diff --git a/cmd/erasure-server-pool-decom.go b/cmd/erasure-server-pool-decom.go
index 5b772c39e..2ff0644c3 100644
--- a/cmd/erasure-server-pool-decom.go
+++ b/cmd/erasure-server-pool-decom.go
@@ -583,13 +583,15 @@ func (v versionsSorter) reverse() {
 func (z *erasureServerPools) decommissionPool(ctx context.Context, idx int, pool *erasureSets, bName string) error {
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup
 	wStr := env.Get("_MINIO_DECOMMISSION_WORKERS", strconv.Itoa(len(pool.sets)))
-	workerSize, _ := strconv.Atoi(wStr)
+	workerSize, err := strconv.Atoi(wStr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	parallelWorkers := make(chan struct{}, workerSize)
 
 	versioned := globalBucketVersioningSys.Enabled(bName)
 	for _, set := range pool.sets {
-		parallelWorkers <- struct{}{}
 		set := set
 		disks := set.getOnlineDisks()
 		if len(disks) == 0 {
@@ -599,6 +601,9 @@ func (z *erasureServerPools) decommissionPool(ctx context.Context, idx int, pool
 		}
 
 		decommissionEntry := func(entry metaCacheEntry) {
+			defer func() {
+				<-parallelWorkers
+			}()
 			if entry.isDir() {
 				return
 			}
@@ -712,17 +717,20 @@ func (z *erasureServerPools) decommissionPool(ctx context.Context, idx int, pool
 				forwardTo:      "",
 				minDisks:       len(disks) / 2, // to capture all quorum ratios
 				reportNotFound: false,
-				agreed:         decommissionEntry,
+				agreed: func(entry metaCacheEntry) {
+					parallelWorkers <- struct{}{}
+					go decommissionEntry(entry)
+				},
 				partial: func(entries metaCacheEntries, nAgreed int, errs []error) {
 					entry, ok := entries.resolve(&resolver)
 					if ok {
-						decommissionEntry(*entry)
+						parallelWorkers <- struct{}{}
+						go decommissionEntry(*entry)
 					}
 				},
 				finished: nil,
 			})
 			logger.LogIf(ctx, err)
-			<-parallelWorkers
 		}()
 	}
 	wg.Wait()