diff --git a/cql3/statements/select_statement.cc b/cql3/statements/select_statement.cc
index b83309f83b..38d2e82a2b 100644
--- a/cql3/statements/select_statement.cc
+++ b/cql3/statements/select_statement.cc
@@ -574,7 +574,9 @@ indexed_table_select_statement::do_execute_base_query(
                     command->slice.set_range(*_schema, base_pk, row_ranges);
                 }
             }
-            concurrency *= 2;
+            if (concurrency < max_base_table_query_concurrency) {
+                concurrency *= 2;
+            }
             return proxy.query(_schema, command, std::move(prange), options.get_consistency(), {timeout, state.get_permit(), state.get_client_state(), state.get_trace_state()})
             .then([&ranges_to_vnodes, &merger] (service::storage_proxy::coordinator_query_result qr) {
                 auto is_short_read = qr.query_result->is_short_read();
@@ -638,7 +640,7 @@ indexed_table_select_statement::do_execute_base_query(
             // we continue exponentially, asking for 2x more key than before
             auto already_done = std::distance(keys.begin(), key_it);
             auto next_iteration = already_done + 1;
-            next_iteration = std::min<size_t>(next_iteration, keys.size() - already_done);
+            next_iteration = std::min<size_t>({next_iteration, keys.size() - already_done, max_base_table_query_concurrency});
             auto key_it_end = key_it + next_iteration;
             auto command = ::make_lw_shared<query::read_command>(*cmd);
 
diff --git a/cql3/statements/select_statement.hh b/cql3/statements/select_statement.hh
index d254fb6cf3..87279ced18 100644
--- a/cql3/statements/select_statement.hh
+++ b/cql3/statements/select_statement.hh
@@ -188,6 +188,8 @@ class indexed_table_select_statement : public select_statement {
     noncopyable_function<dht::partition_range_vector(const query_options&)> _get_partition_ranges_for_posting_list;
     noncopyable_function<query::partition_slice(const query_options&)> _get_partition_slice_for_posting_list;
 public:
+    static constexpr size_t max_base_table_query_concurrency = 4096;
+
     static ::shared_ptr<cql3::statements::select_statement> prepare(database& db,
                                                                     schema_ptr schema,
                                                                     uint32_t bound_terms,