diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 8ceaad7..37ff9af 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -960,7 +960,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pict-rs"
-version = "0.3.0-alpha.23"
+version = "0.3.0-alpha.24"
 dependencies = [
  "actix-form-data",
  "actix-rt",
@@ -970,6 +970,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "base64",
  "futures-core",
  "mime",
+ "num_cpus",
  "once_cell",
  "rand",
  "serde",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 8f1b70e..cdffe68 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [package]
 name = "pict-rs"
 description = "A simple image hosting service"
-version = "0.3.0-alpha.23"
+version = "0.3.0-alpha.24"
 authors = ["asonix <asonix@asonix.dog>"]
 license = "AGPL-3.0"
 readme = "README.md"
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ awc = { version = "3.0.0-beta.7", default-features = false }
 base64 = "0.13.0"
 futures-core = "0.3.17"
 mime = "0.3.1"
+num_cpus = "1.13"
 once_cell = "1.4.0"
 rand = "0.8.0"
 serde = { version = "1.0", features = ["derive"] }
diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index eee7e05..d73b4cc 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ pub(crate) enum UploadError {
     #[error("Error interacting with filesystem, {0}")]
     Io(#[from] std::io::Error),
 
+    #[error("Failed to acquire the semaphore")]
+    Semaphore,
+
     #[error("Panic in blocking operation")]
     Canceled,
 
@@ -97,6 +100,12 @@ impl From<actix_web::error::BlockingError> for UploadError {
     }
 }
 
+impl From<tokio::sync::AcquireError> for UploadError {
+    fn from(_: tokio::sync::AcquireError) -> Self {
+        UploadError::Semaphore
+    }
+}
+
 impl ResponseError for UploadError {
     fn status_code(&self) -> StatusCode {
         match self {
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index dd55389..3d48de7 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use actix_web::{
 };
 use awc::Client;
 use futures_core::stream::Stream;
-use once_cell::sync::Lazy;
+use once_cell::sync::{Lazy, OnceCell};
 use std::{collections::HashSet, future::ready, path::PathBuf, time::SystemTime};
 use structopt::StructOpt;
 use tokio::io::{AsyncReadExt, AsyncWriteExt};
@@ -59,6 +59,12 @@ static TMP_DIR: Lazy<PathBuf> = Lazy::new(|| {
     path
 });
 static CONFIG: Lazy<Config> = Lazy::new(Config::from_args);
+static PROCESS_SEMAPHORE: OnceCell<tokio::sync::Semaphore> = OnceCell::new();
+
+fn process_semaphore() -> &'static tokio::sync::Semaphore {
+    PROCESS_SEMAPHORE
+        .get_or_init(|| tokio::sync::Semaphore::new(num_cpus::get().saturating_sub(1).max(1)))
+}
 
 // try moving a file
 #[instrument]
@@ -243,7 +249,9 @@ async fn download(
 
     let stream = Box::pin(once(fut));
 
+    let permit = process_semaphore().acquire().await?;
     let alias = manager.upload(stream).await?;
+    drop(permit);
     let delete_token = manager.delete_token(alias.clone()).await?;
 
     let name = manager.from_alias(alias.to_owned()).await?;
@@ -404,6 +412,7 @@ async fn process(
             }
         }
 
+        let permit = process_semaphore().acquire().await?;
         let file = tokio::fs::File::open(original_path.clone()).await?;
 
         let mut processed_reader =
@@ -411,6 +420,8 @@ async fn process(
 
         let mut vec = Vec::new();
         processed_reader.read_to_end(&mut vec).await?;
+        drop(permit);
+
         let bytes = web::Bytes::from(vec);
 
         let details = if let Some(details) = details {
@@ -673,11 +684,15 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), anyhow::Error> {
                     let span = tracing::info_span!("file-upload", ?filename);
                     let entered = span.enter();
 
+                    let permit = process_semaphore().acquire().await?;
+
                     let res = manager.upload(stream).await.map(|alias| {
                         let mut path = PathBuf::new();
                         path.push(alias);
                         Some(path)
                     });
+
+                    drop(permit);
                     drop(entered);
                     res
                 }
@@ -702,6 +717,8 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), anyhow::Error> {
                     let span = tracing::info_span!("file-import", ?filename);
                     let entered = span.enter();
 
+                    let permit = process_semaphore().acquire().await?;
+
                     let res = manager
                         .import(filename, content_type, validate_imports, stream)
                         .await
@@ -710,6 +727,8 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), anyhow::Error> {
                             path.push(alias);
                             Some(path)
                         });
+
+                    drop(permit);
                     drop(entered);
                     res
                 }