diff --git a/docs/source/run/parameters.rst b/docs/source/run/parameters.rst
index 71278bb335..63a8443c5e 100644
--- a/docs/source/run/parameters.rst
+++ b/docs/source/run/parameters.rst
@@ -81,6 +81,19 @@ General parameters
     Setting this option to `1` is necessary to take advantage of GPU-Enabled MPI, however for this
     additional enviroment variables need to be set depending on the system.
 
+* ``hipace.comms_buffer_max_leading_slices`` (`int`) optional (default `inf`)
+    How many slices of beam particles can be received and stored in advance.
+
+* ``hipace.comms_buffer_max_trailing_slices`` (`int`) optional (default `inf`)
+    How many slices of beam particles can be stored before being sent. Using
+    ``comms_buffer_max_leading_slices`` and ``comms_buffer_max_trailing_slices`` will in principle
+    limit the amount of asynchronousness in the parallel communication and may thus reduce performance.
+    However it may be necessary to set these parameters to avoid all slices accumulating on a single
+    rank that would run out of memory (out of CPU or GPU memory depending on ``hipace.comms_buffer_on_gpu``).
+    If there are more time steps than ranks, these parameters must be chosen such that between all
+    ranks there is enough capacity to store every slice to avoid a deadlock, i.e.
+    :math:`(comms_buffer_max_leading_slices + comms_buffer_max_trailing_slices) * nranks > nslices`.
+
 * ``hipace.do_tiling`` (`bool`) optional (default `true`)
     Whether to use tiling, when running on CPU.
     Currently, this option only affects plasma operations (gather, push and deposition).
diff --git a/src/Hipace.H b/src/Hipace.H
index 0cf620d546..25950a4b6f 100644
--- a/src/Hipace.H
+++ b/src/Hipace.H
@@ -275,6 +275,10 @@ public:
     amrex::ParserExecutor<3> m_salame_target_func;
     /** Whether MPI communication buffers should be allocated in device memory */
     bool m_comms_buffer_on_gpu = false;
+    /** How many slices of beam particles can be received in advance */
+    int m_comms_buffer_max_leading_slices = std::numeric_limits<int>::max();
+    /** How many slices of beam particles can be stored before being sent */
+    int m_comms_buffer_max_trailing_slices = std::numeric_limits<int>::max();
 
 private:
 
diff --git a/src/Hipace.cpp b/src/Hipace.cpp
index 4180b89950..e0fac629e2 100644
--- a/src/Hipace.cpp
+++ b/src/Hipace.cpp
@@ -140,9 +140,18 @@ Hipace::Hipace () :
 
     queryWithParser(pph, "background_density_SI", m_background_density_SI);
     queryWithParser(pph, "comms_buffer_on_gpu", m_comms_buffer_on_gpu);
+    queryWithParser(pph, "comms_buffer_max_leading_slices", m_comms_buffer_max_leading_slices);
+    queryWithParser(pph, "comms_buffer_max_trailing_slices", m_comms_buffer_max_trailing_slices);
 
     MakeGeometry();
 
+    AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT_WITH_MESSAGE(
+        (((double(m_comms_buffer_max_leading_slices) + m_comms_buffer_max_trailing_slices)
+        * amrex::ParallelDescriptor::NProcs()) > m_3D_geom[0].Domain().length(2))
+        || (m_max_step <= amrex::ParallelDescriptor::NProcs()),
+        "comms_buffer_max_leading_slices and comms_buffer_max_trailing_slices must be large enough"
+        " to distribute all slices between all ranks if there are more timesteps than ranks");
+
     m_use_laser = m_multi_laser.m_use_laser;
 
     queryWithParser(pph, "collisions", m_collision_names);
@@ -203,7 +212,9 @@ Hipace::InitData ()
                               m_multi_beam.get_nbeams(),
                               !m_comms_buffer_on_gpu,
                               m_use_laser,
-                              m_use_laser ? m_multi_laser.getSlices()[0].box() : amrex::Box{});
+                              m_use_laser ? m_multi_laser.getSlices()[0].box() : amrex::Box{},
+                              m_comms_buffer_max_leading_slices,
+                              m_comms_buffer_max_trailing_slices);
 
     amrex::ParmParse pph("hipace");
     bool do_output_input = false;
diff --git a/src/utils/MultiBuffer.H b/src/utils/MultiBuffer.H
index 3bf50370ad..7591ff44de 100644
--- a/src/utils/MultiBuffer.H
+++ b/src/utils/MultiBuffer.H
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ public:
 
