diff --git a/server/config/config.go b/server/config/config.go
index 484aab379a..58ce21e02f 100644
--- a/server/config/config.go
+++ b/server/config/config.go
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ type MysqlConfig struct {
 	TLSCA         string `yaml:"tls_ca"`
 	TLSServerName string `yaml:"tls_server_name"`
 	TLSConfig     string `yaml:"tls_config"` //tls=customValue in DSN
+	MaxOpenConns  int    `yaml:"max_open_conns"`
+	MaxIdleConns  int    `yaml:"max_idle_conns"`
 }
 
 // RedisConfig defines configs related to Redis
@@ -121,6 +123,8 @@ func (man Manager) addConfigs() {
 		"MySQL TLS server name")
 	man.addConfigString("mysql.tls_config", "",
 		"MySQL TLS config value. Use skip-verify, true, false or custom key.")
+	man.addConfigInt("mysql.max_open_conns", 50, "MySQL maximum open connection handles.")
+	man.addConfigInt("mysql.max_idle_conns", 50, "MySQL maximum idle connection handles.")
 
 	// Redis
 	man.addConfigString("redis.address", "localhost:6379",
@@ -200,6 +204,8 @@ func (man Manager) LoadConfig() KolideConfig {
 			TLSCA:         man.getConfigString("mysql.tls_ca"),
 			TLSServerName: man.getConfigString("mysql.tls_server_name"),
 			TLSConfig:     man.getConfigString("mysql.tls_config"),
+			MaxOpenConns:  man.getConfigInt("mysql.max_open_conns"),
+			MaxIdleConns:  man.getConfigInt("mysql.max_idle_conns"),
 		},
 		Redis: RedisConfig{
 			Address:  man.getConfigString("redis.address"),
diff --git a/server/datastore/mysql/mysql.go b/server/datastore/mysql/mysql.go
index 0291027261..98cef62065 100644
--- a/server/datastore/mysql/mysql.go
+++ b/server/datastore/mysql/mysql.go
@@ -73,6 +73,9 @@ func New(config config.MysqlConfig, c clock.Clock, opts ...DBOption) (*Datastore
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	db.SetMaxIdleConns(config.MaxIdleConns)
+	db.SetMaxOpenConns(config.MaxOpenConns)
+
 	var dbError error
 	for attempt := 0; attempt < options.maxAttempts; attempt++ {
 		dbError = db.Ping()