diff --git a/docker/vttestserver/Dockerfile.mysql57 b/docker/vttestserver/Dockerfile.mysql57
index 1f80ab96564..20b25c8ae09 100644
--- a/docker/vttestserver/Dockerfile.mysql57
+++ b/docker/vttestserver/Dockerfile.mysql57
@@ -57,6 +57,5 @@ USER vitess
 
 COPY docker/vttestserver/setup_vschema_folder.sh /vt/setup_vschema_folder.sh
 COPY docker/vttestserver/run.sh /vt/run.sh
-RUN bash -c 'echo "max_connections = 1000"' >> /vt/config/mycnf/default-fast.cnf
 
 CMD /vt/run.sh "5.7.9-vitess"
diff --git a/docker/vttestserver/Dockerfile.mysql80 b/docker/vttestserver/Dockerfile.mysql80
index 9061333db31..10c68e24e2b 100644
--- a/docker/vttestserver/Dockerfile.mysql80
+++ b/docker/vttestserver/Dockerfile.mysql80
@@ -57,6 +57,5 @@ USER vitess
 
 COPY docker/vttestserver/setup_vschema_folder.sh /vt/setup_vschema_folder.sh
 COPY docker/vttestserver/run.sh /vt/run.sh
-RUN bash -c 'echo "max_connections = 1000"' >> /vt/config/mycnf/default-fast.cnf
 
 CMD /vt/run.sh "8.0.21-vitess"
diff --git a/docker/vttestserver/run.sh b/docker/vttestserver/run.sh
index cba6e189908..7df15ad1ddf 100755
--- a/docker/vttestserver/run.sh
+++ b/docker/vttestserver/run.sh
@@ -16,6 +16,14 @@
 
 # Setup the Vschema Folder
 /vt/setup_vschema_folder.sh "$KEYSPACES" "$NUM_SHARDS"
+
+# Set the maximum connections in the cnf file
+# use 1000 as the default if it is unspecified
+if [[ -z $MYSQL_MAX_CONNECTIONS ]]; then
+  MYSQL_MAX_CONNECTIONS=1000
+fi
+echo "max_connections = $MYSQL_MAX_CONNECTIONS" >> /vt/config/mycnf/default-fast.cnf
+
 # Run the vttestserver binary
 /vt/bin/vttestserver \
 	-port "$PORT" \