diff --git a/proxmox-rest-server/Cargo.toml b/proxmox-rest-server/Cargo.toml
index 8d45cd58..3809854e 100644
--- a/proxmox-rest-server/Cargo.toml
+++ b/proxmox-rest-server/Cargo.toml
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ libc.workspace = true
 log.workspace = true
 nix.workspace = true
 once_cell.workspace = true
+openssl.workspace = true
 percent-encoding.workspace = true
 regex.workspace = true
 serde = { workspace = true, features = [ "derive" ] }
diff --git a/proxmox-rest-server/src/connection.rs b/proxmox-rest-server/src/connection.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..768b9361
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proxmox-rest-server/src/connection.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,287 @@
+//! Incoming connection handling for the Rest Server.
+//!
+//! Hyper building block.
+
+use std::os::unix::io::AsRawFd;
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::pin::Pin;
+use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+use anyhow::Context as _;
+use anyhow::Error;
+use futures::FutureExt;
+use openssl::ec::{EcGroup, EcKey};
+use openssl::nid::Nid;
+use openssl::pkey::{PKey, Private};
+use openssl::ssl::{SslAcceptor, SslFiletype, SslMethod};
+use openssl::x509::X509;
+use tokio::net::{TcpListener, TcpStream};
+use tokio_openssl::SslStream;
+use tokio_stream::wrappers::ReceiverStream;
+
+#[cfg(feature = "rate-limited-stream")]
+use proxmox_http::{RateLimitedStream, ShareableRateLimit};
+
+#[cfg(feature = "rate-limited-stream")]
+pub type SharedRateLimit = Arc<dyn ShareableRateLimit>;
+
+enum Tls {
+    KeyCert(PKey<Private>, X509),
+    FilesPem(PathBuf, PathBuf),
+}
+
+/// A builder for an `SslAcceptor` which can be configured either with certificates (or path to PEM
+/// files), or otherwise builds a self-signed certificate on the fly (mostly useful during
+/// development).
+pub struct TlsAcceptorBuilder {
+    tls: Option<Tls>,
+}
+
+impl TlsAcceptorBuilder {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        Self { tls: None }
+    }
+
+    pub fn certificate(mut self, key: PKey<Private>, cert: X509) -> Self {
+        self.tls = Some(Tls::KeyCert(key, cert));
+        self
+    }
+
+    pub fn certificate_paths_pem(mut self, key: PathBuf, cert: PathBuf) -> Self {
+        self.tls = Some(Tls::FilesPem(key, cert));
+        self
+    }
+
+    pub fn build(self) -> Result<SslAcceptor, Error> {
+        let mut acceptor = SslAcceptor::mozilla_intermediate_v5(SslMethod::tls()).unwrap();
+
+        match self.tls {
+            Some(Tls::KeyCert(key, cert)) => {
+                acceptor
+                    .set_private_key(&key)
+                    .context("failed to set tls acceptor private key")?;
+                acceptor
+                    .set_certificate(&cert)
+                    .context("failed to set tls acceptor certificate")?;
+            }
+            Some(Tls::FilesPem(key, cert)) => {
+                acceptor
+                    .set_private_key_file(key, SslFiletype::PEM)
+                    .context("failed to set tls acceptor private key file")?;
+                acceptor
+                    .set_certificate_chain_file(cert)
+                    .context("failed to set tls acceptor certificate chain file")?;
+            }
+            None => {
+                let key = EcKey::generate(
+                    EcGroup::from_curve_name(Nid::X9_62_PRIME256V1)
+                        .context("failed to get NIST-P256 curve from openssl")?
+                        .as_ref(),
+                )
+                .and_then(PKey::from_ec_key)
+                .context("generating temporary ec key")?;
+                //let key = openssl::rsa::Rsa::generate(4096)
+                //    .and_then(PKey::from_rsa)
+                //    .context("generating temporary rsa key")?;
+
+                let mut cert =
+                    X509::builder().context("generating building self signed certificate")?;
+                cert.set_version(2)?;
+                cert.set_pubkey(&key)?;
+                cert.sign(&key, openssl::hash::MessageDigest::sha256())?;
+                cert.set_not_before(openssl::asn1::Asn1Time::days_from_now(0)?.as_ref())?;
+                cert.set_not_after(openssl::asn1::Asn1Time::days_from_now(365)?.as_ref())?;
+
+                let mut name = openssl::x509::X509Name::builder()?;
+                name.append_entry_by_text("C", "CA")?;
+                name.append_entry_by_text("O", "Self")?;
+                name.append_entry_by_text("CN", "localhost")?;
+                cert.set_issuer_name(name.build().as_ref())?;
+
+                let cert = cert.build();
+
+                acceptor
+                    .set_private_key(&key)
+                    .context("failed to set tls acceptor private key")?;
+                acceptor
+                    .set_certificate(&cert)
+                    .context("failed to set tls acceptor certificate")?;
+            }
+        }
+        acceptor.set_options(openssl::ssl::SslOptions::NO_RENEGOTIATION);
+        acceptor.check_private_key().unwrap();
+
+        Ok(acceptor.build())
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(feature = "rate-limited-stream")]
+type ClientStreamResult = Pin<Box<SslStream<RateLimitedStream<TcpStream>>>>;
+#[cfg(not(feature = "rate-limited-stream"))]
+type ClientStreamResult = Pin<Box<SslStream<TcpStream>>>;
+
+#[cfg(feature = "rate-limited-stream")]
+type LookupRateLimiter = dyn Fn(std::net::SocketAddr) -> (Option<SharedRateLimit>, Option<SharedRateLimit>)
+    + Send
+    + Sync
+    + 'static;
+
+pub struct AcceptBuilder {
+    acceptor: Arc<Mutex<SslAcceptor>>,
+    debug: bool,
+    tcp_keepalive_time: u32,
+    max_pending_accepts: usize,
+