     // initialize MultiBuffer and open initial receive requests
     void initialize (int nslices, int nbeams, bool buffer_on_host, bool use_laser,
-                     amrex::Box laser_box);
+                     amrex::Box laser_box, int max_leading_slices, int max_trailing_slices);
 
     // receive data from previous rank and unpack it into MultiBeam and MultiLaser
     void get_data (int slice, MultiBeam& beams, MultiLaser& laser, int beam_slice);
@@ -104,6 +104,8 @@ private:
     bool m_use_laser = false;
     int m_laser_ncomp = 4;
     amrex::Box m_laser_slice_box {};
+    int m_max_leading_slices = std::numeric_limits<int>::max();
+    int m_max_trailing_slices = std::numeric_limits<int>::max();
 
     // parameters to send physical time
     amrex::Real m_time_send_buffer = 0.;
@@ -123,7 +125,7 @@ private:
     void free_buffer (int slice);
 
     // function containing main progress loop to deal with asynchronous MPI requests
-    void make_progress (int slice, bool is_blocking);
+    void make_progress (int slice, bool is_blocking, int current_slice);
 
     // write MultiBeam sizes into the metadata array
     void write_metadata (int slice, MultiBeam& beams, int beam_slice);
diff --git a/src/utils/MultiBuffer.cpp b/src/utils/MultiBuffer.cpp
index ef0fae2015..440675bfa0 100644
--- a/src/utils/MultiBuffer.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/MultiBuffer.cpp
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ void MultiBuffer::free_buffer (int slice) {
 }
 
 void MultiBuffer::initialize (int nslices, int nbeams, bool buffer_on_host, bool use_laser,
-                              amrex::Box laser_box) {
+                              amrex::Box laser_box, int max_leading_slices,
+                              int max_trailing_slices) {
 
     m_comm = amrex::ParallelDescriptor::Communicator();
     const int rank_id = amrex::ParallelDescriptor::MyProc();
@@ -72,6 +73,9 @@ void MultiBuffer::initialize (int nslices, int nbeams, bool buffer_on_host, bool
     m_tag_buffer_start = 1;
     m_tag_metadata_start = m_tag_buffer_start + m_nslices;
 
+    m_max_leading_slices = max_leading_slices;
+    m_max_trailing_slices = max_trailing_slices;
+
     for (int p = 0; p < comm_progress::nprogress; ++p) {
         m_async_metadata_slice[p] = m_nslices - 1;
         m_async_data_slice[p] = m_nslices - 1;
@@ -96,7 +100,7 @@ void MultiBuffer::initialize (int nslices, int nbeams, bool buffer_on_host, bool
 
     // open initial receives
     for (int i = m_nslices-1; i >= 0; --i) {
-        make_progress(i, false);
+        make_progress(i, false, m_nslices-1);
     }
 }
 
@@ -168,7 +172,13 @@ MultiBuffer::~MultiBuffer() {
 #endif
 }
 
-void MultiBuffer::make_progress (int slice, bool is_blocking) {
+void MultiBuffer::make_progress (int slice, bool is_blocking, int current_slice) {
+
+    const bool is_blocking_send = is_blocking ||
+        (m_nslices + slice - current_slice) % m_nslices > m_max_trailing_slices;
+    const bool is_blocking_recv = is_blocking;
+    const bool skip_recv = !is_blocking_recv &&
+        (m_nslices - slice + current_slice) % m_nslices > m_max_leading_slices;
 
     if (m_is_serial) {
         if (is_blocking) {
@@ -213,7 +223,7 @@ void MultiBuffer::make_progress (int slice, bool is_blocking) {
     }
 
     if (m_datanodes[slice].m_metadata_progress == comm_progress::send_started) {
-        if (is_blocking) {
+        if (is_blocking_send) {
             MPI_Wait(&(m_datanodes[slice].m_metadata_request), MPI_STATUS_IGNORE);
             m_datanodes[slice].m_metadata_progress = comm_progress::sent;
         } else {
@@ -225,7 +235,7 @@ void MultiBuffer::make_progress (int slice, bool is_blocking) {
         }
     }
 
