diff --git a/src/backend/postmaster/autovacuum.c b/src/backend/postmaster/autovacuum.c
index 170b973cc5..e65ddd67c1 100644
--- a/src/backend/postmaster/autovacuum.c
+++ b/src/backend/postmaster/autovacuum.c
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@
  * GUC parameters
  */
 bool		autovacuum_start_daemon = false;
+int			autovacuum_workers;
 int			autovacuum_max_workers;
 int			autovacuum_work_mem = -1;
 int			autovacuum_naptime;
@@ -289,7 +290,7 @@ typedef struct
 {
 	sig_atomic_t av_signal[AutoVacNumSignals];
 	pid_t		av_launcherpid;
-	dlist_head	av_freeWorkers;
+	dclist_head av_freeWorkers;
 	dlist_head	av_runningWorkers;
 	WorkerInfo	av_startingWorker;
 	AutoVacuumWorkItem av_workItems[NUM_WORKITEMS];
@@ -347,6 +348,7 @@ static void autovac_report_activity(autovac_table *tab);
 static void autovac_report_workitem(AutoVacuumWorkItem *workitem,
 									const char *nspname, const char *relname);
 static void avl_sigusr2_handler(SIGNAL_ARGS);
+static bool autovac_slot_available(void);
 
 
 
@@ -575,8 +577,7 @@ AutoVacLauncherMain(char *startup_data, size_t startup_data_len)
 		 * wakening conditions.
 		 */
 
-		launcher_determine_sleep(!dlist_is_empty(&AutoVacuumShmem->av_freeWorkers),
-								 false, &nap);
+		launcher_determine_sleep(autovac_slot_available(), false, &nap);
 
 		/*
 		 * Wait until naptime expires or we get some type of signal (all the
@@ -636,7 +637,7 @@ AutoVacLauncherMain(char *startup_data, size_t startup_data_len)
 		current_time = GetCurrentTimestamp();
 		LWLockAcquire(AutovacuumLock, LW_SHARED);
 
-		can_launch = !dlist_is_empty(&AutoVacuumShmem->av_freeWorkers);
+		can_launch = autovac_slot_available();
 
 		if (AutoVacuumShmem->av_startingWorker != NULL)
 		{
@@ -679,8 +680,8 @@ AutoVacLauncherMain(char *startup_data, size_t startup_data_len)
 					worker->wi_sharedrel = false;
 					worker->wi_proc = NULL;
 					worker->wi_launchtime = 0;
-					dlist_push_head(&AutoVacuumShmem->av_freeWorkers,
-									&worker->wi_links);
+					dclist_push_head(&AutoVacuumShmem->av_freeWorkers,
+									 &worker->wi_links);
 					AutoVacuumShmem->av_startingWorker = NULL;
 					ereport(WARNING,
 							errmsg("autovacuum worker took too long to start; canceled"));
@@ -1087,7 +1088,7 @@ do_start_worker(void)
 
 	/* return quickly when there are no free workers */
 	LWLockAcquire(AutovacuumLock, LW_SHARED);
-	if (dlist_is_empty(&AutoVacuumShmem->av_freeWorkers))
+	if (!autovac_slot_available())
 	{
 		LWLockRelease(AutovacuumLock);
 		return InvalidOid;
@@ -1240,7 +1241,7 @@ do_start_worker(void)
 		 * Get a worker entry from the freelist.  We checked above, so there
 		 * really should be a free slot.
 		 */
-		wptr = dlist_pop_head_node(&AutoVacuumShmem->av_freeWorkers);
+		wptr = dclist_pop_head_node(&AutoVacuumShmem->av_freeWorkers);
 
 		worker = dlist_container(WorkerInfoData, wi_links, wptr);
 		worker->wi_dboid = avdb->adw_datid;
@@ -1609,8 +1610,8 @@ FreeWorkerInfo(int code, Datum arg)
 		MyWorkerInfo->wi_proc = NULL;
 		MyWorkerInfo->wi_launchtime = 0;
 		pg_atomic_clear_flag(&MyWorkerInfo->wi_dobalance);
-		dlist_push_head(&AutoVacuumShmem->av_freeWorkers,
-						&MyWorkerInfo->wi_links);
+		dclist_push_head(&AutoVacuumShmem->av_freeWorkers,
+						 &MyWorkerInfo->wi_links);
 		/* not mine anymore */
 		MyWorkerInfo = NULL;
 
@@ -3292,7 +3293,7 @@ AutoVacuumShmemInit(void)
 		Assert(!found);
 
