diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index e3e36885..2fe528f9 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ byobu (5.38) unreleased; urgency=low
       + often used to maximize your tmux session, since tmux reduces
         the available size of your terminal to the smallest connected
         session
+  * usr/bin/byobu: LP: #1176956
+    - handle unlimted ulimits
 
  -- Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@ubuntu.com>  Sun, 21 Apr 2013 11:11:01 -0500
 
diff --git a/usr/bin/byobu b/usr/bin/byobu
index d268d5e3..8e2d079f 100755
--- a/usr/bin/byobu
+++ b/usr/bin/byobu
@@ -70,8 +70,11 @@ if [ "$#" = "1" ]; then
 			echo "$PKG version $VERSION"
 			if $BYOBU_TEST bash >/dev/null 2>&1; then
 				# Check ulimits
-				[ $(bash -c "ulimit -n") -ge 15 ] || echo "WARNING: ulimit -n is too low" 1>&2
-				[ $(bash -c "ulimit -u") -ge 1600 ] || echo "WARNING: ulimit -u is too low" 1>&2
+				local u
+				u=$(bash -c "ulimit -n")
+				[ "$u" = "unlimited" ] || [ $u -ge 15 ] || echo "WARNING: ulimit -n is too low" 1>&2
+				u=$(bash -c "ulimit -u")
+				[ "$u" = "unlimited" ] || [ $u -ge 1600 ] || echo "WARNING: ulimit -u is too low" 1>&2
 			fi
 			exec $BYOBU_BACKEND $BYOBU_ARG_VERSION
 			exit 0