diff --git a/src/conf.c b/src/conf.c
index 575fc6c..eded11a 100644
--- a/src/conf.c
+++ b/src/conf.c
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ static HANDLE_FUNC (handle_listen);
 static HANDLE_FUNC (handle_logfile);
 static HANDLE_FUNC (handle_loglevel);
 static HANDLE_FUNC (handle_maxclients);
+static HANDLE_FUNC (handle_obsolete);
 static HANDLE_FUNC (handle_pidfile);
 static HANDLE_FUNC (handle_port);
 #ifdef REVERSE_SUPPORT
@@ -213,6 +214,10 @@ struct {
         /* integer arguments */
         STDCONF ("port", INT, handle_port),
         STDCONF ("maxclients", INT, handle_maxclients),
+        STDCONF ("maxspareservers", INT, handle_obsolete),
+        STDCONF ("minspareservers", INT, handle_obsolete),
+        STDCONF ("startservers", INT, handle_obsolete),
+        STDCONF ("maxrequestsperchild", INT, handle_obsolete),
         STDCONF ("timeout", INT, handle_timeout),
         STDCONF ("connectport", INT, handle_connectport),
         /* alphanumeric arguments */
@@ -802,6 +807,13 @@ static HANDLE_FUNC (handle_maxclients)
         return 0;
 }
 
+static HANDLE_FUNC (handle_obsolete)
+{
+        fprintf (stderr, "WARNING: obsolete config item on line %lu\n",
+                 lineno);
+        return 0;
+}
+
 static HANDLE_FUNC (handle_timeout)
 {
         return set_int_arg (&conf->idletimeout, line, &match[2]);