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/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