diff --git a/warehouse/query-core/src/main/java/datawave/query/iterator/QueryIterator.java b/warehouse/query-core/src/main/java/datawave/query/iterator/QueryIterator.java
index a72b0dc5f66..ac9c1d9458b 100644
--- a/warehouse/query-core/src/main/java/datawave/query/iterator/QueryIterator.java
+++ b/warehouse/query-core/src/main/java/datawave/query/iterator/QueryIterator.java
@@ -380,7 +380,9 @@ public void seek(Range range, Collection<ByteSequence> columnFamilies, boolean i
         // preserve the original range for use with the Final Document tracking iterator because it is placed after the ResultCountingIterator
         // so the FinalDocumentTracking iterator needs the start key with the count already appended
         this.originalRange = range;
-        this.waitWindowObserver.start(range, yieldThresholdMs);
+        if (WaitWindowObserver.getNumYields(range.getStartKey(), collectTimingDetails) < maxYields) {
+            this.waitWindowObserver.start(range, yieldThresholdMs);
+        }
         getActiveQueryLog().get(getQueryId()).beginCall(this.originalRange, ActiveQuery.CallType.SEEK);
         ActiveQueryLog.getInstance().get(getQueryId()).beginCall(this.originalRange, ActiveQuery.CallType.SEEK);
 
diff --git a/warehouse/query-core/src/main/java/datawave/query/iterator/QueryOptions.java b/warehouse/query-core/src/main/java/datawave/query/iterator/QueryOptions.java
index bad9ebca615..cd98bbba37a 100644
--- a/warehouse/query-core/src/main/java/datawave/query/iterator/QueryOptions.java
+++ b/warehouse/query-core/src/main/java/datawave/query/iterator/QueryOptions.java
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ public class QueryOptions implements OptionDescriber {
     public static final String START_TIME = "start.time";
     public static final String END_TIME = "end.time";
     public static final String YIELD_THRESHOLD_MS = "yield.threshold.ms";
+    public static final String MAX_YIELDS = "max.yields";
 
     public static final String FILTER_MASKED_VALUES = "filter.masked.values";
     public static final String INCLUDE_DATATYPE = "include.datatype";
@@ -355,6 +356,7 @@ public class QueryOptions implements OptionDescriber {
     protected long maxIvaratorResults = -1;
 
     protected long yieldThresholdMs = Long.MAX_VALUE;
+    protected long maxYields = 10;
 
     protected Predicate<Key> fieldIndexKeyDataTypeFilter = KeyIdentity.Function;
     protected Predicate<Key> eventEntryKeyDataTypeFilter = KeyIdentity.Function;
@@ -486,6 +488,7 @@ public void deepCopy(QueryOptions other) {
         this.maxIvaratorResults = other.maxIvaratorResults;
 
         this.yieldThresholdMs = other.yieldThresholdMs;
+        this.maxYields = other.maxYields;
 
         this.compressResults = other.compressResults;
         this.limitFieldsMap = other.limitFieldsMap;
@@ -1162,6 +1165,7 @@ public IteratorOptions describeOptions() {
                         " The maximum number of sources to use for ivarators across all ivarated terms within the query.  Note the thread pool size is controlled via an accumulo property.");
         options.put(YIELD_THRESHOLD_MS,
                         "The threshold in milliseconds that the query iterator will evaluate consecutive documents to false before yielding the scan.");
+        options.put(MAX_YIELDS, "The maximum number of times to yield on the same startKey without making progress.");
         options.put(COMPRESS_SERVER_SIDE_RESULTS, "GZIP compress the serialized Documents before returning to the webserver");
         options.put(MAX_EVALUATION_PIPELINES, "The max number of evaluation pipelines");
         options.put(SERIAL_EVALUATION_PIPELINE, "Forces us to use the serial pipeline. Allows us to still have a single thread for evaluation");
@@ -1616,6 +1620,10 @@ public boolean validateOptions(Map<String,String> options) {
             this.setYieldThresholdMs(Long.parseLong(options.get(YIELD_THRESHOLD_MS)));
         }
 
+        if (options.containsKey(MAX_YIELDS)) {
+            this.setMaxYields(Long.parseLong(options.get(MAX_YIELDS)));
+        }
+
         if (options.containsKey(COMPRESS_SERVER_SIDE_RESULTS)) {
             this.setCompressResults(Boolean.parseBoolean(options.get(COMPRESS_SERVER_SIDE_RESULTS)));
         }
@@ -2075,6 +2083,14 @@ public void setYieldThresholdMs(long yieldThresholdMs) {
         this.yieldThresholdMs = yieldThresholdMs;
     }
 
+    public long getMaxYields() {
+        return maxYields;
+    }
+
+    public void setMaxYields(long maxYields) {
+        this.maxYields = maxYields;
+    }
+
     public int getFiFieldSeek() {
         return fiFieldSeek;
     }
diff --git a/warehouse/query-core/src/main/java/datawave/query/iterator/waitwindow/WaitWindowObserver.java b/warehouse/query-core/src/main/java/datawave/query/iterator/waitwindow/WaitWindowObserver.java
index 24771c7a043..ae148589263 100644
--- a/warehouse/query-core/src/main/java/datawave/query/iterator/waitwindow/WaitWindowObserver.java
+++ b/warehouse/query-core/src/main/java/datawave/query/iterator/waitwindow/WaitWindowObserver.java
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public class WaitWindowObserver {
     // When the wait window is over. Set during the initial seek
     protected long endOfWaitWindow;
     // Remaining time in the wait window. Updated by the timerTask
-    protected AtomicLong remainingTimeMs = new AtomicLong();
+    protected AtomicLong remainingTimeMs = new AtomicLong(Long.MAX_VALUE);
     protected TimerTask timerTask = null;
     // How often the timerTask gets run
     protected long checkPeriod = 50;
@@ -433,6 +433,27 @@ static public Text removeMarkers(Text text) {
         }
     }
 
+    static public int getNumYields(Key startKey, boolean collectTimingDetails) {
+        int numNulls = 0;
+        if (startKey != null) {
+            String s = null;
+            if (WaitWindowObserver.hasMarker(startKey.getColumnFamily())) {
+                s = startKey.getColumnFamily().toString();
+            } else if (WaitWindowObserver.hasMarker(startKey.getColumnQualifier())) {
+                s = startKey.getColumnQualifier().toString();
+            }
+            if (s != null && s.endsWith("\0")) {
+                for (int x = s.length() - 1; x > 0 && s.charAt(x) == '\0'; x--) {
+                    numNulls++;
+                }
+            }
+            if (collectTimingDetails) {
+                numNulls = numNulls / 2;
+            }
+        }
+        return numNulls;
+    }
+
     /*
      * Convenience method to produce a document containing a WAIT_WINDOW_OVERRUN attribute, This document gets returned before a yield when
      * collectTimingDetails=true so that the FinalDocumenTrackingIterator can add timing details and metrics befoer returning the Document.