diff --git a/rpc/src/rpc_pubsub.rs b/rpc/src/rpc_pubsub.rs
index 1e897835f3..9d9937237e 100644
--- a/rpc/src/rpc_pubsub.rs
+++ b/rpc/src/rpc_pubsub.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ use {
     },
 };
 
-const MAX_ACTIVE_SUBSCRIPTIONS: usize = 100_000;
+pub const MAX_ACTIVE_SUBSCRIPTIONS: usize = 100_000;
 
 // Suppress needless_return due to
 //   https://github.com/paritytech/jsonrpc/blob/2d38e6424d8461cdf72e78425ce67d51af9c6586/derive/src/lib.rs#L204
@@ -194,25 +194,35 @@ pub trait RpcSolPubSub {
 pub struct RpcSolPubSubImpl {
     uid: Arc<atomic::AtomicUsize>,
     subscriptions: Arc<RpcSubscriptions>,
+    max_active_subscriptions: usize,
 }
 
 impl RpcSolPubSubImpl {
-    pub fn new(subscriptions: Arc<RpcSubscriptions>) -> Self {
+    pub fn new(subscriptions: Arc<RpcSubscriptions>, max_active_subscriptions: usize) -> Self {
         let uid = Arc::new(atomic::AtomicUsize::default());
-        Self { uid, subscriptions }
+        Self {
+            uid,
+            subscriptions,
+            max_active_subscriptions,
+        }
     }
 
     #[cfg(test)]
     fn default_with_bank_forks(bank_forks: Arc<RwLock<BankForks>>) -> Self {
         let uid = Arc::new(atomic::AtomicUsize::default());
         let subscriptions = Arc::new(RpcSubscriptions::default_with_bank_forks(bank_forks));
-        Self { uid, subscriptions }
+        let max_active_subscriptions = MAX_ACTIVE_SUBSCRIPTIONS;
+        Self {
+            uid,
+            subscriptions,
+            max_active_subscriptions,
+        }
     }
 
     fn check_subscription_count(&self) -> Result<()> {
         let num_subscriptions = self.subscriptions.total();
         debug!("Total existing subscriptions: {}", num_subscriptions);
-        if num_subscriptions >= MAX_ACTIVE_SUBSCRIPTIONS {
+        if num_subscriptions >= self.max_active_subscriptions {
             info!("Node subscription limit reached");
             Err(Error {
                 code: ErrorCode::InternalError,
@@ -630,6 +640,7 @@ mod tests {
                 OptimisticallyConfirmedBank::locked_from_bank_forks_root(&bank_forks),
             )),
             uid: Arc::new(atomic::AtomicUsize::default()),
+            max_active_subscriptions: MAX_ACTIVE_SUBSCRIPTIONS,
         };
 
         // Test signature subscriptions
@@ -810,6 +821,7 @@ mod tests {
                 OptimisticallyConfirmedBank::locked_from_bank_forks_root(&bank_forks),
             )),
             uid: Arc::new(atomic::AtomicUsize::default()),
+            max_active_subscriptions: MAX_ACTIVE_SUBSCRIPTIONS,
         };
         let session = create_session();
         let (subscriber, _id_receiver, receiver) = Subscriber::new_test("accountNotification");
@@ -920,6 +932,7 @@ mod tests {
                 OptimisticallyConfirmedBank::locked_from_bank_forks_root(&bank_forks),
             )),
             uid: Arc::new(atomic::AtomicUsize::default()),
+            max_active_subscriptions: MAX_ACTIVE_SUBSCRIPTIONS,
         };
         let session = create_session();
         let (subscriber, _id_receiver, receiver) = Subscriber::new_test("accountNotification");
diff --git a/rpc/src/rpc_pubsub_service.rs b/rpc/src/rpc_pubsub_service.rs
index ea328b9af9..c768736717 100644
--- a/rpc/src/rpc_pubsub_service.rs
+++ b/rpc/src/rpc_pubsub_service.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 use {
     crate::{
-        rpc_pubsub::{RpcSolPubSub, RpcSolPubSubImpl},
+        rpc_pubsub::{RpcSolPubSub, RpcSolPubSubImpl, MAX_ACTIVE_SUBSCRIPTIONS},
         rpc_subscriptions::RpcSubscriptions,
     },
     jsonrpc_pubsub::{PubSubHandler, Session},
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ pub struct PubSubConfig {
     pub max_fragment_size: usize,
     pub max_in_buffer_capacity: usize,
     pub max_out_buffer_capacity: usize,
+    pub max_active_subscriptions: usize,
 }
 
 impl Default for PubSubConfig {
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ impl Default for PubSubConfig {
             max_fragment_size: 50 * 1024, // 50KB
             max_in_buffer_capacity: 50 * 1024, // 50KB
             max_out_buffer_capacity: 15 * 1024 * 1024, // max account size (10MB), then 5MB extra for base64 encoding overhead/etc
+            max_active_subscriptions: MAX_ACTIVE_SUBSCRIPTIONS,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -55,7 +57,10 @@ impl PubSubService {
         exit: &Arc<AtomicBool>,
     ) -> Self {
         info!("rpc_pubsub bound to {:?}", pubsub_addr);
-        let rpc = RpcSolPubSubImpl::new(subscriptions.clone());
+        let rpc = RpcSolPubSubImpl::new(
+            subscriptions.clone(),
+            pubsub_config.max_active_subscriptions,
+        );
         let exit_ = exit.clone();
 
         let thread_hdl = Builder::new()
diff --git a/validator/src/main.rs b/validator/src/main.rs
index c21eec8b2b..ebf6fc3c0f 100644
--- a/validator/src/main.rs
+++ b/validator/src/main.rs
@@ -1003,6 +1003,8 @@ pub fn main() {
         PubSubConfig::default().max_in_buffer_capacity.to_string();
     let default_rpc_pubsub_max_out_buffer_capacity =
         PubSubConfig::default().max_out_buffer_capacity.to_string();
+    let default_rpc_pubsub_max_active_subscriptions =
+        PubSubConfig::default().max_active_subscriptions.to_string();
     let default_rpc_send_transaction_retry_ms = ValidatorConfig::default()
         .send_transaction_retry_ms
         .to_string();
@@ -1610,6 +1612,16 @@ pub fn main() {
                 .default_value(&default_rpc_pubsub_max_out_buffer_capacity)
                 .help("The maximum size in bytes to which the outgoing websocket buffer can grow."),
         )
+        .arg(
+            Arg::with_name("rpc_pubsub_max_active_subscriptions")
+                .long("rpc-pubsub-max-active-subscriptions")
+                .takes_value(true)
+                .value_name("NUMBER")
+                .validator(is_parsable::<usize>)
+                .default_value(&default_rpc_pubsub_max_active_subscriptions)
+                .help("The maximum number of active subscriptions that RPC PubSub will accept \
+                       across all connections."),
+        )
         .arg(
             Arg::with_name("rpc_send_transaction_retry_ms")
                 .long("rpc-send-retry-ms")
@@ -2187,6 +2199,11 @@ pub fn main() {
                 "rpc_pubsub_max_out_buffer_capacity",
                 usize
             ),
+            max_active_subscriptions: value_t_or_exit!(
+                matches,
+                "rpc_pubsub_max_active_subscriptions",
+                usize
+            ),
         },
         voting_disabled: matches.is_present("no_voting") || restricted_repair_only_mode,
         wait_for_supermajority: value_t!(matches, "wait_for_supermajority", Slot).ok(),