diff --git a/go/nix/bcacheup/bcacheup.go b/go/nix/bcacheup/bcacheup.go
index 8adbafe7d4..5c68e0e72b 100644
--- a/go/nix/bcacheup/bcacheup.go
+++ b/go/nix/bcacheup/bcacheup.go
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ var (
 	blobURLFlag              = flag.String("cache_url", "", "Cache URL")
 	stateSummaryIntervalFlag = flag.Duration("state_summary_interval", 10*time.Second, "Time between state summary outputs.")
 	deepCheckGalacticFlag    = flag.Bool("deep_check_galactic", false, "Ensure that all references are available in the cache before skipping, rather than just checking that the path itself is available.")
+	maximumConcurrentUploads = flag.Int("maximum_concurrent_uploads", 32, "Limit for the number of concurrent uploads.")
 )
 
 var (
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ const (
 	stateUnknown state = iota
 	stateCheckingShouldUpload
 	stateUploadingReferences
+	stateWaitingForUploadSlot
 	stateUploadingContent
 	stateCopyingContent
 	stateUploadingNarinfo
@@ -75,6 +77,7 @@ func (s state) String() string {
 		stateUnknown:              "unknown",
 		stateCheckingShouldUpload: "determining if upload required",
 		stateUploadingReferences:  "uploading references",
+		stateWaitingForUploadSlot: "waiting for upload slot",
 		stateUploadingContent:     "uploading content",
 		stateCopyingContent:       "copying content",
 		stateUploadingNarinfo:     "uploading narinfo",
@@ -161,6 +164,10 @@ type uploader struct {
 	storePath string
 	st        stateTracker
 
+	uploadInFlight int
+	uploadMu       sync.Mutex
+	uploadCond     *sync.Cond
+
 	uploadSF          singleflight.Group
 	deepCheckGalactic bool // if true, don't skip if this item is already present; always check the references to make sure they exist too.
 }
@@ -311,6 +318,22 @@ func (u *uploader) uploadRefs(ctx context.Context, current string, refs []string
 	return eg.Wait()
 }
 
+func (u *uploader) getUploadSlot() struct{} {
+	u.uploadMu.Lock()
+	for u.uploadInFlight >= *maximumConcurrentUploads {
+		u.uploadCond.Wait()
+	}
+	u.uploadInFlight++
+	u.uploadMu.Unlock()
+	return struct{}{}
+}
+
+func (u *uploader) returnUploadSlot(slot struct{}) {
+	u.uploadMu.Lock()
+	u.uploadInFlight--
+	u.uploadMu.Unlock()
+}
+
 func (u *uploader) upload(ctx context.Context, path string) error {
 	u.st.SetState(path, stateCheckingShouldUpload)
 
@@ -345,6 +368,9 @@ func (u *uploader) upload(ctx context.Context, path string) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	u.st.SetState(path, stateWaitingForUploadSlot)
+	defer u.returnUploadSlot(u.getUploadSlot())
+
 	u.st.SetState(path, stateUploadingContent)
 	if !ni.NarHash.Valid() {
 		u.st.SetState(path, stateFailed)
@@ -442,6 +468,8 @@ func main() {
 		deepCheckGalactic: *deepCheckGalacticFlag,
 	}
 
+	u.uploadCond = sync.NewCond(&u.uploadMu)
+
 	go func() {
 		t := time.NewTicker(*stateSummaryIntervalFlag)
 		defer t.Stop()