diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/store.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/store.go
index b54462d5a31a..2026e425ad87 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/store.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/store.go
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ var concurrentRangefeedItersLimit = settings.RegisterIntSetting(
 	settings.TenantWritable,
 	"kv.rangefeed.concurrent_catchup_iterators",
 	"number of rangefeeds catchup iterators a store will allow concurrently before queueing",
-	64,
+	16,
 	settings.PositiveInt,
 )