diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 18465f9b069..46919a7647c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 1. [16430](https://github.com/influxdata/influxdb/pull/16430): Added toggle to table thresholds to allow users to choose between setting threshold colors to text or background
 1. [16418](https://github.com/influxdata/influxdb/pull/16418): Add Developer Documentation
 1. [16260](https://github.com/influxdata/influxdb/pull/16260): Capture User-Agent header as query source for logging purposes
+1. [16469](https://github.com/influxdata/influxdb/pull/16469): Add support for configurable max batch size in points write handler
 
 ### Bug Fixes
 
diff --git a/errors.go b/errors.go
index c584ad6d47a..8b7566cc958 100644
--- a/errors.go
+++ b/errors.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ const (
 	ETooManyRequests     = "too many requests"
 	EUnauthorized        = "unauthorized"
 	EMethodNotAllowed    = "method not allowed"
+	ETooLarge            = "request too large"
 )
 
 // Error is the error struct of platform.
diff --git a/http/errors.go b/http/errors.go
index 102eea48684..d2323ac7728 100644
--- a/http/errors.go
+++ b/http/errors.go
@@ -157,4 +157,5 @@ var statusCodePlatformError = map[string]int{
 	platform.ETooManyRequests:     http.StatusTooManyRequests,
 	platform.EUnauthorized:        http.StatusUnauthorized,
 	platform.EMethodNotAllowed:    http.StatusMethodNotAllowed,
+	platform.ETooLarge:            http.StatusRequestEntityTooLarge,
 }
diff --git a/http/write_handler.go b/http/write_handler.go
index 334f8c4a487..534c2f343fc 100644
--- a/http/write_handler.go
+++ b/http/write_handler.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package http
 import (
 	"compress/gzip"
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -21,6 +22,13 @@ import (
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 )
 
+var (
+	// ErrMaxBatchSizeExceeded is returned when a points batch exceeds
+	// the defined upper limit in bytes. This pertains to the size of the
+	// batch after inflation from any compression (i.e. ungzipped).
+	ErrMaxBatchSizeExceeded = errors.New("points batch is too large")
+)
+
 // WriteBackend is all services and associated parameters required to construct
 // the WriteHandler.
 type WriteBackend struct {
@@ -58,6 +66,19 @@ type WriteHandler struct {
 	PointsWriter storage.PointsWriter
 
 	EventRecorder metric.EventRecorder
+
+	maxBatchSizeBytes int64
+}
+
+// WriteHandlerOption is a functional option for a *WriteHandler
+type WriteHandlerOption func(*WriteHandler)
+
+// WithMaxBatchSizeBytes configures the maximum size for a
+// (decompressed) points batch allowed by the write handler
+func WithMaxBatchSizeBytes(n int64) WriteHandlerOption {
+	return func(w *WriteHandler) {
+		w.maxBatchSizeBytes = n
+	}
 }
 
 // Prefix provides the route prefix.
@@ -72,7 +93,7 @@ const (
 )
 
 // NewWriteHandler creates a new handler at /api/v2/write to receive line protocol.
-func NewWriteHandler(log *zap.Logger, b *WriteBackend) *WriteHandler {
+func NewWriteHandler(log *zap.Logger, b *WriteBackend, opts ...WriteHandlerOption) *WriteHandler {
 	h := &WriteHandler{
 		Router:           NewRouter(b.HTTPErrorHandler),
 		HTTPErrorHandler: b.HTTPErrorHandler,
@@ -84,6 +105,10 @@ func NewWriteHandler(log *zap.Logger, b *WriteBackend) *WriteHandler {
 		EventRecorder:       b.WriteEventRecorder,
 	}
 
