diff --git a/cmd/cortex/Dockerfile b/cmd/cortex/Dockerfile
index 64fadb8840..bfbfa7e66f 100644
--- a/cmd/cortex/Dockerfile
+++ b/cmd/cortex/Dockerfile
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ ARG TARGETARCH
 RUN        apk add --no-cache ca-certificates
 COPY       migrations /migrations/
 COPY       cortex-$TARGETARCH /bin/cortex
+COPY       run.sh /bin/run.sh
+RUN        chmod +x /bin/run.sh
 EXPOSE     80
-ENTRYPOINT [ "/bin/cortex" ]
+ENTRYPOINT [ "/bin/run.sh" ]
 
 ARG revision
 LABEL org.opencontainers.image.title="cortex" \
diff --git a/cmd/cortex/run.sh b/cmd/cortex/run.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bcf7d02a05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/cortex/run.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+if [ -n "${CORTEX_ULIMIT_NOFILES:-}" ]; then
+    current_limit=$(ulimit -Hn)
+    if [ "$current_limit" != "unlimited" ]; then
+        if [ $CORTEX_ULIMIT_NOFILES -gt $current_limit ]; then
+            echo "Setting file description limit to $CORTEX_ULIMIT_NOFILES"
+            ulimit -Hn $CORTEX_ULIMIT_NOFILES
+        fi
+    fi
+fi
+exec /bin/cortex "$@"
\ No newline at end of file