diff --git a/fs/btrfs/ctree.h b/fs/btrfs/ctree.h
index ba6b88528dc7..e6f899dc5e47 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/ctree.h
+++ b/fs/btrfs/ctree.h
@@ -840,7 +840,10 @@ struct btrfs_disk_balance_args {
 	/* BTRFS_BALANCE_ARGS_* */
 	__le64 flags;
 
-	__le64 unused[8];
+	/* BTRFS_BALANCE_ARGS_LIMIT value */
+	__le64 limit;
+
+	__le64 unused[7];
 } __attribute__ ((__packed__));
 
 /*
@@ -2897,6 +2900,7 @@ btrfs_disk_balance_args_to_cpu(struct btrfs_balance_args *cpu,
 	cpu->vend = le64_to_cpu(disk->vend);
 	cpu->target = le64_to_cpu(disk->target);
 	cpu->flags = le64_to_cpu(disk->flags);
+	cpu->limit = le64_to_cpu(disk->limit);
 }
 
 static inline void
@@ -2914,6 +2918,7 @@ btrfs_cpu_balance_args_to_disk(struct btrfs_disk_balance_args *disk,
 	disk->vend = cpu_to_le64(cpu->vend);
 	disk->target = cpu_to_le64(cpu->target);
 	disk->flags = cpu_to_le64(cpu->flags);
+	disk->limit = cpu_to_le64(cpu->limit);
 }
 
 /* struct btrfs_super_block */
diff --git a/fs/btrfs/volumes.c b/fs/btrfs/volumes.c
index 49d7fab73360..3b761a456acd 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/volumes.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/volumes.c
@@ -2922,6 +2922,16 @@ static int should_balance_chunk(struct btrfs_root *root,
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * limited by count, must be the last filter
+	 */
+	if ((bargs->flags & BTRFS_BALANCE_ARGS_LIMIT)) {
+		if (bargs->limit == 0)
+			return 0;
+		else
+			bargs->limit--;
+	}
+
 	return 1;
 }
 
@@ -2944,6 +2954,9 @@ static int __btrfs_balance(struct btrfs_fs_info *fs_info)
 	int ret;
 	int enospc_errors = 0;
 	bool counting = true;
+	u64 limit_data = bctl->data.limit;
+	u64 limit_meta = bctl->meta.limit;
+	u64 limit_sys = bctl->sys.limit;
 
 	/* step one make some room on all the devices */
 	devices = &fs_info->fs_devices->devices;
@@ -2982,6 +2995,11 @@ static int __btrfs_balance(struct btrfs_fs_info *fs_info)
 	memset(&bctl->stat, 0, sizeof(bctl->stat));
 	spin_unlock(&fs_info->balance_lock);
 again:
+	if (!counting) {
+		bctl->data.limit = limit_data;
+		bctl->meta.limit = limit_meta;
+		bctl->sys.limit = limit_sys;
+	}
 	key.objectid = BTRFS_FIRST_CHUNK_TREE_OBJECTID;
 	key.offset = (u64)-1;
 	key.type = BTRFS_CHUNK_ITEM_KEY;
diff --git a/fs/btrfs/volumes.h b/fs/btrfs/volumes.h
index 80754f9dd3df..1a15bbeb65e2 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/volumes.h
+++ b/fs/btrfs/volumes.h
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@ struct map_lookup {
 #define BTRFS_BALANCE_ARGS_DEVID	(1ULL << 2)
 #define BTRFS_BALANCE_ARGS_DRANGE	(1ULL << 3)
 #define BTRFS_BALANCE_ARGS_VRANGE	(1ULL << 4)
+#define BTRFS_BALANCE_ARGS_LIMIT	(1ULL << 5)
 
 /*
  * Profile changing flags.  When SOFT is set we won't relocate chunk if
diff --git a/include/uapi/linux/btrfs.h b/include/uapi/linux/btrfs.h
index b4d69092fbdb..901a3c563f60 100644
--- a/include/uapi/linux/btrfs.h
+++ b/include/uapi/linux/btrfs.h
@@ -211,7 +211,8 @@ struct btrfs_balance_args {
 
 	__u64 flags;
 
-	__u64 unused[8];
+	__u64 limit;		/* limit number of processed chunks */
+	__u64 unused[7];
 } __attribute__ ((__packed__));
 
 /* report balance progress to userspace */