diff --git a/config/envoyconfig/clusters.go b/config/envoyconfig/clusters.go
index be095e3fe..95c7a7b53 100644
--- a/config/envoyconfig/clusters.go
+++ b/config/envoyconfig/clusters.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"fmt"
+	"math"
 	"net"
 	"net/url"
 	"strings"
@@ -188,6 +189,17 @@ func (b *Builder) buildPolicyCluster(ctx context.Context, cfg *config.Config, po
 		}
 	}
 
+	if cfg.Options.IsRuntimeFlagSet(config.RuntimeFlagTmpUnlimitedConnections) {
+		cluster.CircuitBreakers = &envoy_config_cluster_v3.CircuitBreakers{
+			Thresholds: []*envoy_config_cluster_v3.CircuitBreakers_Thresholds{{
+				Priority:           envoy_config_core_v3.RoutingPriority_DEFAULT,
+				MaxConnections:     wrapperspb.UInt32(math.MaxUint32),
+				MaxPendingRequests: wrapperspb.UInt32(math.MaxUint32),
+				MaxRequests:        wrapperspb.UInt32(math.MaxUint32),
+			}},
+		}
+	}
+
 	cluster.AltStatName = getClusterStatsName(policy)
 	upstreamProtocol := getUpstreamProtocolForPolicy(ctx, policy)
 
@@ -216,7 +228,6 @@ func (b *Builder) buildPolicyEndpoints(
 ) ([]Endpoint, error) {
 	var endpoints []Endpoint
 	for _, dst := range policy.To {
-		dst := dst
 		ts, err := b.buildPolicyTransportSocket(ctx, cfg, policy, dst.URL)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
diff --git a/config/envoyconfig/grpc_max_connections_test.go b/config/envoyconfig/grpc_max_connections_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9d57349f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/envoyconfig/grpc_max_connections_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+package envoyconfig_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/credentials/insecure"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/interop"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/interop/grpc_testing"
+
+	"github.com/pomerium/pomerium/config"
+	"github.com/pomerium/pomerium/internal/testenv"
+	"github.com/pomerium/pomerium/internal/testenv/snippets"
+	"github.com/pomerium/pomerium/internal/testenv/upstreams"
+)
+
+func TestMaxGRPCConn(t *testing.T) {
+	const maxConnections = 1025
+
+	env := testenv.New(t)
+	env.Add(testenv.ModifierFunc(func(_ context.Context, cfg *config.Config) {
+		cfg.Options.RuntimeFlags[config.RuntimeFlagTmpUnlimitedConnections] = true
+	}))
+
+	up := upstreams.GRPC(insecure.NewCredentials())
+	srv := interop.NewTestServer()
+	grpc_testing.RegisterTestServiceServer(up, srv)
+
+	h2c := up.Route().
+		From(env.SubdomainURL("grpc-h2c")).
+		Policy(func(p *config.Policy) { p.AllowPublicUnauthenticatedAccess = true })
+
+	grpcTestRunner := func(ctx context.Context) error {
+		cc := up.Dial(h2c)
+
+		client := grpc_testing.NewTestServiceClient(cc)
+		call, err := client.FullDuplexCall(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("call: %w", err)
+		}
+		err = call.Send(&grpc_testing.StreamingOutputCallRequest{
+			ResponseParameters: []*grpc_testing.ResponseParameters{
+				{
+					Size: 17,
+				},
+			},
+			ResponseStatus: &grpc_testing.EchoStatus{
+				Message: "hello",
+			},
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("send: %w", err)
+		}
+
+		resp, err := call.Recv()
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("recv: %w", err)
+		}
+		if n := len(resp.Payload.Body); n != 17 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("got %d bytes, want 17", n)
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("recv: %w", err)
+		}
+
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	env.AddUpstream(up)
+	env.Start()
+	snippets.WaitStartupComplete(env)
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(env.Context())
+	t.Cleanup(cancel)
+	ch := make(chan error)
+	for range maxConnections {
+		go func() {
+			if err := grpcTestRunner(ctx); err != nil {
+				ch <- err
+				return
+			}
+
+			ch <- nil
+			<-ctx.Done()
+		}()
+	}
+
+	for i := range maxConnections {
+		select {
+		case err := <-ch:
+			t.Logf("#%d: got response %v", i, err)
+
+			if !assert.NoError(t, err) {
+				cancel()
+				t.FailNow()
+			}
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			t.Fatal("timeout")
+		}
+	}
+
+	cancel()
+}
diff --git a/config/runtime_flags.go b/config/runtime_flags.go
index 8ba41cc81..55f56363f 100644
--- a/config/runtime_flags.go
+++ b/config/runtime_flags.go
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ var (
 
 	// RuntimeFlagAddExtraMetricsLabels enables adding extra labels to metrics (host and installation id)
 	RuntimeFlagAddExtraMetricsLabels = runtimeFlag("add_extra_metrics_labels", true)
+
+	// RuntimeFlagTmpUnlimitedConnections enables unlimited connections to the upstream clusters
+	// this is temporary measure until circuit breaker options are added to the config
+	RuntimeFlagTmpUnlimitedConnections = runtimeFlag("tmp_unlimited_connections", false)
 )
 
 // RuntimeFlag is a runtime flag that can flip on/off certain features