diff --git a/conf/configuration.go b/conf/configuration.go
index f2dd406dd..55f87f00d 100644
--- a/conf/configuration.go
+++ b/conf/configuration.go
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ func init() {
 	viper.SetDefault("devenablebufferedscrobble", true)
 	viper.SetDefault("devsidebarplaylists", true)
 	viper.SetDefault("devshowartistpage", true)
-	viper.SetDefault("devartworkmaxrequests", number.Max(2, runtime.NumCPU()))
+	viper.SetDefault("devartworkmaxrequests", number.Max(2, runtime.NumCPU()/3))
 	viper.SetDefault("devartworkthrottlebackloglimit", consts.RequestThrottleBacklogLimit)
 	viper.SetDefault("devartworkthrottlebacklogtimeout", consts.RequestThrottleBacklogTimeout)
 }
diff --git a/server/public/public_endpoints.go b/server/public/public_endpoints.go
index 440fa7b1c..93538ca06 100644
--- a/server/public/public_endpoints.go
+++ b/server/public/public_endpoints.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"path"
 
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5"
+	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5/middleware"
 	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/conf"
 	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/consts"
 	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/core"
@@ -37,7 +38,14 @@ func (p *Router) routes() http.Handler {
 
 	r.Group(func(r chi.Router) {
 		r.Use(server.URLParamsMiddleware)
-		r.HandleFunc("/img/{id}", p.handleImages)
+		r.Group(func(r chi.Router) {
+			if conf.Server.DevArtworkMaxRequests > 0 {
+				maxRequests := conf.Server.DevArtworkMaxRequests
+				r.Use(middleware.ThrottleBacklog(maxRequests, conf.Server.DevArtworkThrottleBacklogLimit,
+					conf.Server.DevArtworkThrottleBacklogTimeout))
+			}
+			r.HandleFunc("/img/{id}", p.handleImages)
+		})
 		if conf.Server.EnableSharing {
 			r.HandleFunc("/s/{id}", p.handleStream)
 			r.HandleFunc("/{id}", p.handleShares)