diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index cd686d3c1..3b77c86a1 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
 
     <properties>
         <build.number>unknown</build.number>
-        <netty.version>4.0.19.Final</netty.version>
+        <netty.version>4.0.20.Final</netty.version>
         <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
     </properties>
 
diff --git a/proxy/pom.xml b/proxy/pom.xml
index f5e40c474..7fe39226b 100644
--- a/proxy/pom.xml
+++ b/proxy/pom.xml
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@
             <version>${netty.version}</version>
             <scope>compile</scope>
         </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>io.netty</groupId>
+            <artifactId>netty-transport-native-epoll</artifactId>
+            <version>${netty.version}</version>
+            <scope>compile</scope>
+        </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>jline</groupId>
             <artifactId>jline</artifactId>
diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/BungeeCord.java b/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/BungeeCord.java
index 2f49735ae..484671f91 100644
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/BungeeCord.java
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/BungeeCord.java
@@ -21,9 +21,7 @@ import io.netty.channel.Channel;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelException;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelFuture;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelFutureListener;
-import io.netty.channel.MultithreadEventLoopGroup;
-import io.netty.channel.nio.NioEventLoopGroup;
-import io.netty.channel.socket.nio.NioServerSocketChannel;
+import io.netty.channel.EventLoopGroup;
 import io.netty.util.ResourceLeakDetector;
 import net.md_5.bungee.conf.Configuration;
 import java.io.File;
@@ -33,7 +31,6 @@ import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
 import java.text.MessageFormat;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Collections;
-import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -97,7 +94,7 @@ public class BungeeCord extends ProxyServer
      * Localization bundle.
      */
     public ResourceBundle bundle;
-    public MultithreadEventLoopGroup eventLoops;
+    public EventLoopGroup eventLoops;
     /**
      * locations.yml save thread.
      */
@@ -206,7 +203,7 @@ public class BungeeCord extends ProxyServer
         System.setProperty( "io.netty.selectorAutoRebuildThreshold", "0" ); // Seems to cause Bungee to stop accepting connections
         ResourceLeakDetector.setEnabled( false ); // Eats performance
 
-        eventLoops = new NioEventLoopGroup( 0, new ThreadFactoryBuilder().setNameFormat( "Netty IO Thread #%1$d" ).build() );
+        eventLoops = PipelineUtils.newEventLoopGroup(0, new ThreadFactoryBuilder().setNameFormat( "Netty IO Thread #%1$d" ).build() );
 
         File moduleDirectory = new File( "modules" );
         moduleManager.load( this, moduleDirectory );
@@ -259,7 +256,7 @@ public class BungeeCord extends ProxyServer
                 }
             };
             new ServerBootstrap()
-                    .channel( NioServerSocketChannel.class )
+                    .channel( PipelineUtils.getServerChannel() )
                     .childAttr( PipelineUtils.LISTENER, info )
                     .childHandler( PipelineUtils.SERVER_CHILD )
                     .group( eventLoops )
diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/BungeeServerInfo.java b/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/BungeeServerInfo.java
index 6613016cd..2c3bb9187 100644
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/BungeeServerInfo.java
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/BungeeServerInfo.java
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import io.netty.bootstrap.Bootstrap;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelFuture;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelFutureListener;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelOption;
-import io.netty.channel.socket.nio.NioSocketChannel;
 import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
@@ -131,7 +130,7 @@ public class BungeeServerInfo implements ServerInfo
             }
         };
         new Bootstrap()
-                .channel( NioSocketChannel.class )
+                .channel( PipelineUtils.getChannel() )
                 .group( BungeeCord.getInstance().eventLoops )
                 .handler( PipelineUtils.BASE )
                 .option( ChannelOption.CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MILLIS, 5000 ) // TODO: Configurable
diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/UserConnection.java b/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/UserConnection.java
index 5b06bf88d..10e732e66 100644
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/UserConnection.java
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/UserConnection.java
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import io.netty.channel.ChannelFuture;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelFutureListener;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelInitializer;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelOption;
-import io.netty.channel.socket.nio.NioSocketChannel;
 import io.netty.util.internal.PlatformDependent;
 import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
 import java.util.Collection;
@@ -261,7 +260,7 @@ public final class UserConnection implements ProxiedPlayer
             }
         };
         Bootstrap b = new Bootstrap()
-                .channel( NioSocketChannel.class )
+                .channel( PipelineUtils.getChannel() )
                 .group( ch.getHandle().eventLoop() )
                 .handler( initializer )
                 .option( ChannelOption.CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MILLIS, 5000 ) // TODO: Configurable
diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/http/HttpClient.java b/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/http/HttpClient.java
index e1f2c1b60..c8e4af867 100644
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/http/HttpClient.java
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/http/HttpClient.java
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import io.netty.channel.ChannelFuture;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelFutureListener;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelOption;
 import io.netty.channel.EventLoop;
-import io.netty.channel.socket.nio.NioSocketChannel;
 import io.netty.handler.codec.http.DefaultHttpRequest;
 import io.netty.handler.codec.http.HttpHeaders;
 import io.netty.handler.codec.http.HttpMethod;
@@ -21,6 +20,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import lombok.AccessLevel;
 import lombok.NoArgsConstructor;
 import net.md_5.bungee.api.Callback;
+import net.md_5.bungee.netty.PipelineUtils;
 
