diff --git a/doc/sample.config b/doc/sample.config
index 592c7e44..fdeb42de 100644
--- a/doc/sample.config
+++ b/doc/sample.config
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ auth = "plain[./sample.passwd]"
 # Whether to enable seccomp worker isolation. That restricts the number of 
 # system calls allowed to a worker process, in order to reduce damage from a
 # bug in the worker process. It is available on Linux systems at a performance cost.
-#use-seccomp = true
+isolate-workers = true
 
 # A banner to be displayed on clients
 #banner = "Welcome"
diff --git a/src/config.c b/src/config.c
index a70c91ba..b33b7138 100644
--- a/src/config.c
+++ b/src/config.c
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ static struct cfg_options available_options[] = {
 	{ .name = "occtl-socket-file", .type = OPTION_STRING, .mandatory = 0 },
 	{ .name = "banner", .type = OPTION_STRING, .mandatory = 0 },
 	{ .name = "use-seccomp", .type = OPTION_BOOLEAN, .mandatory = 0 },
+	{ .name = "isolate-worker", .type = OPTION_BOOLEAN, .mandatory = 0 },
 	{ .name = "predictable-ips", .type = OPTION_BOOLEAN, .mandatory = 0 },
 	{ .name = "session-control", .type = OPTION_BOOLEAN, .mandatory = 0 },
 	{ .name = "auto-select-group", .type = OPTION_BOOLEAN, .mandatory = 0 },
@@ -569,10 +570,16 @@ unsigned force_cert_auth;
 		config->cisco_client_compat = 1;
 	}
 
-	READ_TF("use-seccomp", config->seccomp, 0);
-#ifndef HAVE_LIBSECCOMP
-	if (config->seccomp != 0) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "error: 'use-seccomp' is set to true, but not compiled with seccomp support\n");
+	READ_TF("use-seccomp", config->isolate, 0);
+	if (config->isolate) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "note that 'use-seccomp' was replaced by 'isolate-workers'\n");
+		config->cisco_client_compat = 1;
+	} else {
+		READ_TF("isolate-workers", config->isolate, 0);
+	}
+#if !defined(HAVE_LIBSECCOMP) && !defined(ENABLE_LINUX_NS)
+	if (config->isolate != 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "error: 'isolate-workers' is set to true, but not compiled with seccomp or Linux namespaces support\n");
 		exit(1);
 	}
 #endif
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index b5238f63..d1616349 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -882,6 +882,8 @@ static int check_tcp_wrapper(int fd)
 # define check_tcp_wrapper(x) 0
 #endif
 
+typedef pid_t (*fork_func)(void);
+
 int main(int argc, char** argv)
 {
 	int fd, pid, e;
@@ -903,6 +905,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
 	sigset_t emptyset, blockset;
 	/* tls credentials */
 	struct tls_st creds;
+	fork_func our_fork = fork;
 
 #ifdef DEBUG_LEAKS
 	talloc_enable_leak_report_full();
@@ -1000,6 +1003,10 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
 		}
 	}
 
+	/* override the default fork function */
+	if (s->config->isolate)
+		our_fork = safe_fork;
+
 	write_pid_file();
 
 	run_sec_mod(s);
@@ -1122,7 +1129,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
 					break;
 				}
 
-				pid = safe_fork();
+				pid = our_fork();
 				if (pid == 0) {	/* child */
 					/* close any open descriptors, and erase
 					 * sensitive data before running the worker
diff --git a/src/ocserv-args.def b/src/ocserv-args.def
index dc422fc7..489e8cd4 100644
--- a/src/ocserv-args.def
+++ b/src/ocserv-args.def
@@ -104,10 +104,12 @@ An example configuration file follows.
 # Framed-IP-Address, Framed-IP-Netmask, MS-Primary-DNS-Server, MS-Secondary-DNS-Server
 #auth = "radius[/etc/radiusclient/radiusclient.conf,groupconfig]"
 
-# Whether to enable seccomp worker isolation. That restricts the number of 
+# Whether to enable seccomp/Linux namespaces worker isolation. That restricts the number of 
 # system calls allowed to a worker process, in order to reduce damage from a
 # bug in the worker process. It is available on Linux systems at a performance cost.
-#use-seccomp = true
+# The performance cost is roughly double the time needed for fork() per client, and 
+# 2% overhead at transfer time (tested on a Linux 3.17.8).
+#isolate-workers = true
 
 # A banner to be displayed on clients
 #banner = "Welcome"
diff --git a/src/vpn.h b/src/vpn.h
index 3dc8c660..5e696034 100644
--- a/src/vpn.h
+++ b/src/vpn.h
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ struct cfg_st {
 
 	time_t min_reauth_time;	/* after a failed auth, how soon one can reauthenticate -> in seconds */
 
-	unsigned seccomp; /* whether seccomp should be enabled or not */
+	unsigned isolate; /* whether seccomp should be enabled or not */
 
 	unsigned auth_timeout; /* timeout of HTTP auth */
 	unsigned idle_timeout; /* timeout when idle */
diff --git a/src/worker-vpn.c b/src/worker-vpn.c
index a5301af8..64244267 100644
--- a/src/worker-vpn.c
+++ b/src/worker-vpn.c
@@ -782,7 +782,7 @@ void vpn_server(struct worker_st *ws)
 	/* do not allow this process to be traced. That
 	 * prevents worker processes tracing each other. */
 	pr_set_undumpable("worker");
-	if (ws->config->seccomp != 0) {
+	if (ws->config->isolate != 0) {
 		ret = disable_system_calls(ws);
 		if (ret < 0) {
 			oclog(ws, LOG_INFO,