+    #[cfg(feature = "rate-limited-stream")]
+    lookup_rate_limiter: Option<Arc<LookupRateLimiter>>,
+}
+
+impl AcceptBuilder {
+    pub fn new() -> Result<Self, Error> {
+        Ok(Self::with_acceptor(Arc::new(Mutex::new(
+            TlsAcceptorBuilder::new().build()?,
+        ))))
+    }
+
+    pub fn with_acceptor(acceptor: Arc<Mutex<SslAcceptor>>) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            acceptor,
+            debug: false,
+            tcp_keepalive_time: 120,
+            max_pending_accepts: 1024,
+
+            #[cfg(feature = "rate-limited-stream")]
+            lookup_rate_limiter: None,
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn debug(mut self, debug: bool) -> Self {
+        self.debug = debug;
+        self
+    }
+
+    pub fn tcp_keepalive_time(mut self, time: u32) -> Self {
+        self.tcp_keepalive_time = time;
+        self
+    }
+
+    pub fn max_pending_accepts(mut self, count: usize) -> Self {
+        self.max_pending_accepts = count;
+        self
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(feature = "rate-limited-stream")]
+    pub fn rate_limiter_lookup(mut self, lookup_rate_limiter: Arc<LookupRateLimiter>) -> Self {
+        self.lookup_rate_limiter = Some(lookup_rate_limiter);
+        self
+    }
+
+    pub fn accept(
+        self,
+        listener: TcpListener,
+    ) -> impl hyper::server::accept::Accept<Conn = ClientStreamResult, Error = Error> {
+        let (sender, receiver) = tokio::sync::mpsc::channel(self.max_pending_accepts);
+
+        tokio::spawn(self.accept_connections(listener, sender));
+
+        //receiver
+        hyper::server::accept::from_stream(ReceiverStream::new(receiver))
+    }
+
+    async fn accept_connections(
+        self,
+        listener: TcpListener,
+        sender: tokio::sync::mpsc::Sender<Result<ClientStreamResult, Error>>,
+    ) {
+        let accept_counter = Arc::new(());
+        let mut shutdown_future = crate::shutdown_future().fuse();
+
+        loop {
+            let (sock, peer) = futures::select! {
+                res = listener.accept().fuse() => match res {
+                    Ok(conn) => conn,
+                    Err(err) => {
+                        eprintln!("error accepting tcp connection: {err}");
+                        continue;
+                    }
+                },
+                _ =  shutdown_future => break,
+            };
+            #[cfg(not(feature = "rate-limited-stream"))]
+            drop(peer);
+
+            sock.set_nodelay(true).unwrap();
+            let _ = proxmox_sys::linux::socket::set_tcp_keepalive(
+                sock.as_raw_fd(),
+                self.tcp_keepalive_time,
+            );
+
+            #[cfg(feature = "rate-limited-stream")]
+            let sock = match self.lookup_rate_limiter.clone() {
+                Some(lookup) => {
+                    RateLimitedStream::with_limiter_update_cb(sock, move || lookup(peer))
+                }
+                None => RateLimitedStream::with_limiter(sock, None, None),
+            };
+
+            let ssl = {
+                // limit acceptor_guard scope
+                // Acceptor can be reloaded using the command socket "reload-certificate" command
+                let acceptor_guard = self.acceptor.lock().unwrap();
+
+                match openssl::ssl::Ssl::new(acceptor_guard.context()) {
+                    Ok(ssl) => ssl,
+                    Err(err) => {
+                        eprintln!("failed to create Ssl object from Acceptor context - {err}");
+                        continue;
+                    }
+                }
+            };
+
+            let stream = match tokio_openssl::SslStream::new(ssl, sock) {
+                Ok(stream) => stream,
+                Err(err) => {
+                    eprintln!("failed to create SslStream using ssl and connection socket - {err}");
+                    continue;
+                }
+            };
+
+            let mut stream = Box::pin(stream);
+            let sender = sender.clone();
+
+            if Arc::strong_count(&accept_counter) > self.max_pending_accepts {
+                eprintln!("connection rejected - too many open connections");
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            let accept_counter = Arc::clone(&accept_counter);
+            tokio::spawn(async move {
+                let accept_future =
+                    tokio::time::timeout(Duration::new(10, 0), stream.as_mut().accept());
+
+                let result = accept_future.await;
+
+                match result {
+                    Ok(Ok(())) => {
+                        if sender.send(Ok(stream)).await.is_err() && self.debug {
+                            log::error!("detect closed connection channel");
+                        }
+                    }
+                    Ok(Err(err)) => {
+                        if self.debug {
+                            log::error!("https handshake failed - {err}");
+                        }
+                    }
+                    Err(_) => {
+                        if self.debug {
+                            log::error!("https handshake timeout");
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+
+                drop(accept_counter); // decrease reference count
+            });
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/proxmox-rest-server/src/lib.rs b/proxmox-rest-server/src/lib.rs
index 72d19293..bc5be01d 100644
--- a/proxmox-rest-server/src/lib.rs
+++ b/proxmox-rest-server/src/lib.rs
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ pub use api_config::{ApiConfig, AuthError, AuthHandler, IndexHandler};
 mod rest;
 pub use rest::RestServer;
 
+pub mod connection;
+
 mod worker_task;
 pub use worker_task::*;