,
+void
+evconnlistener_set_cb(struct evconnlistener *lev,
+    evconnlistener_cb cb, void *arg)
+{
+	int enable = 0;
+	LOCK(lev);
+	if (lev->enabled && !lev->cb)
+		enable = 1;
+	lev->cb = cb;
+	lev->user_data = arg;
+	if (enable)
+		evconnlistener_enable(lev);
+	UNLOCK(lev);
+}
+
+void
+evconnlistener_set_error_cb(struct evconnlistener *lev,
     evconnlistener_errorcb errorcb)
 {
 	LOCK(lev);
@@ -474,7 +496,7 @@ start_accepting(struct accepting_socket *as)
 	SOCKET s = socket(as->family, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
 	int error = 0;
 
-	if (!as->lev->enabled)
+	if (!as->lev->base.enabled)
 		return 0;
 
 	if (s == INVALID_SOCKET) {
@@ -574,7 +596,7 @@ accepted_socket_invoke_user_cb(struct deferred_cb *dcb, void *arg)
 	if (errorcb) {
 		WSASetLastError(error);
 		errorcb(lev, data);
-	} else {
+	} else if (cb) {
 		cb(lev, sock, sa_remote, socklen_remote, data);
 	}
 
@@ -638,7 +660,6 @@ iocp_listener_enable(struct evconnlistener *lev)
 	    EVUTIL_UPCAST(lev, struct evconnlistener_iocp, base);
 
 	LOCK(lev);
-	lev_iocp->enabled = 1;
 	for (i = 0; i < lev_iocp->n_accepting; ++i) {
 		struct accepting_socket *as = lev_iocp->accepting[i];
 		if (!as)
@@ -660,7 +681,6 @@ iocp_listener_disable_impl(struct evconnlistener *lev, int shutdown)
 	    EVUTIL_UPCAST(lev, struct evconnlistener_iocp, base);
 
 	LOCK(lev);
-	lev_iocp->enabled = 0;
 	for (i = 0; i < lev_iocp->n_accepting; ++i) {
 		struct accepting_socket *as = lev_iocp->accepting[i];
 		if (!as)
@@ -760,11 +780,12 @@ evconnlistener_new_async(struct event_base *base,
 	lev->base.user_data = ptr;
 	lev->base.flags = flags;
 	lev->base.refcnt = 1;
+	lev->base.enabled = 1;
 
 	lev->port = event_base_get_iocp(base);
 	lev->fd = fd;
 	lev->event_base = base;
-	lev->enabled = 1;
+
 
 	if (event_iocp_port_associate(lev->port, fd, 1) < 0)
 		goto err_free_lev;
@@ -784,7 +805,7 @@ evconnlistener_new_async(struct event_base *base,
 			event_warnx("Couldn't create accepting socket");
 			goto err_free_accepting;
 		}
-		if (start_accepting(lev->accepting[i]) < 0) {
+		if (cb && start_accepting(lev->accepting[i]) < 0) {
 			event_warnx("Couldn't start accepting on socket");
 			EnterCriticalSection(&lev->accepting[i]->lock);
 			free_and_unlock_accepting_socket(lev->accepting[i]);