diff --git a/src/chunk.c b/src/chunk.c
index 2bb57c3a..a6b1f1f0 100644
--- a/src/chunk.c
+++ b/src/chunk.c
@@ -22,6 +22,13 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
+/* default 1MB, upper limit 128MB */
+#define DEFAULT_TEMPFILE_SIZE (1 * 1024 * 1024)
+#define MAX_TEMPFILE_SIZE (128 * 1024 * 1024)
+
+static array *chunkqueue_default_tempdirs = NULL;
+static unsigned int chunkqueue_default_tempfile_size = DEFAULT_TEMPFILE_SIZE;
+
 chunkqueue *chunkqueue_init(void) {
 	chunkqueue *cq;
 
@@ -33,6 +40,9 @@ chunkqueue *chunkqueue_init(void) {
 
 	cq->unused = NULL;
 
+	cq->tempdirs              = chunkqueue_default_tempdirs;
+	cq->upload_temp_file_size = chunkqueue_default_tempfile_size;
+
 	return cq;
 }
 
@@ -377,10 +387,15 @@ void chunkqueue_use_memory(chunkqueue *cq, size_t len) {
 	}
 }
 
-/* default 1MB, upper limit 128MB */
-#define DEFAULT_TEMPFILE_SIZE (1 * 1024 * 1024)
-#define MAX_TEMPFILE_SIZE (128 * 1024 * 1024)
+void chunkqueue_set_tempdirs_default (array *tempdirs, unsigned int upload_temp_file_size) {
+	chunkqueue_default_tempdirs = tempdirs;
+	chunkqueue_default_tempfile_size
+		= (0 == upload_temp_file_size)                ? DEFAULT_TEMPFILE_SIZE
+		: (upload_temp_file_size > MAX_TEMPFILE_SIZE) ? MAX_TEMPFILE_SIZE
+		                                              : upload_temp_file_size;
+}
 
+#if 0
 void chunkqueue_set_tempdirs(chunkqueue *cq, array *tempdirs, unsigned int upload_temp_file_size) {
 	force_assert(NULL != cq);
 	cq->tempdirs = tempdirs;
@@ -390,6 +405,7 @@ void chunkqueue_set_tempdirs(chunkqueue *cq, array *tempdirs, unsigned int uploa
 		                                              : upload_temp_file_size;
 	cq->tempdir_idx = 0;
 }
+#endif
 
 void chunkqueue_steal(chunkqueue *dest, chunkqueue *src, off_t len) {
 	while (len > 0) {
diff --git a/src/chunk.h b/src/chunk.h
index 6acf2cf4..651da561 100644
--- a/src/chunk.h
+++ b/src/chunk.h
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ typedef struct {
 } chunkqueue;
 
 chunkqueue *chunkqueue_init(void);
-void chunkqueue_set_tempdirs(chunkqueue *cq, array *tempdirs, unsigned int upload_temp_file_size);
+void chunkqueue_set_tempdirs_default (array *tempdirs, unsigned int upload_temp_file_size);
 void chunkqueue_append_file(chunkqueue *cq, buffer *fn, off_t offset, off_t len); /* copies "fn" */
 void chunkqueue_append_file_fd(chunkqueue *cq, buffer *fn, int fd, off_t offset, off_t len); /* copies "fn" */
 void chunkqueue_append_mem(chunkqueue *cq, const char *mem, size_t len); /* copies memory */
diff --git a/src/configfile.c b/src/configfile.c
index fbcbcf32..36c94ab1 100644
--- a/src/configfile.c
+++ b/src/configfile.c
@@ -1363,6 +1363,14 @@ int config_set_defaults(server *srv) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (!srv->srvconf.upload_tempdirs->used) {
+		data_string *ds = data_string_init();
+		const char *tmpdir = getenv("TMPDIR");
+		if (NULL == tmpdir) tmpdir = "/tmp";
+		buffer_copy_string(ds->value, tmpdir);
+		array_insert_unique(srv->srvconf.upload_tempdirs, (data_unset *)ds);
+	}
+
 	if (srv->srvconf.upload_tempdirs->used) {
 		buffer * const b = srv->tmp_buf;
 		size_t len;
@@ -1388,6 +1396,10 @@ int config_set_defaults(server *srv) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	chunkqueue_set_tempdirs_default(
+		srv->srvconf.upload_tempdirs,
+		srv->srvconf.upload_temp_file_size);
+
 	if (buffer_string_is_empty(s->document_root)) {
 		log_error_write(srv, __FILE__, __LINE__, "s",
 				"a default document-root has to be set");
diff --git a/src/connections.c b/src/connections.c
index ac4a682e..ccdf360f 100644
--- a/src/connections.c
+++ b/src/connections.c
@@ -612,10 +612,6 @@ connection *connection_init(server *srv) {
 	con->write_queue = chunkqueue_init();
 	con->read_queue = chunkqueue_init();
 	con->request_content_queue = chunkqueue_init();
-	chunkqueue_set_tempdirs(
-		con->request_content_queue,
-		srv->srvconf.upload_tempdirs,
-		srv->srvconf.upload_temp_file_size);
 
 	con->request.headers      = array_init();
 	con->response.headers     = array_init();