diff --git a/server/red_dispatcher.c b/server/red_dispatcher.c
index 74adaa2d..a2ef2263 100644
--- a/server/red_dispatcher.c
+++ b/server/red_dispatcher.c
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ struct RedDispatcher {
     Ring async_commands;
     pthread_mutex_t  async_lock;
     QXLDevSurfaceCreate surface_create;
+    unsigned int max_monitors;
 };
 
 extern uint32_t streaming_video;
@@ -693,6 +694,7 @@ static void red_dispatcher_monitors_config_async(RedDispatcher *dispatcher,
     payload.base.cmd = async_command_alloc(dispatcher, message, cookie);
     payload.monitors_config = monitors_config;
     payload.group_id = group_id;
+    payload.max_monitors = dispatcher->max_monitors;
 
     dispatcher_send_message(&dispatcher->dispatcher, message, &payload);
 }
@@ -986,6 +988,12 @@ void spice_qxl_monitors_config_async(QXLInstance *instance, QXLPHYSICAL monitors
     red_dispatcher_monitors_config_async(instance->st->dispatcher, monitors_config, group_id, cookie);
 }
 
+SPICE_GNUC_VISIBLE
+void spice_qxl_set_max_monitors(QXLInstance *instance, unsigned int max_monitors)
+{
+    instance->st->dispatcher->max_monitors = MAX(1u, max_monitors);
+}
+
 SPICE_GNUC_VISIBLE
 void spice_qxl_driver_unload(QXLInstance *instance)
 {
@@ -1110,6 +1118,8 @@ void red_dispatcher_init(QXLInstance *qxl)
     red_dispatcher->base.destroy_surface_wait = qxl_worker_destroy_surface_wait;
     red_dispatcher->base.loadvm_commands = qxl_worker_loadvm_commands;
 
+    red_dispatcher->max_monitors = UINT_MAX;
+
     qxl->st->qif->get_init_info(qxl, &init_info);
 
     init_data.memslot_id_bits = init_info.memslot_id_bits;
diff --git a/server/red_dispatcher.h b/server/red_dispatcher.h
index 907b7c7c..70b8a628 100644
--- a/server/red_dispatcher.h
+++ b/server/red_dispatcher.h
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ typedef struct RedWorkerMessageMonitorsConfigAsync {
     RedWorkerMessageAsync base;
     QXLPHYSICAL monitors_config;
     int group_id;
+    unsigned int max_monitors;
 } RedWorkerMessageMonitorsConfigAsync;
 
 typedef struct RedWorkerMessageDriverUnload {
diff --git a/server/red_worker.c b/server/red_worker.c
index 515262d6..f3d8ad93 100644
--- a/server/red_worker.c
+++ b/server/red_worker.c
@@ -11217,11 +11217,13 @@ static inline void red_monitors_config_item_add(DisplayChannelClient *dcc)
 }
 
 static void worker_update_monitors_config(RedWorker *worker,
-                                          QXLMonitorsConfig *dev_monitors_config)
+                                          QXLMonitorsConfig *dev_monitors_config,
+                                          unsigned int max_monitors)
 {
     int heads_size;
     MonitorsConfig *monitors_config;
     int i;
+    unsigned int count = MIN(dev_monitors_config->count, max_monitors);
 
     monitors_config_decref(worker->monitors_config);
 
@@ -11235,13 +11237,13 @@ static void worker_update_monitors_config(RedWorker *worker,
                     dev_monitors_config->heads[i].width,
                     dev_monitors_config->heads[i].height);
     }
-    heads_size = dev_monitors_config->count * sizeof(QXLHead);
+    heads_size = count * sizeof(QXLHead);
     worker->monitors_config = monitors_config =
         spice_malloc(sizeof(*monitors_config) + heads_size);
     monitors_config->refs = 1;
     monitors_config->worker = worker;
-    monitors_config->count = dev_monitors_config->count;
-    monitors_config->max_allowed = dev_monitors_config->max_allowed;
+    monitors_config->count = count;
+    monitors_config->max_allowed = MIN(dev_monitors_config->max_allowed, max_monitors);
     memcpy(monitors_config->heads, dev_monitors_config->heads, heads_size);
 }
 
@@ -11651,7 +11653,7 @@ static void handle_dev_monitors_config_async(void *opaque, void *payload)
                       dev_monitors_config->max_allowed);
         return;
     }
-    worker_update_monitors_config(worker, dev_monitors_config);
+    worker_update_monitors_config(worker, dev_monitors_config, msg->max_monitors);
     red_worker_push_monitors_config(worker);
 }
 
diff --git a/server/spice-qxl.h b/server/spice-qxl.h
index 31ff742f..dd49a860 100644
--- a/server/spice-qxl.h
+++ b/server/spice-qxl.h
@@ -97,6 +97,9 @@ void spice_qxl_monitors_config_async(QXLInstance *instance, QXLPHYSICAL monitors
                                      int group_id, uint64_t cookie);
 /* since spice 0.12.3 */
 void spice_qxl_driver_unload(QXLInstance *instance);
+/* since spice 0.12.6 */
+void spice_qxl_set_max_monitors(QXLInstance *instance,
+                                unsigned int max_monitors);
 
 typedef struct QXLDrawArea {
     uint8_t *buf;
diff --git a/server/spice-server.syms b/server/spice-server.syms
index 21938112..3c7d9456 100644
--- a/server/spice-server.syms
+++ b/server/spice-server.syms
@@ -153,3 +153,8 @@ global:
     spice_server_get_best_record_rate;
     spice_server_set_record_rate;
 } SPICE_SERVER_0.12.4;
+
+SPICE_SERVER_0.12.6 {
+global:
+    spice_qxl_set_max_monitors;
+} SPICE_SERVER_0.12.5;