diff --git a/storage/conf.nim b/storage/conf.nim
index ca743daa..ec95dd7d 100644
--- a/storage/conf.nim
+++ b/storage/conf.nim
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ import ./presets
 import ./utils/natutils
 
 from ./blockexchange/engine/downloadmanager import DefaultBlockRetries
+from ./dht_proxy/protocol import DefaultMaxInFlightLookups
 
 export
   units, net, storagetypes, logutils, presets, completeCmdArg, parseCmdArg, NatConfig
@@ -225,6 +226,14 @@ type
       name: "mix-pool-json"
     .}: string
 
+    dhtProxyMaxInFlight* {.
+      desc:
+        "Max concurrent DHT proxy lookups handled by this node " &
+        "(omit to use the protocol default: " & $DefaultMaxInFlightLookups & ")",
+      defaultValue: int.none,
+      name: "dht-proxy-max-inflight"
+    .}: Option[int]
+
     maxPeers* {.
       desc: "The maximum number of peers to connect to",
       defaultValue: 160,
diff --git a/storage/dht_proxy/handler.nim b/storage/dht_proxy/handler.nim
index cf6356a1..c8d2543e 100644
--- a/storage/dht_proxy/handler.nim
+++ b/storage/dht_proxy/handler.nim
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ logScope:
 
 type DhtProxyProtocol* = ref object of LPProtocol
   discovery*: Discovery
+  inFlight: int
+  maxInFlight: int
 
 proc handleFindProviders(
     self: DhtProxyProtocol, queryBytes: seq[byte]
@@ -60,6 +62,18 @@ proc handleLookupRequest(
     self: DhtProxyProtocol, conn: Connection
 ) {.async: (raises: [CancelledError]).} =
   try:
+    if self.inFlight >= self.maxInFlight:
+      debug "DHT proxy at capacity, replying TooBusy",
+        inFlight = self.inFlight, max = self.maxInFlight
+      await conn.writeLp(
+        LookupResponse(status: ResponseStatus.Error, errorKind: ErrorKind.TooBusy).encode()
+      )
+      return
+
+    inc self.inFlight
+    defer:
+      dec self.inFlight
+
     let
       reqBytes = await conn.readLp(MaxLookupRequestBytes)
       req = LookupRequest.decode(reqBytes).valueOr:
@@ -84,8 +98,12 @@ proc handleLookupRequest(
   except CatchableError as exc:
     warn "Handler error", err = exc.msg
 
-proc new*(T: type DhtProxyProtocol, discovery: Discovery): DhtProxyProtocol =
-  let self = DhtProxyProtocol(discovery: discovery)
+proc new*(
+    T: type DhtProxyProtocol,
+    discovery: Discovery,
+    maxInFlight: int = DefaultMaxInFlightLookups,
+): DhtProxyProtocol =
+  let self = DhtProxyProtocol(discovery: discovery, maxInFlight: maxInFlight)
 
   proc handler(
       conn: Connection, proto: string
diff --git a/storage/dht_proxy/protocol.nim b/storage/dht_proxy/protocol.nim
index c57bd34e..e98abe6c 100644
--- a/storage/dht_proxy/protocol.nim
+++ b/storage/dht_proxy/protocol.nim
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ import ../logutils
 
 const DhtProxyCodec* = "/storage/dht-proxy/1.0.0"
 
+const DefaultMaxInFlightLookups* = 100
+
 let MaxLookupRequestBytes* = getMaxMessageSizeForCodec(DhtProxyCodec, 1).expect(
     "DhtProxyCodec framing leaves no room for a Sphinx forward payload"
   )
@@ -39,6 +41,7 @@ type
     InvalidCid = 1
     Internal = 2
     ResponseTooLarge = 3
+    TooBusy = 4
 
   LookupRequest* = object
     queryType*: QueryType
diff --git a/storage/storage.nim b/storage/storage.nim
index 91f102ba..cb6aa629 100644
--- a/storage/storage.nim
+++ b/storage/storage.nim
@@ -110,7 +110,11 @@ proc start*(s: StorageServer) {.async.} =
     await mixProto.start()
     switch.mount(mixProto)
 
-    let dhtProxyProto = DhtProxyProtocol.new(s.storageNode.discovery)
+    let dhtProxyProto =
+      if cap =? s.config.dhtProxyMaxInFlight:
+        DhtProxyProtocol.new(s.storageNode.discovery, maxInFlight = cap)
+      else:
+        DhtProxyProtocol.new(s.storageNode.discovery)
     await dhtProxyProto.start()
     switch.mount(dhtProxyProto)