 @NoArgsConstructor(access = AccessLevel.PRIVATE)
 public class HttpClient
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ public class HttpClient
             }
         };
 
-        new Bootstrap().channel( NioSocketChannel.class ).group( eventLoop ).handler( new HttpInitializer( callback, ssl ) ).
+        new Bootstrap().channel( PipelineUtils.getChannel() ).group( eventLoop ).handler( new HttpInitializer( callback, ssl ) ).
                 option( ChannelOption.CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MILLIS, TIMEOUT ).remoteAddress( inetHost, port ).connect().addListener( future );
     }
 }
diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/netty/PipelineUtils.java b/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/netty/PipelineUtils.java
index 24261072b..8239799fa 100644
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/netty/PipelineUtils.java
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/net/md_5/bungee/netty/PipelineUtils.java
@@ -5,13 +5,25 @@ import io.netty.channel.Channel;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelException;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelInitializer;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelOption;
+import io.netty.channel.EventLoopGroup;
+import io.netty.channel.ServerChannel;
+import io.netty.channel.epoll.EpollEventLoopGroup;
+import io.netty.channel.epoll.EpollServerSocketChannel;
+import io.netty.channel.epoll.EpollSocketChannel;
+import io.netty.channel.nio.NioEventLoopGroup;
+import io.netty.channel.socket.nio.NioServerSocketChannel;
+import io.netty.channel.socket.nio.NioSocketChannel;
 import io.netty.handler.timeout.ReadTimeoutHandler;
 import io.netty.util.AttributeKey;
+import io.netty.util.internal.PlatformDependent;
 import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
+import java.util.concurrent.ThreadFactory;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.logging.Level;
 import net.md_5.bungee.BungeeCord;
 import net.md_5.bungee.BungeeServerInfo;
 import net.md_5.bungee.UserConnection;
+import net.md_5.bungee.Util;
 import net.md_5.bungee.connection.InitialHandler;
 import net.md_5.bungee.api.ProxyServer;
 import net.md_5.bungee.api.config.ListenerInfo;
@@ -62,6 +74,47 @@ public class PipelineUtils
     public static String LEGACY_DECODER = "legacy-decoder";
     public static String LEGACY_KICKER = "legacy-kick";
 
+    private static boolean epoll;
+
+    static
+    {
+        if ( !PlatformDependent.isWindows() )
+        {
+            ProxyServer.getInstance().getLogger().info( "Not on Windows, attempting to use enhanced EpollEventLoop" );
+            EpollEventLoopGroup testGroup = null;
+            try
+            {
+                testGroup = new EpollEventLoopGroup( 1 );
+                epoll = true;
+                ProxyServer.getInstance().getLogger().info( "Epoll is working, utilising it!" );
+            } catch ( Throwable t )
+            {
+                ProxyServer.getInstance().getLogger().log( Level.WARNING, "Event though Epoll should be supported, it is not working, falling back to NIO: {0}", Util.exception( t ) );
+            } finally
+            {
+                if ( testGroup != null )
+                {
+                    testGroup.shutdownGracefully();
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    public static EventLoopGroup newEventLoopGroup(int threads, ThreadFactory factory)
+    {
+        return epoll ? new EpollEventLoopGroup( threads, factory ) : new NioEventLoopGroup( threads, factory );
+    }
+
+    public static Class<? extends ServerChannel> getServerChannel()
+    {
+        return epoll ? EpollServerSocketChannel.class : NioServerSocketChannel.class;
+    }
+
+    public static Class<? extends Channel> getChannel()
+    {
+        return epoll ? EpollSocketChannel.class : NioSocketChannel.class;
+    }
+
     public final static class Base extends ChannelInitializer<Channel>
     {