diff --git a/winpr/libwinpr/pool/CMakeLists.txt b/winpr/libwinpr/pool/CMakeLists.txt
index fb2dee58f..cfa9bc891 100644
--- a/winpr/libwinpr/pool/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/winpr/libwinpr/pool/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+set(WINPR_THREADPOOL_DEFAULT_MAX_COUNT "16" CACHE STRING "The maximum (default) number of threads in a pool")
+winpr_definition_add(WINPR_THREADPOOL_DEFAULT_MAX_COUNT=${WINPR_THREADPOOL_DEFAULT_MAX_COUNT})
 winpr_module_add(
   synch.c
   work.c
diff --git a/winpr/libwinpr/pool/pool.c b/winpr/libwinpr/pool/pool.c
index 39bbaaac9..96db6b247 100644
--- a/winpr/libwinpr/pool/pool.c
+++ b/winpr/libwinpr/pool/pool.c
@@ -133,7 +133,14 @@ static BOOL InitializeThreadpool(PTP_POOL pool)
 		info.dwNumberOfProcessors = 1;
 	if (!SetThreadpoolThreadMinimum(pool, info.dwNumberOfProcessors))
 		goto fail;
-	SetThreadpoolThreadMaximum(pool, info.dwNumberOfProcessors);
+
+#if !defined(WINPR_THREADPOOL_DEFAULT_MAX_COUNT)
+#error "WINPR_THREADPOOL_DEFAULT_MAX_COUNT must be defined"
+#endif
+	DWORD max = info.dwNumberOfProcessors;
+	if (max > WINPR_THREADPOOL_DEFAULT_MAX_COUNT)
+		max = WINPR_THREADPOOL_DEFAULT_MAX_COUNT;
+	SetThreadpoolThreadMaximum(pool, max);
 
 	rc = TRUE;
 
@@ -143,9 +150,7 @@ fail:
 
 PTP_POOL GetDefaultThreadpool(void)
 {
-	PTP_POOL pool = NULL;
-
-	pool = &DEFAULT_POOL;
+	PTP_POOL pool = &DEFAULT_POOL;
 
 	if (!InitializeThreadpool(pool))
 		return NULL;