diff --git a/packages/@n8n/config/src/configs/workflows.config.ts b/packages/@n8n/config/src/configs/workflows.config.ts
index c5b88775c893d..bebce7ec7751d 100644
--- a/packages/@n8n/config/src/configs/workflows.config.ts
+++ b/packages/@n8n/config/src/configs/workflows.config.ts
@@ -10,4 +10,8 @@ export class WorkflowsConfig {
 	@Env('N8N_WORKFLOW_CALLER_POLICY_DEFAULT_OPTION')
 	callerPolicyDefaultOption: 'any' | 'none' | 'workflowsFromAList' | 'workflowsFromSameOwner' =
 		'workflowsFromSameOwner';
+
+	/** How many workflows to activate simultaneously during startup. */
+	@Env('N8N_WORKFLOW_ACTIVATION_BATCH_SIZE')
+	activationBatchSize: number = 1;
 }
diff --git a/packages/@n8n/config/src/index.ts b/packages/@n8n/config/src/index.ts
index edcc794ca556e..db3861d855054 100644
--- a/packages/@n8n/config/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/@n8n/config/src/index.ts
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ export { FrontendBetaFeatures, FrontendConfig } from './configs/frontend.config'
 export { S3Config } from './configs/external-storage.config';
 export { LOG_SCOPES } from './configs/logging.config';
 export type { LogScope } from './configs/logging.config';
+export { WorkflowsConfig } from './configs/workflows.config';
 
 @Config
 export class GlobalConfig {
diff --git a/packages/@n8n/config/test/config.test.ts b/packages/@n8n/config/test/config.test.ts
index 32952ec60b5d5..834963bcfdeaf 100644
--- a/packages/@n8n/config/test/config.test.ts
+++ b/packages/@n8n/config/test/config.test.ts
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ describe('GlobalConfig', () => {
 		workflows: {
 			defaultName: 'My workflow',
 			callerPolicyDefaultOption: 'workflowsFromSameOwner',
+			activationBatchSize: 1,
 		},
 		endpoints: {
 			metrics: {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/active-workflow-manager.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/__tests__/active-workflow-manager.test.ts
index a167f1e5a5cf7..dd2d3d8cb50aa 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/active-workflow-manager.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/__tests__/active-workflow-manager.test.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ describe('ActiveWorkflowManager', () => {
 			mock(),
 			instanceSettings,
 			mock(),
+			mock(),
 		);
 	});
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/active-workflow-manager.ts b/packages/cli/src/active-workflow-manager.ts
index b783724befd82..2f47212561acf 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/active-workflow-manager.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/active-workflow-manager.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-member-access */
+import { WorkflowsConfig } from '@n8n/config';
 import { Service } from '@n8n/di';
+import { chunk } from 'lodash';
 import {
 	ActiveWorkflows,
 	ErrorReporter,
@@ -82,6 +84,7 @@ export class ActiveWorkflowManager {
 		private readonly workflowExecutionService: WorkflowExecutionService,
 		private readonly instanceSettings: InstanceSettings,
 		private readonly publisher: Publisher,
+		private readonly workflowsConfig: WorkflowsConfig,
 	) {}
 
 	async init() {
@@ -419,46 +422,59 @@ export class ActiveWorkflowManager {
 			this.logger.info(' ================================');
 		}
 
-		for (const dbWorkflow of dbWorkflows) {
-			try {
-				const wasActivated = await this.add(dbWorkflow.id, activationMode, dbWorkflow, {
-					shouldPublish: false,
-				});
-
-				if (wasActivated) {
-					this.logger.debug(`Successfully started workflow ${dbWorkflow.display()}`, {
-						workflowName: dbWorkflow.name,
-						workflowId: dbWorkflow.id,
-					});
-					this.logger.info('     => Started');
-				}
-			} catch (error) {
-				this.errorReporter.error(error);
-				this.logger.info(
-					'     => ERROR: Workflow could not be activated on first try, keep on trying if not an auth issue',
-				);
+		const batches = chunk(dbWorkflows, this.workflowsConfig.activationBatchSize);
 
-				this.logger.info(`               ${error.message}`);
-				this.logger.error(
-					`Issue on initial workflow activation try of ${dbWorkflow.display()} (startup)`,
-					{
-						workflowName: dbWorkflow.name,
-						workflowId: dbWorkflow.id,
-					},
-				);
+		for (const batch of batches) {
+			const activationPromises = batch.map(async (dbWorkflow) => {
+				await this.activateWorkflow(dbWorkflow, activationMode);
+			});
 
-				// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-argument
-				this.executeErrorWorkflow(error, dbWorkflow, 'internal');
+			await Promise.all(activationPromises);
+		}
 
-				// do not keep trying to activate on authorization error
-				// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-call
-				if (error.message.includes('Authorization')) continue;
+		this.logger.debug('Finished activating workflows (startup)');
+	}
 
-				this.addQueuedWorkflowActivation('init', dbWorkflow);
+	private async activateWorkflow(
+		dbWorkflow: WorkflowEntity,
+		activationMode: 'init' | 'leadershipChange',
+	) {
+		try {
+			const wasActivated = await this.add(dbWorkflow.id, activationMode, dbWorkflow, {
+				shouldPublish: false,
+			});
+			if (wasActivated) {
+				this.logger.info(`   - ${dbWorkflow.display()})`);
+				this.logger.info('     => Started');
+				this.logger.debug(`Successfully started workflow ${dbWorkflow.display()}`, {
+					workflowName: dbWorkflow.name,
+					workflowId: dbWorkflow.id,
+				});
 			}
-		}
+		} catch (error) {
+			this.errorReporter.error(error);
+			this.logger.info(
+				`     => ERROR: Workflow ${dbWorkflow.display()} could not be activated on first try, keep on trying if not an auth issue`,
+			);
 
-		this.logger.debug('Finished activating workflows (startup)');
+			this.logger.info(`               ${error.message}`);
+			this.logger.error(
+				`Issue on initial workflow activation try of ${dbWorkflow.display()} (startup)`,
+				{
+					workflowName: dbWorkflow.name,
+					workflowId: dbWorkflow.id,
+				},
+			);
+
+			// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-argument
+			this.executeErrorWorkflow(error, dbWorkflow, 'internal');
+
+			// do not keep trying to activate on authorization error
+			// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-call
+			if (error.message.includes('Authorization')) return;
+
+			this.addQueuedWorkflowActivation('init', dbWorkflow);
+		}
 	}
 
 	async clearAllActivationErrors() {
@@ -533,7 +549,6 @@ export class ActiveWorkflowManager {
 			}
 
 			if (shouldDisplayActivationMessage) {
-				this.logger.info(`   - ${dbWorkflow.display()}`);
 				this.logger.debug(`Initializing active workflow ${dbWorkflow.display()} (startup)`, {
 					workflowName: dbWorkflow.name,
 					workflowId: dbWorkflow.id,