diff --git a/doc/example.env b/doc/example.env
index 59e1e85..303a25e 100644
--- a/doc/example.env
+++ b/doc/example.env
@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@ BUILD_INFO=latest
 # otherwise the port specified here will be publicly accessible
 PORT=8080
 
+# How many waitress threads to start
+# 4 is the default amount of threads. If you experience performance
+# degradation with a large number of posts, increasing this may
+# improve performance, since waitress is most likely clogging up with Tasks.
+THREADS=4
+
 # URL base to run szurubooru under
 # See "Additional Features" section in INSTALL.md
 BASE_URL=/
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 1da23bd..38e08b9 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ services:
       #POSTGRES_DB: defaults to same as POSTGRES_USER
       #POSTGRES_PORT: 5432
       #LOG_SQL: 0 (1 for verbose SQL logs)
+      THREADS:
     volumes:
       - "${MOUNT_DATA}:/data"
       - "./server/config.yaml:/opt/app/config.yaml"
diff --git a/server/Dockerfile b/server/Dockerfile
index aac0a65..a13e230 100644
--- a/server/Dockerfile
+++ b/server/Dockerfile
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ ARG PORT=6666
 ENV PORT=${PORT}
 EXPOSE ${PORT}
 
+ARG THREADS=4
+ENV THREADS=${THREADS}
+
 VOLUME ["/data/"]
 
 ARG DOCKER_REPO
diff --git a/server/docker-start.sh b/server/docker-start.sh
index 34a0e49..eebef1c 100755
--- a/server/docker-start.sh
+++ b/server/docker-start.sh
@@ -4,5 +4,5 @@ cd /opt/app
 
 alembic upgrade head
 
-echo "Starting szurubooru API on port ${PORT}"
-exec waitress-serve-3 --port ${PORT} szurubooru.facade:app
+echo "Starting szurubooru API on port ${PORT} - Running on ${THREADS} threads"
+exec waitress-serve-3 --port ${PORT} --threads ${THREADS} szurubooru.facade:app