diff --git a/web3.js/src/agent-manager.js b/web3.js/src/agent-manager.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2b1f91fc06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web3.js/src/agent-manager.js
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+// @flow
+
+import {Agent} from 'http';
+
+export const DESTROY_TIMEOUT_MS = 5000;
+
+export class AgentManager {
+  _agent: Agent = AgentManager._newAgent();
+  _activeRequests = 0;
+  _destroyTimeout: TimeoutID | null = null;
+
+  static _newAgent(): Agent {
+    return new Agent({keepAlive: true, maxSockets: 25});
+  }
+
+  requestStart(): Agent {
+    // $FlowExpectedError - Don't manage agents in the browser
+    if (process.browser) return;
+
+    this._activeRequests++;
+    clearTimeout(this._destroyTimeout);
+    this._destroyTimeout = null;
+    return this._agent;
+  }
+
+  requestEnd() {
+    // $FlowExpectedError - Don't manage agents in the browser
+    if (process.browser) return;
+
+    this._activeRequests--;
+    if (this._activeRequests === 0 && this._destroyTimeout === null) {
+      this._destroyTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
+        this._agent.destroy();
+        this._agent = AgentManager._newAgent();
+      }, DESTROY_TIMEOUT_MS);
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/web3.js/src/connection.js b/web3.js/src/connection.js
index ba7d878b80..8224fb4221 100644
--- a/web3.js/src/connection.js
+++ b/web3.js/src/connection.js
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import type {Blockhash} from './blockhash';
 import type {FeeCalculator} from './fee-calculator';
 import type {Account} from './account';
 import type {TransactionSignature} from './transaction';
+import {AgentManager} from './agent-manager';
 
 export const BLOCKHASH_CACHE_TIMEOUT_MS = 30 * 1000;
 
@@ -502,10 +503,13 @@ type ConfirmedBlock = {
 };
 
 function createRpcRequest(url): RpcRequest {
+  const agentManager = new AgentManager();
   const server = jayson(async (request, callback) => {
+    const agent = agentManager.requestStart();
     const options = {
       method: 'POST',
       body: request,
+      agent,
       headers: {
         'Content-Type': 'application/json',
       },
@@ -539,6 +543,8 @@ function createRpcRequest(url): RpcRequest {
       }
     } catch (err) {
       callback(err);
+    } finally {
+      agentManager.requestEnd();
     }
   });
 
diff --git a/web3.js/test/agent-manager.test.js b/web3.js/test/agent-manager.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..244a27eb81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web3.js/test/agent-manager.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+// @flow
+
+import {AgentManager, DESTROY_TIMEOUT_MS} from '../src/agent-manager';
+import {sleep} from '../src/util/sleep';
+
+jest.setTimeout(10 * 1000);
+
+test('agent manager', async () => {
+  const manager = new AgentManager();
+  const agent = manager._agent;
+  expect(manager._activeRequests).toBe(0);
+  expect(manager._destroyTimeout).toBeNull();
+
+  manager.requestStart();
+
+  expect(manager._activeRequests).toBe(1);
+  expect(manager._destroyTimeout).toBeNull();
+
+  manager.requestEnd();
+
+  expect(manager._activeRequests).toBe(0);
+  expect(manager._destroyTimeout).not.toBeNull();
+
+  manager.requestStart();
+  manager.requestStart();
+
+  expect(manager._activeRequests).toBe(2);
+  expect(manager._destroyTimeout).toBeNull();
+
+  manager.requestEnd();
+  manager.requestEnd();
+
+  expect(manager._activeRequests).toBe(0);
+  expect(manager._destroyTimeout).not.toBeNull();
+  expect(manager._agent).toBe(agent);
+
+  await sleep(DESTROY_TIMEOUT_MS);
+
+  expect(manager._agent).not.toBe(agent);
+});