diff --git a/manifests/config.pp b/manifests/config.pp
index 064c9dbde..ae712a5ec 100644
--- a/manifests/config.pp
+++ b/manifests/config.pp
@@ -67,6 +67,11 @@
   # Handle env variables.
   $environment_variables = merge($default_env_variables, $rabbitmq::environment_variables)
 
+  # Try to get version from fact, otherwise use init class variable,
+  # then detect ranch (socket acceptor pool) availability.
+  $version = pick($::rabbitmq_version, $rabbitmq::version)
+  $ranch = versioncmp($version, '3.6') >= 0
+
   file { '/etc/rabbitmq':
     ensure => directory,
     owner  => '0',
diff --git a/spec/classes/rabbitmq_spec.rb b/spec/classes/rabbitmq_spec.rb
index fabd061f2..21a3ecf60 100644
--- a/spec/classes/rabbitmq_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/rabbitmq_spec.rb
@@ -398,7 +398,8 @@
   ['Debian', 'RedHat', 'SUSE', 'Archlinux'].each do |distro|
     osfacts = {
       :osfamily         => distro,
-      :staging_http_get => ''
+      :staging_http_get => '',
+      :rabbitmq_version => '3.6.1'
     }
 
     case distro
@@ -1340,7 +1341,14 @@
   end
 
   context "on Archlinux" do
-    let(:facts) {{ :osfamily => 'Archlinux', :staging_http_get => ''}}
+    let(:facts) do
+      {
+        :osfamily         => 'Archlinux',
+        :staging_http_get => '',
+        :rabbitmq_version => '3.6.1'
+      }
+    end
+
     it 'installs the rabbitmq package' do
       should contain_package('rabbitmq-server').with(
         'ensure'   => 'installed',
@@ -1401,7 +1409,8 @@
   ['RedHat', 'SuSE'].each do |distro|
     osfacts = {
       :osfamily         => distro,
-      :staging_http_get => ''
+      :staging_http_get => '',
+      :rabbitmq_version => '3.6.1'
     }
 
     case distro
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper_local.rb b/spec/spec_helper_local.rb
index b7ed25b5e..0c0e7fce5 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper_local.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper_local.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ def with_debian_facts
       :lsbdistid        => 'Debian',
       :lsbdistcodename  => 'squeeze',
       :osfamily         => 'Debian',
-      :staging_http_get => ''
+      :staging_http_get => '',
+      :rabbitmq_version => '3.6.1'
     }
   end
 end
@@ -17,7 +18,8 @@ def with_openbsd_facts
     {
       :osfamily                  => 'OpenBSD',
       :kernelversion             => '5.9',
-      :staging_http_get          => ''
+      :staging_http_get          => '',
+      :rabbitmq_version          => '3.6.1'
     }
   end
 end
@@ -27,7 +29,8 @@ def with_redhat_facts
     {
       :osfamily                  => 'Redhat',
       :operatingsystemmajrelease => '7',
-      :staging_http_get          => ''
+      :staging_http_get          => '',
+      :rabbitmq_version          => '3.6.1'
     }
   end
 end
diff --git a/templates/rabbitmq.config.erb b/templates/rabbitmq.config.erb
index bece53494..bc1536436 100644
--- a/templates/rabbitmq.config.erb
+++ b/templates/rabbitmq.config.erb
@@ -17,17 +17,19 @@
     {cluster_nodes, {[<%= @cluster_nodes.map { |n| "\'rabbit@#{n}\'" }.join(', ') %>], <%= @cluster_node_type %>}},
     {cluster_partition_handling, <%= @cluster_partition_handling %>},
 <% end -%>
-    {tcp_listen_options,
-         [binary,
+    {tcp_listen_options, [
+         <%- unless @ranch -%>
+         binary,
+         {packet,        raw},
+         {reuseaddr,     true},
+         <%- end -%>
          <%- if @tcp_keepalive -%>
          {keepalive,     true},
          <%- end -%>
-         {packet,        raw},
-         {reuseaddr,     true},
          {backlog,       128},
          {nodelay,       true},
-         {exit_on_close, false}]
-    },
+         {exit_on_close, false}
+    ]},
 <%- if @ssl_only -%>
     {tcp_listeners, []},
 <%- elsif @interface != 'UNSET' -%>