diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index cd4d76eeb1..211fbb75e5 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -157,6 +157,12 @@ Release Date: Unknown
 
      Close PyCQA/pylint#2159
 
+   * Limit the maximum amount of interable result in an NodeNG.infer() call to
+    100 by default for performance issues with variables with large amounts of
+    possible values.
+    The max inferable value can be tuned by setting the ASTROID_MAX_INFERABLE environment
+    variable at start up.
+
 
 What's New in astroid 1.6.0?
 ============================
diff --git a/astroid/node_classes.py b/astroid/node_classes.py
index a17af1a22e..019216a77e 100644
--- a/astroid/node_classes.py
+++ b/astroid/node_classes.py
@@ -323,7 +323,9 @@ def infer(self, context=None, **kwargs):
         if key in context.inferred:
             return iter(context.inferred[key])
 
-        return context.cache_generator(key, self._infer(context, **kwargs))
+        gen = context.cache_generator(
+            key, self._infer(context, **kwargs))
+        return util.limit_inference(gen)
 
     def _repr_name(self):
         """Get a name for nice representation.
diff --git a/astroid/tests/unittest_inference.py b/astroid/tests/unittest_inference.py
index 5ee53d1f0c..fc86b532a6 100644
--- a/astroid/tests/unittest_inference.py
+++ b/astroid/tests/unittest_inference.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import sys
 from functools import partial
 import unittest
+from unittest.mock import patch
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -4656,5 +4657,34 @@ def f(**kwargs):
         assert next(extract_node(code).infer()).as_string() == "{'f': 1}"
 
 
+def test_limit_inference_result_amount():
+    """Test setting limit inference result amount"""
+    code = """
+    args = []
+
+    if True:
+        args += ['a']
+
+    if True:
+        args += ['b']
+
+    if True:
+        args += ['c']
+
+    if True:
+        args += ['d']
+
+    args #@
+    """
+    result = extract_node(code).inferred()
+    assert len(result) == 16
+    with patch('astroid.util.MAX_INFERABLE', 4):
+        result_limited = extract_node(code).inferred()
+    # Can't guarentee exact size
+    assert len(result_limited) < 16
+    # Will not always be at the end
+    assert util.Uninferable in result_limited
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()
diff --git a/astroid/util.py b/astroid/util.py
index a53109707a..23d5975f7b 100644
--- a/astroid/util.py
+++ b/astroid/util.py
@@ -5,10 +5,12 @@
 # For details: https://github.com/PyCQA/astroid/blob/master/COPYING.LESSER
 
 import warnings
+import os
 
 import importlib
 import lazy_object_proxy
 
+MAX_INFERABLE = int(os.environ.get("ASTROID_MAX_INFERABLE", 100))
 
 def lazy_descriptor(obj):
     class DescriptorProxy(lazy_object_proxy.Proxy):
@@ -126,5 +128,20 @@ def proxy_alias(alias_name, node_type):
     return proxy(lambda: node_type)
 
 
+def limit_inference(iterable):
+    """Limit inference to MAX_INFERABLE
+
+    Limit inference amount to help with performance issues with
+    exponentially exploding possible results.
+    """
+    count = 0
+    for result in iterable:
+        count += 1
+        if count > MAX_INFERABLE:
+            yield Uninferable
+            return
+        yield result
+
+
 # Backwards-compatibility aliases
 YES = Uninferable