diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/BootstrapCheck.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/BootstrapCheck.java
index 6ac3c477fd7..433dd4498a4 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/BootstrapCheck.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/BootstrapCheck.java
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ final class BootstrapCheck {
 
     static class MaxNumberOfThreadsCheck implements Check {
 
-        private final long maxNumberOfThreadsThreshold = 1 << 15;
+        private final long maxNumberOfThreadsThreshold = 1 << 11;
 
         @Override
         public boolean check() {
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/threadpool/ThreadPool.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/threadpool/ThreadPool.java
index c7f4392e56a..8b6f1198705 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/threadpool/ThreadPool.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/threadpool/ThreadPool.java
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ public class ThreadPool extends AbstractComponent implements Closeable {
         int halfProcMaxAt5 = Math.min(((availableProcessors + 1) / 2), 5);
         int halfProcMaxAt10 = Math.min(((availableProcessors + 1) / 2), 10);
         Map<String, Settings> defaultExecutorTypeSettings = new HashMap<>();
-        add(defaultExecutorTypeSettings, new ExecutorSettingsBuilder(Names.GENERIC).keepAlive("30s"));
+        add(defaultExecutorTypeSettings, new ExecutorSettingsBuilder(Names.GENERIC).size(4 * availableProcessors).keepAlive("30s"));
         add(defaultExecutorTypeSettings, new ExecutorSettingsBuilder(Names.INDEX).size(availableProcessors).queueSize(200));
         add(defaultExecutorTypeSettings, new ExecutorSettingsBuilder(Names.BULK).size(availableProcessors).queueSize(50));
         add(defaultExecutorTypeSettings, new ExecutorSettingsBuilder(Names.GET).size(availableProcessors).queueSize(1000));
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/BootstrapCheckTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/BootstrapCheckTests.java
index 45986eab00e..3c269c39004 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/BootstrapCheckTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/BootstrapCheckTests.java
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ public class BootstrapCheckTests extends ESTestCase {
     }
 
     public void testMaxNumberOfThreadsCheck() {
-        final int limit = 1 << 15;
+        final int limit = 1 << 11;
         final AtomicLong maxNumberOfThreads = new AtomicLong(randomIntBetween(1, limit - 1));
         final BootstrapCheck.MaxNumberOfThreadsCheck check = new BootstrapCheck.MaxNumberOfThreadsCheck() {
             @Override
diff --git a/docs/reference/setup/configuration.asciidoc b/docs/reference/setup/configuration.asciidoc
index 03037207fb0..bef563cd965 100644
--- a/docs/reference/setup/configuration.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/reference/setup/configuration.asciidoc
@@ -43,6 +43,13 @@ using the <<cluster-nodes-info>> API, with:
 curl localhost:9200/_nodes/stats/process?pretty
 --------------------------------------------------
 
+[float]
+[[max-number-of-threads]]
+==== Number of threads
+
+Make sure that the number of threads that the Elasticsearch user can
+create is at least 2048.
+
 [float]
 [[vm-max-map-count]]
 ==== Virtual memory