diff --git a/src/rpc/rpc_helper.rs b/src/rpc/rpc_helper.rs
index 8c7cc6814..cdac6f14f 100644
--- a/src/rpc/rpc_helper.rs
+++ b/src/rpc/rpc_helper.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ use futures::stream::futures_unordered::FuturesUnordered;
 use futures::stream::StreamExt;
 use futures_util::future::FutureExt;
 use tokio::select;
+use tokio::sync::Semaphore;
 
 pub use netapp::endpoint::{Endpoint, EndpointHandler, Message as Rpc};
 use netapp::peering::fullmesh::FullMeshPeeringStrategy;
@@ -14,11 +15,16 @@ pub use netapp::proto::*;
 pub use netapp::{NetApp, NodeID};
 
 use garage_util::background::BackgroundRunner;
-use garage_util::data::Uuid;
+use garage_util::data::*;
 use garage_util::error::Error;
 
 const DEFAULT_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(10);
 
+// Try to never have more than 200MB of outgoing requests
+// buffered at the same time. Other requests are queued until
+// space is freed.
+const REQUEST_BUFFER_SIZE: usize = 200 * 1024 * 1024;
+
 /// Strategy to apply when making RPC
 #[derive(Copy, Clone)]
 pub struct RequestStrategy {
@@ -64,9 +70,21 @@ impl RequestStrategy {
 pub struct RpcHelper {
 	pub(crate) fullmesh: Arc<FullMeshPeeringStrategy>,
 	pub(crate) background: Arc<BackgroundRunner>,
+	request_buffer_semaphore: Arc<Semaphore>,
 }
 
 impl RpcHelper {
+	pub(crate) fn new(
+		fullmesh: Arc<FullMeshPeeringStrategy>,
+		background: Arc<BackgroundRunner>,
+	) -> Self {
+		Self {
+			fullmesh,
+			background,
+			request_buffer_semaphore: Arc::new(Semaphore::new(REQUEST_BUFFER_SIZE)),
+		}
+	}
+
 	pub async fn call<M, H, S>(
 		&self,
 		endpoint: &Endpoint<M, H>,
@@ -92,10 +110,19 @@ impl RpcHelper {
 		M: Rpc<Response = Result<S, Error>>,
 		H: EndpointHandler<M>,
 	{
+		let msg_size = rmp_to_vec_all_named(&msg)?.len() as u32;
+		let permit = self.request_buffer_semaphore.acquire_many(msg_size).await?;
+
 		let node_id = to.into();
 		select! {
-			res = endpoint.call(&node_id, &msg, strat.rs_priority) => Ok(res??),
-			_ = tokio::time::sleep(strat.rs_timeout) => Err(Error::Timeout),
+			res = endpoint.call(&node_id, &msg, strat.rs_priority) => {
+				drop(permit);
+				Ok(res??)
+			}
+			_ = tokio::time::sleep(strat.rs_timeout) => {
+				drop(permit);
+				Err(Error::Timeout)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/rpc/system.rs b/src/rpc/system.rs
index 8f5a1ec51..a518ef218 100644
--- a/src/rpc/system.rs
+++ b/src/rpc/system.rs
@@ -235,10 +235,7 @@ impl System {
 			node_status: RwLock::new(HashMap::new()),
 			netapp: netapp.clone(),
 			fullmesh: fullmesh.clone(),
-			rpc: RpcHelper {
-				fullmesh,
-				background: background.clone(),
-			},
+			rpc: RpcHelper::new(fullmesh, background.clone()),
 			system_endpoint,
 			replication_factor,
 			rpc_listen_addr: config.rpc_bind_addr,
diff --git a/src/util/error.rs b/src/util/error.rs
index 626958dab..ff03d05b6 100644
--- a/src/util/error.rs
+++ b/src/util/error.rs
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ pub enum Error {
 	#[error(display = "Tokio join error: {}", _0)]
 	TokioJoin(#[error(source)] tokio::task::JoinError),
 
+	#[error(display = "Tokio semaphore acquire error: {}", _0)]
+	TokioSemAcquire(#[error(source)] tokio::sync::AcquireError),
+
 	#[error(display = "Remote error: {}", _0)]
 	RemoteError(String),