+	for _, opt := range opts {
+		opt(h)
+	}
+
 	h.HandlerFunc("POST", prefixWrite, h.handleWrite)
 	return h
 }
@@ -97,9 +122,19 @@ func (h *WriteHandler) handleWrite(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 	// TODO(desa): I really don't like how we're recording the usage metrics here
 	// Ideally this will be moved when we solve https://github.com/influxdata/influxdb/issues/13403
-	var orgID influxdb.ID
-	var requestBytes int
-	sw := kithttp.NewStatusResponseWriter(w)
+	var (
+		orgID        influxdb.ID
+		requestBytes int
+		sw           = kithttp.NewStatusResponseWriter(w)
+		handleError  = func(err error, code, message string) {
+			h.HandleHTTPError(ctx, &influxdb.Error{
+				Code: code,
+				Op:   "http/handleWrite",
+				Msg:  message,
+				Err:  err,
+			}, w)
+		}
+	)
 	w = sw
 	defer func() {
 		h.EventRecorder.Record(ctx, metric.Event{
@@ -111,20 +146,22 @@ func (h *WriteHandler) handleWrite(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		})
 	}()
 
-	in := r.Body
+	var in io.ReadCloser = r.Body
+	defer in.Close()
+
 	if r.Header.Get("Content-Encoding") == "gzip" {
 		var err error
 		in, err = gzip.NewReader(r.Body)
 		if err != nil {
-			h.HandleHTTPError(ctx, &influxdb.Error{
-				Code: influxdb.EInvalid,
-				Op:   "http/handleWrite",
-				Msg:  errInvalidGzipHeader,
-				Err:  err,
-			}, w)
+			handleError(err, influxdb.EInvalid, errInvalidGzipHeader)
 			return
 		}
-		defer in.Close()
+	}
+
+	// given a limit is configured on the number of bytes in a
+	// batch then wrap the reader in a limited reader
+	if h.maxBatchSizeBytes > 0 {
+		in = newLimitedReadCloser(in, h.maxBatchSizeBytes)
 	}
 
 	a, err := pcontext.GetAuthorizer(ctx)
@@ -183,21 +220,12 @@ func (h *WriteHandler) handleWrite(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 	p, err := influxdb.NewPermissionAtID(bucket.ID, influxdb.WriteAction, influxdb.BucketsResourceType, org.ID)
 	if err != nil {
-		h.HandleHTTPError(ctx, &influxdb.Error{
-			Code: influxdb.EInternal,
-			Op:   "http/handleWrite",
-			Msg:  fmt.Sprintf("unable to create permission for bucket: %v", err),
-			Err:  err,
-		}, w)
+		handleError(err, influxdb.EInternal, fmt.Sprintf("unable to create permission for bucket: %v", err))
 		return
 	}
 
 	if !a.Allowed(*p) {
-		h.HandleHTTPError(ctx, &influxdb.Error{
-			Code: influxdb.EForbidden,
-			Op:   "http/handleWrite",
-			Msg:  "insufficient permissions for write",
-		}, w)
+		handleError(err, influxdb.EForbidden, "insufficient permissions for write")
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -210,22 +238,28 @@ func (h *WriteHandler) handleWrite(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	span.Finish()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Error("Error reading body", zap.Error(err))
-		h.HandleHTTPError(ctx, &influxdb.Error{
-			Code: influxdb.EInternal,
-			Op:   "http/handleWrite",
-			Msg:  fmt.Sprintf("unable to read data: %v", err),
-			Err:  err,
-		}, w)
+		handleError(err, influxdb.EInternal, "unable to read data")
+		return
+	}
+
+	// close the reader now that all bytes have been consumed
+	// this will return non-nil in the case of a configured limit
+	// being exceeded
+	if err := in.Close(); err != nil {
+		log.Error("Error reading body", zap.Error(err))
+
+		code := influxdb.EInternal
+		if errors.Is(err, ErrMaxBatchSizeExceeded) {
+			code = influxdb.ETooLarge
+		}
+
+		handleError(err, code, "unable to read data")
 		return
 	}
 
 	requestBytes = len(data)
 	if requestBytes == 0 {
-		h.HandleHTTPError(ctx, &influxdb.Error{
-			Code: influxdb.EInvalid,
-			Op:   "http/handleWrite",
-			Msg:  "writing requires points",
-		}, w)
+		handleError(err, influxdb.EInvalid, "writing requires points")
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -237,21 +271,13 @@ func (h *WriteHandler) handleWrite(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	span.Finish()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Error("Error parsing points", zap.Error(err))
-		h.HandleHTTPError(ctx, &influxdb.Error{
-			Code: influxdb.EInvalid,
-			Msg:  err.Error(),
-		}, w)
+		handleError(err, influxdb.EInvalid, "")
 		return
 	}
 
