diff --git a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/ConnectionManager.java b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/ConnectionManager.java
index 21d0ce856c5..c79cbc4c8db 100644
--- a/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/ConnectionManager.java
+++ b/hbase-client/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/client/ConnectionManager.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.concurrent.BlockingQueue;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Map.Entry;
 import java.util.NavigableMap;
@@ -765,7 +766,7 @@ class ConnectionManager {
         synchronized (this) {
           if (batchPool == null) {
             this.batchPool = getThreadPool(conf.getInt("hbase.hconnection.threads.max", 256),
-                conf.getInt("hbase.hconnection.threads.core", 256), "-shared-");
+                conf.getInt("hbase.hconnection.threads.core", 256), "-shared-", null);
             this.cleanupPool = true;
           }
         }
@@ -773,7 +774,8 @@ class ConnectionManager {
       return this.batchPool;
     }
 
-    private ExecutorService getThreadPool(int maxThreads, int coreThreads, String nameHint) {
+    private ExecutorService getThreadPool(int maxThreads, int coreThreads, String nameHint,
+        BlockingQueue<Runnable> passedWorkQueue) {
       // shared HTable thread executor not yet initialized
       if (maxThreads == 0) {
         maxThreads = Runtime.getRuntime().availableProcessors() * 8;
@@ -782,10 +784,13 @@ class ConnectionManager {
         coreThreads = Runtime.getRuntime().availableProcessors() * 8;
       }
       long keepAliveTime = conf.getLong("hbase.hconnection.threads.keepalivetime", 60);
-      LinkedBlockingQueue<Runnable> workQueue =
+      BlockingQueue<Runnable> workQueue = passedWorkQueue;
+      if (workQueue == null) {
+        workQueue =
           new LinkedBlockingQueue<Runnable>(maxThreads *
               conf.getInt(HConstants.HBASE_CLIENT_MAX_TOTAL_TASKS,
                   HConstants.DEFAULT_HBASE_CLIENT_MAX_TOTAL_TASKS));
+      }
       ThreadPoolExecutor tpe = new ThreadPoolExecutor(
           coreThreads,
           maxThreads,
@@ -801,14 +806,14 @@ class ConnectionManager {
       if (this.metaLookupPool == null) {
         synchronized (this) {
           if (this.metaLookupPool == null) {
-            //The meta lookup can happen on replicas of the meta (if the appropriate configs
-            //are enabled).In a replicated-meta setup, the number '3' is assumed as the max
-            //number of replicas by default (unless it is configured to be of a higher value).
-            //In a non-replicated-meta setup, only one thread would be active.
+            //Some of the threads would be used for meta replicas
+            //To start with, threads.max.core threads can hit the meta (including replicas).
+            //After that, requests will get queued up in the passed queue, and only after
+            //the queue is full, a new thread will be started
             this.metaLookupPool = getThreadPool(
-               conf.getInt("hbase.hconnection.meta.lookup.threads.max", 3),
-               conf.getInt("hbase.hconnection.meta.lookup.threads.max.core", 3),
-               "-metaLookup-shared-");
+               conf.getInt("hbase.hconnection.meta.lookup.threads.max", 128),
+               conf.getInt("hbase.hconnection.meta.lookup.threads.max.core", 10),
+             "-metaLookup-shared-", new LinkedBlockingQueue<Runnable>());
           }
         }
       }