diff --git a/doc/api/tls.markdown b/doc/api/tls.markdown
index 1ce524cf84f4f5..9f08beb2495529 100644
--- a/doc/api/tls.markdown
+++ b/doc/api/tls.markdown
@@ -203,7 +203,8 @@ automatically set as a listener for the [secureConnection][] event.  The
 
   - `dhparam`: DH parameter file to use for DHE key agreement. Use
     `openssl dhparam` command to create it. If the file is invalid to
-    load, it is silently discarded.
+    load, it is silently discarded. Its key length should be greater
+    than or equal to 768 bits, otherwise an error will be thrown.
 
   - `handshakeTimeout`: Abort the connection if the SSL/TLS handshake does not
     finish in this many milliseconds. The default is 120 seconds.
diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index 978d3fd477a63e..1da83287c1b42d 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -3041,6 +3041,8 @@ static void ParseArgs(int* argc,
 #if HAVE_OPENSSL
       SSL3_ENABLE = true;
 #endif
+    } else if (strcmp(arg, "--allow-insecure-server-dhparam") == 0) {
+      ALLOW_INSECURE_SERVER_DHPARAM = true;
     } else if (strcmp(arg, "--help") == 0 || strcmp(arg, "-h") == 0) {
       PrintHelp();
       exit(0);
diff --git a/src/node_crypto.cc b/src/node_crypto.cc
index c81bd807dfce82..454c9be190a351 100644
--- a/src/node_crypto.cc
+++ b/src/node_crypto.cc
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ namespace node {
 
 bool SSL2_ENABLE = false;
 bool SSL3_ENABLE = false;
+bool ALLOW_INSECURE_SERVER_DHPARAM = false;
 
 namespace crypto {
 
@@ -785,6 +786,13 @@ void SecureContext::SetDHParam(const FunctionCallbackInfo<Value>& args) {
   if (dh == NULL)
     return;
 
+  if (!ALLOW_INSECURE_SERVER_DHPARAM) {
+    const int keylen = BN_num_bits(dh->p);
+    if (keylen < 768) {
+      return env->ThrowError("DH parameter is less than 768 bits");
+    }
+  }
+
   SSL_CTX_set_options(sc->ctx_, SSL_OP_SINGLE_DH_USE);
   int r = SSL_CTX_set_tmp_dh(sc->ctx_, dh);
   DH_free(dh);
diff --git a/src/node_crypto.h b/src/node_crypto.h
index 0a4c34a1f33836..4687d40e2f8226 100644
--- a/src/node_crypto.h
+++ b/src/node_crypto.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ namespace node {
 
 extern bool SSL2_ENABLE;
 extern bool SSL3_ENABLE;
+extern bool ALLOW_INSECURE_SERVER_DHPARAM;
 
 namespace crypto {
 
diff --git a/test/fixtures/keys/Makefile b/test/fixtures/keys/Makefile
index f7f9c6495f6a5a..ee667c60156db4 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/keys/Makefile
+++ b/test/fixtures/keys/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-all: agent1-cert.pem agent2-cert.pem agent3-cert.pem agent4-cert.pem agent5-cert.pem ca2-crl.pem ec-cert.pem dh1024.pem dh2048.pem
+all: agent1-cert.pem agent2-cert.pem agent3-cert.pem agent4-cert.pem agent5-cert.pem ca2-crl.pem ec-cert.pem dh512.pem dh1024.pem dh2048.pem
 
 
 #
@@ -170,6 +170,9 @@ ec-cert.pem: ec-csr.pem ec-key.pem
 		-signkey ec-key.pem \
 		-out ec-cert.pem
 
+dh512.pem:
+	openssl dhparam -out dh512.pem 512
+
 dh1024.pem:
 	openssl dhparam -out dh1024.pem 1024
 
diff --git a/test/fixtures/keys/dh512.pem b/test/fixtures/keys/dh512.pem
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..dcab8db9fbc81f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/keys/dh512.pem
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+-----BEGIN DH PARAMETERS-----
+MEYCQQDpl3okBAjG92NSOaQEsIyqzvJRN06yHuGXunxYVIqxg7TnU8DBZW0ZYyiJ
+rJLRA/9b9dCk5DXpq1pFGoAkYLoDAgEC
+-----END DH PARAMETERS-----
diff --git a/test/simple/test-tls-dhe-allow-insecure-server-dhparam.js b/test/simple/test-tls-dhe-allow-insecure-server-dhparam.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..033591d36158d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/simple/test-tls-dhe-allow-insecure-server-dhparam.js
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+// Copyright Joyent, Inc. and other Node contributors.
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
+// copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
+// "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
+// without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
+// distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit
+// persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the
+// following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included
+// in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS
+// OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
+// MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN
+// NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM,
+// DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR
+// OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE
+// USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+//
+// Flags: --allow-insecure-server-dhparam
+
+var common = require('../common');
+
+var assert = require('assert');
+var tls = require('tls');
+var fs = require('fs');
+var key =  fs.readFileSync(common.fixturesDir + '/keys/agent2-key.pem');
+var cert = fs.readFileSync(common.fixturesDir + '/keys/agent2-cert.pem');
+
+function loadDHParam(n) {
+  var path = common.fixturesDir;
+  if (n !== 'error') path += '/keys';
+  return fs.readFileSync(path + '/dh' + n + '.pem');
+}
+
+// validate that the server will accept a key smaller than
+// 768 provided the required command line option is specified
+// the flags statement above ensures that the test harnesss
+// runs the test with the required command line option
+function test512() {
+  var options = {
+    key: key,
+    cert: cert,
+    dhparam: loadDHParam(512)
+  };
+
+  var server = tls.createServer(options)
+}
+
+test512();
diff --git a/test/simple/test-tls-dhe.js b/test/simple/test-tls-dhe.js
index e4f9d8479401cb..76ff55469d87fd 100644
--- a/test/simple/test-tls-dhe.js
+++ b/test/simple/test-tls-dhe.js
@@ -95,8 +95,25 @@ function testError() {
   ntests++;
 }
 
+// validate that the server will not allow keys less than
+// 768
+function test512() {
+  var options = {
+    key: key,
+    cert: cert,
+    dhparam: loadDHParam(512)
+  };
+
+  assert.throws(function() {var server = tls.createServer(options)},
+                'Should not be able to create server with key smaller than 768');
+}
+
+// test client/server communication with different key sizes
 test1024();
 
+// test server key length enforcement
+test512();
+
 process.on('exit', function() {
   assert.equal(ntests, nsuccess);
 });