diff --git a/dbt_project.yml b/dbt_project.yml
index b2ecd57d..81487611 100644
--- a/dbt_project.yml
+++ b/dbt_project.yml
@@ -7,3 +7,7 @@ profile: 'default'
 
 on-run-end:
   - "{{ log_dbt_results(results) }}"
+
+vars:
+  start_timestamp: null
+  batch_size: null
diff --git a/models/root/document_metadata.sql b/models/root/document_metadata.sql
index d3718e3a..4c7f0b47 100644
--- a/models/root/document_metadata.sql
+++ b/models/root/document_metadata.sql
@@ -13,12 +13,30 @@
   )
 }}
 
-SELECT
-  _id as uuid,
-  _deleted,
-  saved_timestamp,
-  doc->>'type' as doc_type
-from {{ source('couchdb', env_var('POSTGRES_TABLE')) }} source_table
-{% if is_incremental() %}
-WHERE source_table.saved_timestamp >= {{ max_existing_timestamp('saved_timestamp') }}
+WITH source_table_CTE AS (
+  SELECT
+    _id as uuid,
+    _deleted,
+    saved_timestamp,
+    doc->>'type' as doc_type
+  FROM {{ source('couchdb', env_var('POSTGRES_TABLE')) }}
+)
+
+{% if var("start_timestamp") is not none and var("batch_size") is not none %}
+  SELECT *
+  FROM source_table_CTE
+  WHERE saved_timestamp >= '{{ var("start_timestamp") }}'
+  ORDER BY saved_timestamp
+  LIMIT {{ var('batch_size') }}
+{% else %}
+
+  SELECT
+    _id as uuid,
+    _deleted,
+    saved_timestamp,
+    doc->>'type' as doc_type
+  FROM {{ source('couchdb', env_var('POSTGRES_TABLE')) }} source_table
+  {% if is_incremental() %}
+    WHERE source_table.saved_timestamp >= {{ max_existing_timestamp('saved_timestamp') }}
+  {% endif %}
 {% endif %}