 	if err := h.PointsWriter.WritePoints(ctx, points); err != nil {
 		log.Error("Error writing points", zap.Error(err))
-		h.HandleHTTPError(ctx, &influxdb.Error{
-			Code: influxdb.EInternal,
-			Op:   "http/handleWrite",
-			Msg:  "unexpected error writing points to database",
-			Err:  err,
-		}, w)
+		handleError(err, influxdb.EInternal, "unexpected error writing points to database")
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -369,3 +395,39 @@ func compressWithGzip(data io.Reader) (io.Reader, error) {
 
 	return pr, err
 }
+
+type limitedReader struct {
+	*io.LimitedReader
+	err   error
+	close func() error
+}
+
+func newLimitedReadCloser(r io.ReadCloser, n int64) *limitedReader {
+	// read up to max + 1 as limited reader just returns EOF when the limit is reached
+	// or when there is nothing left to read. If we exceed the max batch size by one
+	// then we know the limit has been passed.
+	return &limitedReader{
+		LimitedReader: &io.LimitedReader{R: r, N: n + 1},
+		close:         r.Close,
+	}
+}
+
+// Close returns an ErrMaxBatchSizeExceeded when the wrapped reader
+// exceeds the set limit for number of bytes.
+// This is safe to call more than once but not concurrently.
+func (l *limitedReader) Close() (err error) {
+	defer func() {
+		if cerr := l.close(); cerr != nil && err == nil {
+			err = cerr
+		}
+
+		// only call close once
+		l.close = func() error { return nil }
+	}()
+
+	if l.N < 1 {
+		l.err = ErrMaxBatchSizeExceeded
+	}
+
+	return l.err
+}
diff --git a/http/write_handler_test.go b/http/write_handler_test.go
index cae33ed7a10..ab2a116bded 100644
--- a/http/write_handler_test.go
+++ b/http/write_handler_test.go
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ func TestWriteHandler_handleWrite(t *testing.T) {
 		bucket    *influxdb.Bucket       // bucket to return in bucket service
 		bucketErr error                  // err to return in bucket service
 		writeErr  error                  // err to return from the points writer
+		opts      []WriteHandlerOption   // write handle configured options
 	}
 
 	// want is the expected output of the HTTP endpoint
@@ -255,6 +256,24 @@ func TestWriteHandler_handleWrite(t *testing.T) {
 				body: `{"code":"internal error","message":"authorizer not found on context"}`,
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "large requests rejected",
+			request: request{
+				org:    "043e0780ee2b1000",
+				bucket: "04504b356e23b000",
+				body:   "m1,t1=v1 f1=1",
+				auth:   bucketWritePermission("043e0780ee2b1000", "04504b356e23b000"),
+			},
+			state: state{
+				org:    testOrg("043e0780ee2b1000"),
+				bucket: testBucket("043e0780ee2b1000", "04504b356e23b000"),
+				opts:   []WriteHandlerOption{WithMaxBatchSizeBytes(5)},
+			},
+			wants: wants{
+				code: 413,
+				body: `{"code":"request too large","message":"unable to read data: points batch is too large"}`,
+			},
+		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -275,7 +294,7 @@ func TestWriteHandler_handleWrite(t *testing.T) {
 				PointsWriter:        &mock.PointsWriter{Err: tt.state.writeErr},
 				WriteEventRecorder:  &metric.NopEventRecorder{},
 			}
-			writeHandler := NewWriteHandler(zaptest.NewLogger(t), NewWriteBackend(zaptest.NewLogger(t), b))
+			writeHandler := NewWriteHandler(zaptest.NewLogger(t), NewWriteBackend(zaptest.NewLogger(t), b), tt.state.opts...)
 			handler := httpmock.NewAuthMiddlewareHandler(writeHandler, tt.request.auth)
 
 			r := httptest.NewRequest(