diff --git a/go/vt/sqlparser/comments.go b/go/vt/sqlparser/comments.go
index 497b95e5366..9d5df6d31f6 100644
--- a/go/vt/sqlparser/comments.go
+++ b/go/vt/sqlparser/comments.go
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ const (
 	DirectiveQueryTimeout = "QUERY_TIMEOUT_MS"
 	// DirectiveScatterErrorsAsWarnings enables partial success scatter select queries
 	DirectiveScatterErrorsAsWarnings = "SCATTER_ERRORS_AS_WARNINGS"
+	// DirectiveIgnoreMaxPayloadSize skips payload size validation when set.
+	DirectiveIgnoreMaxPayloadSize = "IGNORE_MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE"
 )
 
 func isNonSpace(r rune) bool {
@@ -298,3 +300,24 @@ func SkipQueryPlanCacheDirective(stmt Statement) bool {
 	}
 	return false
 }
+
+// IgnoreMaxPayloadSizeDirective returns true if the max payload size override
+// directive is set to true.
+func IgnoreMaxPayloadSizeDirective(stmt Statement) bool {
+	switch stmt := stmt.(type) {
+	case *Select:
+		directives := ExtractCommentDirectives(stmt.Comments)
+		return directives.IsSet(DirectiveIgnoreMaxPayloadSize)
+	case *Insert:
+		directives := ExtractCommentDirectives(stmt.Comments)
+		return directives.IsSet(DirectiveIgnoreMaxPayloadSize)
+	case *Update:
+		directives := ExtractCommentDirectives(stmt.Comments)
+		return directives.IsSet(DirectiveIgnoreMaxPayloadSize)
+	case *Delete:
+		directives := ExtractCommentDirectives(stmt.Comments)
+		return directives.IsSet(DirectiveIgnoreMaxPayloadSize)
+	default:
+		return false
+	}
+}
diff --git a/go/vt/sqlparser/comments_test.go b/go/vt/sqlparser/comments_test.go
index 3d875faf1cb..8ec2a0e1995 100644
--- a/go/vt/sqlparser/comments_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/sqlparser/comments_test.go
@@ -17,8 +17,11 @@ limitations under the License.
 package sqlparser
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
 func TestSplitComments(t *testing.T) {
@@ -385,3 +388,22 @@ func TestSkipQueryPlanCacheDirective(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("d.SkipQueryPlanCacheDirective(stmt) should be true")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestIgnoreMaxPayloadSizeDirective(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		query    string
+		expected bool
+	}{
+		{"insert /*vt+ IGNORE_MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE=1 */ into user(id) values (1), (2)", true},
+		{"insert into user(id) values (1), (2)", false},
+		{"update /*vt+ IGNORE_MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE=1 */ users set name=1", true},
+		{"select /*vt+ IGNORE_MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE=1 */ * from users", true},
+		{"delete /*vt+ IGNORE_MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE=1 */ from users", true},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range testCases {
+		stmt, _ := Parse(test.query)
+		got := IgnoreMaxPayloadSizeDirective(stmt)
+		assert.Equalf(t, test.expected, got, fmt.Sprintf("d.IgnoreMaxPayloadSizeDirective(stmt) returned %v but expected %v", got, test.expected))
+	}
+}
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/executor.go b/go/vt/vtgate/executor.go
index a3e5942c6f6..58bb05ee3ff 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/executor.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/executor.go
@@ -1283,10 +1283,14 @@ func (e *Executor) getPlan(vcursor *vcursorImpl, sql string, comments sqlparser.
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	// Normalize if possible and retry.
 	query := sql
 	statement := stmt
 	bindVarNeeds := sqlparser.BindVarNeeds{}
+	if !sqlparser.IgnoreMaxPayloadSizeDirective(statement) && !isValidPayloadSize(query) {
+		return nil, vterrors.New(vtrpcpb.Code_RESOURCE_EXHAUSTED, "query payload size above threshold")
+	}
+
+	// Normalize if possible and retry.
 	if (e.normalize && sqlparser.CanNormalize(stmt)) || sqlparser.IsSetStatement(stmt) {
 		parameterize := e.normalize // the public flag is called normalize
 		result, err := sqlparser.PrepareAST(stmt, bindVars, "vtg", parameterize)
@@ -1495,6 +1499,21 @@ func checkLikeOpt(likeOpt string, colNames []string) (string, error) {
 	return "", nil
 }
 
