diff --git a/ports/esp32/CMakeLists.txt b/ports/esp32/CMakeLists.txt
index d3927cd48d82a..83fca88b6972b 100644
--- a/ports/esp32/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/ports/esp32/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -74,5 +74,9 @@ list(APPEND EXTRA_COMPONENT_DIRS main_${IDF_TARGET})
 # Enable the panic handler wrapper
 idf_build_set_property(LINK_OPTIONS "-Wl,--wrap=esp_panic_handler" APPEND)
 
+# Patch LWIP memory pool allocators (see lwip_patch.c)
+idf_build_set_property(LINK_OPTIONS "-Wl,--wrap=memp_malloc" APPEND)
+idf_build_set_property(LINK_OPTIONS "-Wl,--wrap=memp_free" APPEND)
+
 # Define the project.
 project(micropython)
diff --git a/ports/esp32/boards/sdkconfig.base b/ports/esp32/boards/sdkconfig.base
index c7d326c89e8ae..c7179b6125a1e 100644
--- a/ports/esp32/boards/sdkconfig.base
+++ b/ports/esp32/boards/sdkconfig.base
@@ -133,3 +133,7 @@ CONFIG_NEWLIB_NANO_FORMAT=y
 # Due to limitations in the PMP system this feature breaks native emitters
 # so is disabled by default.
 CONFIG_ESP_SYSTEM_PMP_IDRAM_SPLIT=n
+
+# Further limit total sockets in TIME-WAIT when there are many short-lived
+# connections.
+CONFIG_LWIP_MAX_ACTIVE_TCP=12
diff --git a/ports/esp32/esp32_common.cmake b/ports/esp32/esp32_common.cmake
index 2c81e8c2b3a50..565f6feec2324 100644
--- a/ports/esp32/esp32_common.cmake
+++ b/ports/esp32/esp32_common.cmake
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ list(APPEND MICROPY_SOURCE_PORT
     network_wlan.c
     mpnimbleport.c
     modsocket.c
+    lwip_patch.c
     modesp.c
     esp32_nvs.c
     esp32_partition.c
diff --git a/ports/esp32/lwip_patch.c b/ports/esp32/lwip_patch.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..9c5e10fcbb404
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ports/esp32/lwip_patch.c
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+/*
+ * This file is part of the MicroPython project, http://micropython.org/
+ *
+ * The MIT License (MIT)
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2024 Angus Gratton
+ *
+ * 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.
+ */
+#include "lwip/memp.h"
+
+// This is a link-time patch to enforce the limit of max active TCP PCBs. A
+// workaround for upstream issue https://github.com/espressif/esp-idf/issues/9670
+//
+// Without this limit the number of TCP PCBs in TIME-WAIT is unbounded, which can
+// have two problems on systems with a lot of short-lived TCP connections:
+//
+// - Higher memory usage.
+// - Increased chance of stalled TCP connections due to port reuse.
+
+static unsigned active_tcp_pcbs;
+
+void *__real_memp_malloc(memp_t type);
+void __real_memp_free(memp_t type, void *mem);
+
+void *__wrap_memp_malloc(memp_t type) {
+    if (type != MEMP_TCP_PCB) {
+        return __real_memp_malloc(type);
+    }
+
+    if (active_tcp_pcbs >= MEMP_NUM_TCP_PCB) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    void *res = __real_memp_malloc(MEMP_TCP_PCB);
+    if (res != NULL) {
+        ++active_tcp_pcbs;
+    }
+    return res;
+}
+
+void __wrap_memp_free(memp_t type, void *mem) {
+    __real_memp_free(type, mem);
+    if (type == MEMP_TCP_PCB && mem != NULL) {
+        assert(active_tcp_pcbs);
+        --active_tcp_pcbs;
+    }
+}