-    if (m_datanodes[slice].m_metadata_progress == comm_progress::sent) {
+    if (m_datanodes[slice].m_metadata_progress == comm_progress::sent && !skip_recv) {
         MPI_Irecv(
             get_metadata_location(slice),
             get_metadata_size(),
@@ -238,7 +248,7 @@ void MultiBuffer::make_progress (int slice, bool is_blocking) {
     }
 
     if (m_datanodes[slice].m_metadata_progress == comm_progress::receive_started) {
-        if (is_blocking) {
+        if (is_blocking_recv) {
             MPI_Wait(&(m_datanodes[slice].m_metadata_request), MPI_STATUS_IGNORE);
             m_datanodes[slice].m_metadata_progress = comm_progress::received;
         } else {
@@ -251,7 +261,7 @@ void MultiBuffer::make_progress (int slice, bool is_blocking) {
     }
 
     if (m_datanodes[slice].m_progress == comm_progress::send_started) {
-        if (is_blocking) {
+        if (is_blocking_send) {
             MPI_Wait(&(m_datanodes[slice].m_request), MPI_STATUS_IGNORE);
             free_buffer(slice);
             m_datanodes[slice].m_progress = comm_progress::sent;
@@ -290,7 +300,7 @@ void MultiBuffer::make_progress (int slice, bool is_blocking) {
     }
 
     if (m_datanodes[slice].m_progress == comm_progress::receive_started) {
-        if (is_blocking) {
+        if (is_blocking_recv) {
             MPI_Wait(&(m_datanodes[slice].m_request), MPI_STATUS_IGNORE);
             m_datanodes[slice].m_progress = comm_progress::received;
         } else {
@@ -302,7 +312,7 @@ void MultiBuffer::make_progress (int slice, bool is_blocking) {
         }
     }
 
-    if (is_blocking) {
+    if (is_blocking_recv) {
         AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(m_datanodes[slice].m_metadata_progress == comm_progress::received);
         AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT(m_datanodes[slice].m_progress == comm_progress::received);
     }
@@ -324,7 +334,7 @@ void MultiBuffer::get_data (int slice, MultiBeam& beams, MultiLaser& laser, int
         }
     } else {
         // receive and unpack buffer
-        make_progress(slice, true);
+        make_progress(slice, true, slice);
         if (m_datanodes[slice].m_buffer_size != 0) {
             unpack_data(slice, beams, laser, beam_slice);
             free_buffer(slice);
@@ -352,7 +362,7 @@ void MultiBuffer::put_data (int slice, MultiBeam& beams, MultiLaser& laser, int
         m_datanodes[slice].m_metadata_progress = comm_progress::ready_to_send;
     }
 
-    make_progress(slice, false);
+    make_progress(slice, false, slice);
 
     // make asynchronous progress for metadata
     // only check slices that have a chance of making progress
@@ -382,7 +392,7 @@ void MultiBuffer::put_data (int slice, MultiBeam& beams, MultiLaser& laser, int
         for (int i = m_async_metadata_slice[p]; i!=slice; (i==0) ? i=m_nslices-1 : --i) {
             m_async_metadata_slice[p] = i;
             if (m_datanodes[i].m_metadata_progress < p) {
-                make_progress(i, false);
+                make_progress(i, false, slice);
             }
             if (m_datanodes[i].m_metadata_progress < p) {
                 break;
@@ -418,7 +428,7 @@ void MultiBuffer::put_data (int slice, MultiBeam& beams, MultiLaser& laser, int
         for (int i = m_async_data_slice[p]; i!=slice; (i==0) ? i=m_nslices-1 : --i) {
             m_async_data_slice[p] = i;
             if (m_datanodes[i].m_progress < p) {
-                make_progress(i, false);
+                make_progress(i, false, slice);
             }
             if (m_datanodes[i].m_progress < p) {
                 break;