diff --git a/fdbclient/Knobs.cpp b/fdbclient/Knobs.cpp
index 5168333bb0..1d30370784 100644
--- a/fdbclient/Knobs.cpp
+++ b/fdbclient/Knobs.cpp
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ ClientKnobs::ClientKnobs(bool randomize) {
 	init( SPLIT_KEY_SIZE_LIMIT,                    KEY_SIZE_LIMIT/2 ); if( randomize && BUGGIFY ) SPLIT_KEY_SIZE_LIMIT = KEY_SIZE_LIMIT - serverKeysPrefixFor(UID()).size() - 1;
 	init( METADATA_VERSION_CACHE_SIZE,            1000 );
 
-	init( MAX_BATCH_SIZE,                           20 ); if( randomize && BUGGIFY ) MAX_BATCH_SIZE = 1; // Note that SERVER_KNOBS->START_TRANSACTION_MAX_BUDGET_SIZE is set to match this value
+	init( MAX_BATCH_SIZE,                         1000 ); if( randomize && BUGGIFY ) MAX_BATCH_SIZE = 1; // Note that SERVER_KNOBS->START_TRANSACTION_MAX_BUDGET_SIZE is set to match this value
 	init( GRV_BATCH_TIMEOUT,                     0.005 ); if( randomize && BUGGIFY ) GRV_BATCH_TIMEOUT = 0.1;
 
 	init( LOCATION_CACHE_EVICTION_SIZE,         300000 );
diff --git a/fdbserver/Knobs.cpp b/fdbserver/Knobs.cpp
index 0d7122cccf..7064672ef8 100644
--- a/fdbserver/Knobs.cpp
+++ b/fdbserver/Knobs.cpp
@@ -250,8 +250,9 @@ ServerKnobs::ServerKnobs(bool randomize, ClientKnobs* clientKnobs) {
 	init( START_TRANSACTION_BATCH_INTERVAL_LATENCY_FRACTION,     0.5 );
 	init( START_TRANSACTION_BATCH_INTERVAL_SMOOTHER_ALPHA,       0.1 );
 	init( START_TRANSACTION_BATCH_QUEUE_CHECK_INTERVAL,        0.001 );
-	init( START_TRANSACTION_MAX_TRANSACTIONS_TO_START,         10000 );
-	init( START_TRANSACTION_MAX_BUDGET_SIZE,                      20 ); // Currently set to match CLIENT_KNOBS->MAX_BATCH_SIZE
+	init( START_TRANSACTION_MAX_TRANSACTIONS_TO_START,        500000 );
+	init( START_TRANSACTION_MAX_BUDGET_SIZE,                    1000 ); // Currently set to match CLIENT_KNOBS->MAX_BATCH_SIZE
+	init( START_TRANSACTION_MAX_REQUESTS_TO_START,             10000 );
 
 	init( COMMIT_TRANSACTION_BATCH_INTERVAL_FROM_IDLE,         0.0005 ); if( randomize && BUGGIFY ) COMMIT_TRANSACTION_BATCH_INTERVAL_FROM_IDLE = 0.005;
 	init( COMMIT_TRANSACTION_BATCH_INTERVAL_MIN,                0.001 ); if( randomize && BUGGIFY ) COMMIT_TRANSACTION_BATCH_INTERVAL_MIN = 0.1;
diff --git a/fdbserver/Knobs.h b/fdbserver/Knobs.h
index 219a5c89d2..3244818f58 100644
--- a/fdbserver/Knobs.h
+++ b/fdbserver/Knobs.h
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ public:
 	double START_TRANSACTION_BATCH_QUEUE_CHECK_INTERVAL;
 	double START_TRANSACTION_MAX_TRANSACTIONS_TO_START;
 	double START_TRANSACTION_MAX_BUDGET_SIZE;
+	int START_TRANSACTION_MAX_REQUESTS_TO_START;
 
 	double COMMIT_TRANSACTION_BATCH_INTERVAL_FROM_IDLE;
 	double COMMIT_TRANSACTION_BATCH_INTERVAL_MIN;
diff --git a/fdbserver/MasterProxyServer.actor.cpp b/fdbserver/MasterProxyServer.actor.cpp
index 07c0a8a533..3886f18ed5 100644
--- a/fdbserver/MasterProxyServer.actor.cpp
+++ b/fdbserver/MasterProxyServer.actor.cpp
@@ -1156,7 +1156,8 @@ ACTOR static Future<Void> transactionStarter(
 
 		double leftToStart = 0;
 		double batchLeftToStart = 0;
-		while (!transactionQueue.empty()) {
+		int requestsToStart = 0;
+		while (!transactionQueue.empty() && requestsToStart < SERVER_KNOBS->START_TRANSACTION_MAX_REQUESTS_TO_START) {
 			auto& req = transactionQueue.top().first;
 			int tc = req.transactionCount;
 
@@ -1182,6 +1183,7 @@ ACTOR static Future<Void> transactionStarter(
 
 			start[req.flags & 1].push_back(std::move(req));  static_assert(GetReadVersionRequest::FLAG_CAUSAL_READ_RISKY == 1, "Implementation dependent on flag value");
 			transactionQueue.pop();
+			requestsToStart++;
 		}
 
 		if (!transactionQueue.empty())