+// isValidPayloadSize validates whether a query payload is above the
+// configured MaxPayloadSize threshold. The WarnPayloadSizeExceeded will increment
+// if the payload size exceeds the warnPayloadSize.
+
+func isValidPayloadSize(query string) bool {
+	payloadSize := len(query)
+	if *maxPayloadSize > 0 && payloadSize > *maxPayloadSize {
+		return false
+	}
+	if *warnPayloadSize > 0 && payloadSize > *warnPayloadSize {
+		warnings.Add("WarnPayloadSizeExceeded", 1)
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
 // Prepare executes a prepare statements.
 func (e *Executor) Prepare(ctx context.Context, method string, safeSession *SafeSession, sql string, bindVars map[string]*querypb.BindVariable) (fld []*querypb.Field, err error) {
 	logStats := NewLogStats(ctx, method, sql, bindVars)
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/executor_test.go b/go/vt/vtgate/executor_test.go
index 9176022c940..f018d8e840e 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/executor_test.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/executor_test.go
@@ -1869,6 +1869,54 @@ func TestGenerateCharsetRows(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestExecutorMaxPayloadSizeExceeded(t *testing.T) {
+	saveMax := *maxPayloadSize
+	saveWarn := *warnPayloadSize
+	*maxPayloadSize = 10
+	*warnPayloadSize = 5
+	defer func() {
+		*maxPayloadSize = saveMax
+		*warnPayloadSize = saveWarn
+	}()
+
+	executor, _, _, _ := createExecutorEnv()
+	session := NewSafeSession(&vtgatepb.Session{TargetString: "@master"})
+	warningCount := warnings.Counts()["WarnPayloadSizeExceeded"]
+	testMaxPayloadSizeExceeded := []string{
+		"select * from main1",
+		"select * from main1",
+		"insert into main1(id) values (1), (2)",
+		"update main1 set id=1",
+		"delete from main1 where id=1",
+	}
+	for _, query := range testMaxPayloadSizeExceeded {
+		_, err := executor.Execute(context.Background(), "TestExecutorMaxPayloadSizeExceeded", session, query, nil)
+		if err == nil {
+			assert.EqualError(t, err, "query payload size above threshold")
+		}
+	}
+	assert.Equal(t, warningCount, warnings.Counts()["WarnPayloadSizeExceeded"], "warnings count")
+
+	testMaxPayloadSizeOverride := []string{
+		"select /*vt+ IGNORE_MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE=1 */ * from main1",
+		"insert /*vt+ IGNORE_MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE=1 */ into main1(id) values (1), (2)",
+		"update /*vt+ IGNORE_MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE=1 */ main1 set id=1",
+		"delete /*vt+ IGNORE_MAX_PAYLOAD_SIZE=1 */ from main1 where id=1",
+	}
+	for _, query := range testMaxPayloadSizeOverride {
+		_, err := executor.Execute(context.Background(), "TestExecutorMaxPayloadSizeWithOverride", session, query, nil)
+		assert.Equal(t, nil, err, "err should be nil")
+	}
+	assert.Equal(t, warningCount, warnings.Counts()["WarnPayloadSizeExceeded"], "warnings count")
+
+	*maxPayloadSize = 1000
+	for _, query := range testMaxPayloadSizeExceeded {
+		_, err := executor.Execute(context.Background(), "TestExecutorMaxPayloadSizeExceeded", session, query, nil)
+		assert.Equal(t, nil, err, "err should be nil")
+	}
+	assert.Equal(t, warningCount+4, warnings.Counts()["WarnPayloadSizeExceeded"], "warnings count")
+}
+
 func TestOlapSelectDatabase(t *testing.T) {
 	executor, _, _, _ := createExecutorEnv()
 	executor.normalize = true
diff --git a/go/vt/vtgate/vtgate.go b/go/vt/vtgate/vtgate.go
index cd04de6dbc1..781248f4874 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtgate/vtgate.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtgate/vtgate.go
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ var (
 	HealthCheckRetryDelay = flag.Duration("healthcheck_retry_delay", 2*time.Millisecond, "health check retry delay")
 	// HealthCheckTimeout is the timeout on the RPC call to tablets
 	HealthCheckTimeout = flag.Duration("healthcheck_timeout", time.Minute, "the health check timeout period")
+	maxPayloadSize     = flag.Int("max_payload_size", 0, "The threshold for query payloads in bytes. A payload greater than this threshold will result in a failure to handle the query.")
+	warnPayloadSize    = flag.Int("warn_payload_size", 0, "The warning threshold for query payloads in bytes. A payload greater than this threshold will cause the VtGateWarnings.WarnPayloadSizeExceeded counter to be incremented.")
 )
 
 func getTxMode() vtgatepb.TransactionMode {
@@ -194,7 +196,7 @@ func Init(ctx context.Context, serv srvtopo.Server, cell string, tabletTypesToWa
 	_ = stats.NewRates("ErrorsByDbType", stats.CounterForDimension(errorCounts, "DbType"), 15, 1*time.Minute)
 	_ = stats.NewRates("ErrorsByCode", stats.CounterForDimension(errorCounts, "Code"), 15, 1*time.Minute)
 
-	warnings = stats.NewCountersWithSingleLabel("VtGateWarnings", "Vtgate warnings", "type", "IgnoredSet", "ResultsExceeded")
+	warnings = stats.NewCountersWithSingleLabel("VtGateWarnings", "Vtgate warnings", "type", "IgnoredSet", "ResultsExceeded", "WarnPayloadSizeExceeded")
 
 	servenv.OnRun(func() {
 		for _, f := range RegisterVTGates {