diff --git a/doc/node.1 b/doc/node.1
index e1b2f77dd9b307..b2ea38eb59b726 100644
--- a/doc/node.1
+++ b/doc/node.1
@@ -99,6 +99,13 @@ Process v8 profiler output generated using the v8 option \fB\-\-prof\fR
 .BR \-\-v8\-options
 Print v8 command line options.
 
+.TP
+.BR \-\-v8\-pool\-size =\fInum\fR
+Set v8's thread pool size which will be used to allocate background jobs.
+If set to 0 then v8 will choose an appropriate size of the thread pool based
+on the number of online processors. If the value provided is larger than v8's
+max then the largest value will be chosen.
+
 .TP
 .BR \-\-tls\-cipher\-list =\fIlist\fR
 Specify an alternative default TLS cipher list. (Requires Node.js to be built with crypto support. (Default))
@@ -115,7 +122,6 @@ Force FIPS-compliant crypto on startup. (Cannot be disabled from script code.) (
 .BR \-\-icu\-data\-dir =\fIfile\fR
 Specify ICU data load path. (overrides \fBNODE_ICU_DATA\fR)
 
-
 .SH ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
 
 .TP
diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index b5bffa113156df..a3dd6c0bd8e1e9 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -145,6 +145,8 @@ static const char** preload_modules = nullptr;
 static bool use_debug_agent = false;
 static bool debug_wait_connect = false;
 static int debug_port = 5858;
+static const int v8_default_thread_pool_size = 4;
+static int v8_thread_pool_size = v8_default_thread_pool_size;
 static bool prof_process = false;
 static bool v8_is_profiling = false;
 static bool node_is_initialized = false;
@@ -169,7 +171,6 @@ static uv_async_t dispatch_debug_messages_async;
 static node::atomic<Isolate*> node_isolate;
 static v8::Platform* default_platform;
 
-
 static void PrintErrorString(const char* format, ...) {
   va_list ap;
   va_start(ap, format);
@@ -3316,6 +3317,7 @@ static void PrintHelp() {
          "  --zero-fill-buffers   automatically zero-fill all newly allocated\n"
          "                        Buffer and SlowBuffer instances\n"
          "  --v8-options          print v8 command line options\n"
+         "  --v8-pool-size=num    set v8's thread pool size\n"
 #if HAVE_OPENSSL
          "  --tls-cipher-list=val use an alternative default TLS cipher list\n"
 #endif
@@ -3459,6 +3461,8 @@ static void ParseArgs(int* argc,
     } else if (strcmp(arg, "--v8-options") == 0) {
       new_v8_argv[new_v8_argc] = "--help";
       new_v8_argc += 1;
+    } else if (strncmp(arg, "--v8-pool-size=", 15) == 0) {
+      v8_thread_pool_size = atoi(arg + 15);
 #if HAVE_OPENSSL
     } else if (strncmp(arg, "--tls-cipher-list=", 18) == 0) {
       default_cipher_list = arg + 18;
@@ -4266,8 +4270,7 @@ int Start(int argc, char** argv) {
   V8::SetEntropySource(crypto::EntropySource);
 #endif
 
-  const int thread_pool_size = 4;
-  default_platform = v8::platform::CreateDefaultPlatform(thread_pool_size);
+  default_platform = v8::platform::CreateDefaultPlatform(v8_thread_pool_size);
   V8::InitializePlatform(default_platform);
   V8::Initialize();