diff --git a/tez-plugins/tez-aux-services/src/main/java/org/apache/tez/auxservices/ShuffleHandler.java b/tez-plugins/tez-aux-services/src/main/java/org/apache/tez/auxservices/ShuffleHandler.java
index 3262c7c342..c6657750f4 100644
--- a/tez-plugins/tez-aux-services/src/main/java/org/apache/tez/auxservices/ShuffleHandler.java
+++ b/tez-plugins/tez-aux-services/src/main/java/org/apache/tez/auxservices/ShuffleHandler.java
@@ -531,7 +531,7 @@ protected void serviceInit(Configuration conf) throws Exception {
 
     final String BOSS_THREAD_NAME_PREFIX = "Tez Shuffle Handler Boss #";
     AtomicInteger bossThreadCounter = new AtomicInteger(0);
-    bossGroup = new NioEventLoopGroup(maxShuffleThreads, new ThreadFactory() {
+    bossGroup = new NioEventLoopGroup(1, new ThreadFactory() {
       @Override
       public Thread newThread(Runnable r) {
         return new Thread(r, BOSS_THREAD_NAME_PREFIX + bossThreadCounter.incrementAndGet());