 		AutoVacuumShmem->av_launcherpid = 0;
-		dlist_init(&AutoVacuumShmem->av_freeWorkers);
+		dclist_init(&AutoVacuumShmem->av_freeWorkers);
 		dlist_init(&AutoVacuumShmem->av_runningWorkers);
 		AutoVacuumShmem->av_startingWorker = NULL;
 		memset(AutoVacuumShmem->av_workItems, 0,
@@ -3304,8 +3305,8 @@ AutoVacuumShmemInit(void)
 		/* initialize the WorkerInfo free list */
 		for (i = 0; i < autovacuum_max_workers; i++)
 		{
-			dlist_push_head(&AutoVacuumShmem->av_freeWorkers,
-							&worker[i].wi_links);
+			dclist_push_head(&AutoVacuumShmem->av_freeWorkers,
+							 &worker[i].wi_links);
 			pg_atomic_init_flag(&worker[i].wi_dobalance);
 		}
 
@@ -3341,3 +3342,12 @@ check_autovacuum_work_mem(int *newval, void **extra, GucSource source)
 
 	return true;
 }
+
+static bool
+autovac_slot_available(void)
+{
+	const dclist_head *freelist = &AutoVacuumShmem->av_freeWorkers;
+	int			reserved_slots = autovacuum_max_workers - autovacuum_workers;
+
+	return dclist_count(freelist) > Max(0, reserved_slots);
+}
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc_tables.c b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc_tables.c
index c68fdc008b..29eb22939a 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc_tables.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc_tables.c
@@ -3400,14 +3400,23 @@ struct config_int ConfigureNamesInt[] =
 		400000000, 10000, 2000000000,
 		NULL, NULL, NULL
 	},
+	{
+		{"autovacuum_workers", PGC_SIGHUP, AUTOVACUUM,
+			gettext_noop("Sets the maximum number of simultaneously running autovacuum worker processes."),
+			NULL
+		},
+		&autovacuum_workers,
+		3, 1, MAX_BACKENDS,
+		NULL, NULL, NULL
+	},
 	{
 		/* see max_connections */
 		{"autovacuum_max_workers", PGC_POSTMASTER, AUTOVACUUM,
-			gettext_noop("Sets the maximum number of simultaneously running autovacuum worker processes."),
+			gettext_noop("Sets the maximum effective value of autovacuum_workers."),
 			NULL
 		},
 		&autovacuum_max_workers,
-		3, 1, MAX_BACKENDS,
+		16, 1, MAX_BACKENDS,
 		check_autovacuum_max_workers, NULL, NULL
 	},
 
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/misc/postgresql.conf.sample b/src/backend/utils/misc/postgresql.conf.sample
index 2166ea4a87..f5bc403041 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/misc/postgresql.conf.sample
+++ b/src/backend/utils/misc/postgresql.conf.sample
@@ -658,7 +658,8 @@
 
 #autovacuum = on			# Enable autovacuum subprocess?  'on'
 					# requires track_counts to also be on.
-#autovacuum_max_workers = 3		# max number of autovacuum subprocesses
+#autovacuum_workers = 3			# max number of autovacuum subprocesses
+#autovacuum_max_workers = 16		# effective limit for autovacuum_workers
 					# (change requires restart)
 #autovacuum_naptime = 1min		# time between autovacuum runs
 #autovacuum_vacuum_threshold = 50	# min number of row updates before
diff --git a/src/include/postmaster/autovacuum.h b/src/include/postmaster/autovacuum.h
index cae1e8b329..fb2936c161 100644
--- a/src/include/postmaster/autovacuum.h
+++ b/src/include/postmaster/autovacuum.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ typedef enum
 
 /* GUC variables */
 extern PGDLLIMPORT bool autovacuum_start_daemon;
+extern PGDLLIMPORT int autovacuum_workers;
 extern PGDLLIMPORT int autovacuum_max_workers;
 extern PGDLLIMPORT int autovacuum_work_mem;
 extern PGDLLIMPORT int autovacuum_naptime;
diff --git a/src/test/modules/xid_wraparound/t/001_emergency_vacuum.pl b/src/test/modules/xid_wraparound/t/001_emergency_vacuum.pl
index 37550b67a4..fb20c9084c 100644
--- a/src/test/modules/xid_wraparound/t/001_emergency_vacuum.pl
+++ b/src/test/modules/xid_wraparound/t/001_emergency_vacuum.pl
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ $node->append_conf(
 autovacuum = off # run autovacuum only when to anti wraparound
 autovacuum_naptime = 1s
 # so it's easier to verify the order of operations
-autovacuum_max_workers = 1
+autovacuum_workers = 1
 log_autovacuum_min_duration = 0
 ]);
 $node->start;
diff --git a/src/test/modules/xid_wraparound/t/003_wraparounds.pl b/src/test/modules/xid_wraparound/t/003_wraparounds.pl
index 88063b4b52..35f2e1029a 100644
--- a/src/test/modules/xid_wraparound/t/003_wraparounds.pl
+++ b/src/test/modules/xid_wraparound/t/003_wraparounds.pl
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ $node->append_conf(
 autovacuum = off # run autovacuum only when to anti wraparound
 autovacuum_naptime = 1s
 # so it's easier to verify the order of operations
-autovacuum_max_workers = 1
+autovacuum_workers = 1
 log_autovacuum_min_duration = 0
 ]);
 $node->start;