diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/ThrottlingNodeAllocation.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/ThrottlingNodeAllocation.java
index ba6ec3edd93..f0b58661593 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/ThrottlingNodeAllocation.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/ThrottlingNodeAllocation.java
@@ -31,13 +31,15 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
  */
 public class ThrottlingNodeAllocation extends NodeAllocation {
 
+    private final int primariesInitialRecoveries;
     private final int concurrentRecoveries;
 
     @Inject public ThrottlingNodeAllocation(Settings settings) {
         super(settings);
 
+        this.primariesInitialRecoveries = componentSettings.getAsInt("node_initial_primaries_recoveries", 4);
         this.concurrentRecoveries = componentSettings.getAsInt("concurrent_recoveries", componentSettings.getAsInt("node_concurrent_recoveries", 2));
-        logger.debug("using [concurrent_recoveries] with [{}]", concurrentRecoveries);
+        logger.debug("using node_concurrent_recoveries [{}], node_initial_primaries_recoveries [{}]", concurrentRecoveries, primariesInitialRecoveries);
     }
 
     @Override public Decision canAllocate(ShardRouting shardRouting, RoutingNode node, RoutingAllocation allocation) {
@@ -57,7 +59,7 @@ public class ThrottlingNodeAllocation extends NodeAllocation {
                         primariesInRecovery++;
                     }
                 }
-                if (primariesInRecovery >= concurrentRecoveries) {
+                if (primariesInRecovery >= primariesInitialRecoveries) {
                     return Decision.THROTTLE;
                 } else {
                     return Decision.YES;
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/FailedShardsRoutingTests.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/FailedShardsRoutingTests.java
index d3a8eb36f4f..2d513275e85 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/FailedShardsRoutingTests.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/FailedShardsRoutingTests.java
@@ -166,7 +166,10 @@ public class FailedShardsRoutingTests {
     }
 
     @Test public void test10ShardsWith1ReplicaFailure() {
-        ShardsAllocation strategy = new ShardsAllocation(settingsBuilder().put("cluster.routing.allocation.concurrent_recoveries", 10).build());
+        ShardsAllocation strategy = new ShardsAllocation(settingsBuilder()
+                .put("cluster.routing.allocation.node_concurrent_recoveries", 10)
+                .put("cluster.routing.allocation.node_initial_primaries_recoveries", 10)
+                .build());
 
         logger.info("Building initial routing table");
 
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/PrimaryNotRelocatedWhileBeingRecoveredTests.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/PrimaryNotRelocatedWhileBeingRecoveredTests.java
index 7ae60091645..3242d796fad 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/PrimaryNotRelocatedWhileBeingRecoveredTests.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/PrimaryNotRelocatedWhileBeingRecoveredTests.java
@@ -47,7 +47,10 @@ public class PrimaryNotRelocatedWhileBeingRecoveredTests {
 
 
     @Test public void testPrimaryNotRelocatedWhileBeingRecoveredFrom() {
-        ShardsAllocation strategy = new ShardsAllocation(settingsBuilder().put("cluster.routing.allocation.concurrent_recoveries", 10).build());
+        ShardsAllocation strategy = new ShardsAllocation(settingsBuilder()
+                .put("cluster.routing.allocation.node_concurrent_recoveries", 10)
+                .put("cluster.routing.allocation.node_initial_primaries_recoveries", 10)
+                .build());
 
         logger.info("Building initial routing table");
 
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/TenShardsOneReplicaRoutingTests.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/TenShardsOneReplicaRoutingTests.java
index 290065f88e5..eb05c0a0514 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/TenShardsOneReplicaRoutingTests.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/TenShardsOneReplicaRoutingTests.java
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@ public class TenShardsOneReplicaRoutingTests {
 
     @Test public void testSingleIndexFirstStartPrimaryThenBackups() {
         ShardsAllocation strategy = new ShardsAllocation(settingsBuilder()
-                .put("cluster.routing.allocation.concurrent_recoveries", 10)
+                .put("cluster.routing.allocation.node_concurrent_recoveries", 10)
+                .put("cluster.routing.allocation.node_initial_primaries_recoveries", 10)
                 .put("cluster.routing.allocation.allow_rebalance", "always")
                 .put("cluster.routing.allocation.cluster_concurrent_rebalance", -1)
                 .build());
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/ThrottlingAllocationTests.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/ThrottlingAllocationTests.java
index 77a6543b0c9..ebfee63766c 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/ThrottlingAllocationTests.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/ThrottlingAllocationTests.java
@@ -45,7 +45,10 @@ public class ThrottlingAllocationTests {
     private final ESLogger logger = Loggers.getLogger(ThrottlingAllocationTests.class);
 
     @Test public void testPrimaryRecoveryThrottling() {
-        ShardsAllocation strategy = new ShardsAllocation(settingsBuilder().put("cluster.routing.allocation.concurrent_recoveries", 3).build());
+        ShardsAllocation strategy = new ShardsAllocation(settingsBuilder()
+                .put("cluster.routing.allocation.node_concurrent_recoveries", 3)
+                .put("cluster.routing.allocation.node_initial_primaries_recoveries", 3)
+                .build());
 
         logger.info("Building initial routing table");
 
@@ -102,7 +105,10 @@ public class ThrottlingAllocationTests {
     }
 
     @Test public void testReplicaAndPrimaryRecoveryThrottling() {
-        ShardsAllocation strategy = new ShardsAllocation(settingsBuilder().put("cluster.routing.allocation.concurrent_recoveries", 3).build());
+        ShardsAllocation strategy = new ShardsAllocation(settingsBuilder()
+                .put("cluster.routing.allocation.concurrent_recoveries", 3)
+                .put("cluster.routing.allocation.node_initial_primaries_recoveries", 3)
+                .build());
 
         logger.info("Building initial routing table");