diff --git a/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/msq/input/stage/StripedReadablePartitions.java b/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/msq/input/stage/StripedReadablePartitions.java
index bf9fdaa152e..887970efdd3 100644
--- a/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/msq/input/stage/StripedReadablePartitions.java
+++ b/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/msq/input/stage/StripedReadablePartitions.java
@@ -41,7 +41,11 @@ public class StripedReadablePartitions implements ReadablePartitions
   private final int numWorkers;
   private final IntSortedSet partitionNumbers;
 
-  StripedReadablePartitions(final int stageNumber, final int numWorkers, final IntSortedSet partitionNumbers)
+  /**
+   * Constructor. Most callers should use {@link ReadablePartitions#striped(int, int, int)} instead, which takes
+   * a partition count rather than a set of partition numbers.
+   */
+  public StripedReadablePartitions(final int stageNumber, final int numWorkers, final IntSortedSet partitionNumbers)
   {
     this.stageNumber = stageNumber;
     this.numWorkers = numWorkers;
diff --git a/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/msq/kernel/WorkerAssignmentStrategy.java b/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/msq/kernel/WorkerAssignmentStrategy.java
index 8d1832be17f..18f1f821d9a 100644
--- a/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/msq/kernel/WorkerAssignmentStrategy.java
+++ b/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/msq/kernel/WorkerAssignmentStrategy.java
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ public enum WorkerAssignmentStrategy
 
         final IntSet inputStages = stageDef.getInputStageNumbers();
         final OptionalInt maxInputStageWorkerCount = inputStages.intStream().map(stageWorkerCountMap).max();
-        final int workerCount = maxInputStageWorkerCount.orElse(1);
+        final int workerCount = Math.min(stageDef.getMaxWorkerCount(), maxInputStageWorkerCount.orElse(1));
         return slicer.sliceStatic(inputSpec, workerCount);
       }
     }
diff --git a/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/msq/kernel/controller/WorkerInputsTest.java b/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/msq/kernel/controller/WorkerInputsTest.java
index bfb4c8ca675..00ccfdee6c1 100644
--- a/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/msq/kernel/controller/WorkerInputsTest.java
+++ b/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/msq/kernel/controller/WorkerInputsTest.java
@@ -20,7 +20,10 @@
 package org.apache.druid.msq.kernel.controller;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
+import it.unimi.dsi.fastutil.ints.Int2IntAVLTreeMap;
 import it.unimi.dsi.fastutil.ints.Int2IntMaps;
+import it.unimi.dsi.fastutil.ints.Int2ObjectAVLTreeMap;
+import it.unimi.dsi.fastutil.ints.IntAVLTreeSet;
 import it.unimi.dsi.fastutil.ints.IntSet;
 import it.unimi.dsi.fastutil.longs.LongArrayList;
 import it.unimi.dsi.fastutil.longs.LongList;
@@ -31,6 +34,11 @@ import org.apache.druid.msq.input.InputSpec;
 import org.apache.druid.msq.input.InputSpecSlicer;
 import org.apache.druid.msq.input.NilInputSlice;
 import org.apache.druid.msq.input.SlicerUtils;
+import org.apache.druid.msq.input.stage.ReadablePartitions;
+import org.apache.druid.msq.input.stage.StageInputSlice;
+import org.apache.druid.msq.input.stage.StageInputSpec;
+import org.apache.druid.msq.input.stage.StageInputSpecSlicer;
+import org.apache.druid.msq.input.stage.StripedReadablePartitions;
 import org.apache.druid.msq.kernel.StageDefinition;
 import org.apache.druid.msq.kernel.WorkerAssignmentStrategy;
 import org.apache.druid.msq.querykit.common.OffsetLimitFrameProcessorFactory;
@@ -216,6 +224,87 @@ public class WorkerInputsTest
     );
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void test_auto_oneInputStageWithThreePartitionsAndTwoWorkers_fourWorkerMax()
+  {
+    final StageDefinition stageDef =
+        StageDefinition.builder(1)
+                       .inputs(new StageInputSpec(0))
+                       .maxWorkerCount(4)
+                       .processorFactory(new OffsetLimitFrameProcessorFactory(0, 0L))
+                       .build(QUERY_ID);
+
+    final WorkerInputs inputs = WorkerInputs.create(
+        stageDef,
+        new Int2IntAVLTreeMap(ImmutableMap.of(0, 2)),
+        new StageInputSpecSlicer(
+            new Int2ObjectAVLTreeMap<>(ImmutableMap.of(0, ReadablePartitions.striped(0, 2, 3)))
+        ),
+        WorkerAssignmentStrategy.AUTO,
+        Limits.DEFAULT_MAX_INPUT_BYTES_PER_WORKER
+    );
+
+    Assert.assertEquals(
+        ImmutableMap.<Integer, List<InputSlice>>builder()
+                    .put(
+                        0,
+                        Collections.singletonList(
+                            new StageInputSlice(
+                                0,
+                                new StripedReadablePartitions(0, 2, new IntAVLTreeSet(new int[]{0, 2}))
+                            )
+                        )
+                    )
+                    .put(
+                        1,
+                        Collections.singletonList(
+                            new StageInputSlice(
+                                0,
+                                new StripedReadablePartitions(0, 2, new IntAVLTreeSet(new int[]{1}))
+                            )
+                        )
+                    )
+                    .build(),
+        inputs.assignmentsMap()
+    );
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void test_auto_oneInputStageWithThreePartitionsAndTwoWorkers_oneWorkerMax()
+  {
+    final StageDefinition stageDef =
+        StageDefinition.builder(1)
+                       .inputs(new StageInputSpec(0))
+                       .maxWorkerCount(1)
+                       .processorFactory(new OffsetLimitFrameProcessorFactory(0, 0L))
+                       .build(QUERY_ID);
+
+    final WorkerInputs inputs = WorkerInputs.create(
+        stageDef,
+        new Int2IntAVLTreeMap(ImmutableMap.of(0, 2)),
+        new StageInputSpecSlicer(
+            new Int2ObjectAVLTreeMap<>(ImmutableMap.of(0, ReadablePartitions.striped(0, 2, 3)))
+        ),
+        WorkerAssignmentStrategy.AUTO,
+        Limits.DEFAULT_MAX_INPUT_BYTES_PER_WORKER
+    );
+
+    Assert.assertEquals(
+        ImmutableMap.<Integer, List<InputSlice>>builder()
+                    .put(
+                        0,
+                        Collections.singletonList(
+                            new StageInputSlice(
+                                0,
+                                new StripedReadablePartitions(0, 2, new IntAVLTreeSet(new int[]{0, 1, 2}))
+                            )
+                        )
+                    )
+                    .build(),
+        inputs.assignmentsMap()
+    );
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void test_auto_threeBigInputs_fourWorkers()
   {