diff --git a/src/server/test/test_helpers.ts b/src/server/test/test_helpers.ts
index 85bae06485..b9af378375 100644
--- a/src/server/test/test_helpers.ts
+++ b/src/server/test/test_helpers.ts
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ export async function newTestDB(): Promise<BDB> {
 export async function newTestWebserverConfig(): Promise<WebServerConfig> {
   return {
     assetServerMode: "local",
+    assetServerWorkersPerCpu: 1,
     bikkieCacheMode: "none",
     biscuitMode: "memory",
     chatApiMode: "shim",
diff --git a/src/server/web/config.ts b/src/server/web/config.ts
index d41f6a3e98..2777844513 100644
--- a/src/server/web/config.ts
+++ b/src/server/web/config.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ export type AssetServerMode = "none" | "lazy" | "local" | "proxy";
 
 export interface WebServerConfig extends BaseServerConfig {
   assetServerMode: AssetServerMode;
+  assetServerWorkersPerCpu: number;
 }
 
 export async function registerWebServerConfig(): Promise<WebServerConfig> {
@@ -16,5 +17,10 @@ export async function registerWebServerConfig(): Promise<WebServerConfig> {
       defaultValue: process.env.NODE_ENV === "production" ? "none" : "proxy",
       alias: "a",
     },
+    assetServerWorkersPerCpu: {
+      type: Number,
+      defaultValue: 4,
+      alias: "w",
+    },
   });
 }
diff --git a/src/server/web/main.ts b/src/server/web/main.ts
index bb9aba6dae..51c06ae2c8 100644
--- a/src/server/web/main.ts
+++ b/src/server/web/main.ts
@@ -39,10 +39,11 @@ async function registerAssetServer<C extends WebServerContext>(
   const createAssetServer = async () => {
     // In production we're running the asset server as its own service
     // so we want to use all the CPUs available to it.
-    const workerPoolSize =
+    const availableCpus =
       process.env.NODE_ENV === "production"
         ? numCpus()
         : Math.max(1, numCpus() - 1);
+    const workerPoolSize = availableCpus * config.assetServerWorkersPerCpu;
     log.info(`Initializing asset server with ${workerPoolSize} workers.`);
     const bakery = await loader.get("bakery");
     return new AssetExportsServerImpl(bakery.binaries, workerPoolSize);