diff --git a/.env.test b/.env.test
index 9332e19..ce7bc67 100644
--- a/.env.test
+++ b/.env.test
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ POSTGRES_DATABASE_PASSWORD=""
 POSTGRES_DATABASE_NAME="farnsworth_test"
 POSTGRES_MASTER_SERVICE_HOST="postgres"
 POSTGRES_MASTER_SERVICE_PORT=5432
+POSTGRES_MASTER_CONNECTIONS=2
 # POSTGRES_USE_SLAVES=true
 # POSTGRES_SLAVE_SERVICE_HOST="localhost"
 # POSTGRES_SLAVE_SERVICE_PORT=5432
diff --git a/farnsworth/config.py b/farnsworth/config.py
index 909231f..e2c455d 100644
--- a/farnsworth/config.py
+++ b/farnsworth/config.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class RetryPooledPostgresqlExtDatabase(PooledPostgresqlExtDatabase, RetryOperati
     register_hstore=False,
     autocommit=True,
     autorollback=True,
-    max_connections=20,
+    max_connections=os.environ.get('POSTGRES_MASTER_CONNECTIONS', 2),
     stale_timeout=60
 )
 
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class RetryPooledPostgresqlExtDatabase(PooledPostgresqlExtDatabase, RetryOperati
         host=os.environ['POSTGRES_SLAVE_SERVICE_HOST'],
         port=os.environ['POSTGRES_SLAVE_SERVICE_PORT'],
         register_hstore=False,
-        max_connections=40,
+        max_connections=os.environ.get('POSTGRES_SLAVE_CONNECTIONS', 2),
         stale_timeout=60
    )
 else: