diff --git a/components/esp_http_server/include/esp_http_server.h b/components/esp_http_server/include/esp_http_server.h
index be9d0d9cd3..9523918c1b 100644
--- a/components/esp_http_server/include/esp_http_server.h
+++ b/components/esp_http_server/include/esp_http_server.h
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ initializer that should be kept in sync
         .global_user_ctx_free_fn = NULL,                \
         .global_transport_ctx = NULL,                   \
         .global_transport_ctx_free_fn = NULL,           \
+        .enable_so_linger = false,                      \
+        .linger_timeout = 0,                            \
         .open_fn = NULL,                                \
         .close_fn = NULL,                               \
         .uri_match_fn = NULL                            \
@@ -185,6 +187,9 @@ typedef struct httpd_config {
      */
     httpd_free_ctx_fn_t global_transport_ctx_free_fn;
 
+    bool enable_so_linger;  /*!< bool to enable/disable linger */
+    int linger_timeout;     /*!< linger timeout (in seconds) */
+
     /**
      * Custom session opening callback.
      *
diff --git a/components/esp_http_server/src/httpd_sess.c b/components/esp_http_server/src/httpd_sess.c
index 04aa8d937c..2681ca19f6 100644
--- a/components/esp_http_server/src/httpd_sess.c
+++ b/components/esp_http_server/src/httpd_sess.c
@@ -354,6 +354,13 @@ void httpd_sess_delete(struct httpd_data *hd, struct sock_db *session)
     }
 
     ESP_LOGD(TAG, LOG_FMT("fd = %d"), session->fd);
+    if (hd->config.enable_so_linger) {
+        struct linger so_linger = {
+            .l_onoff = true,
+            .l_linger = hd->config.linger_timeout,
+        };
+        setsockopt(session->fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_LINGER, &so_linger, sizeof(struct linger));
+    }
 
     // Call close function if defined
     if (hd->config.close_fn) {