diff --git a/src/backend/optimizer/path/costsize.c b/src/backend/optimizer/path/costsize.c
index 1e4d404f02..9b189de91d 100644
--- a/src/backend/optimizer/path/costsize.c
+++ b/src/backend/optimizer/path/costsize.c
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ double		cpu_index_tuple_cost = DEFAULT_CPU_INDEX_TUPLE_COST;
 double		cpu_operator_cost = DEFAULT_CPU_OPERATOR_COST;
 double		parallel_tuple_cost = DEFAULT_PARALLEL_TUPLE_COST;
 double		parallel_setup_cost = DEFAULT_PARALLEL_SETUP_COST;
+double		recursive_worktable_estimate = DEFAULT_RECURSIVE_WORKTABLE_ESTIMATE;
 
 int			effective_cache_size = DEFAULT_EFFECTIVE_CACHE_SIZE;
 
@@ -5659,10 +5660,11 @@ set_cte_size_estimates(PlannerInfo *root, RelOptInfo *rel, double cte_rows)
 	if (rte->self_reference)
 	{
 		/*
-		 * In a self-reference, arbitrarily assume the average worktable size
-		 * is about 10 times the nonrecursive term's size.
+		 * Use recursive_worktable_estimate to get average size of worktable,
+		 * across all iterations. This will vary depending upon how bushy the
+		 * data is, so allow the user to set based upon their data.
 		 */
-		rel->tuples = 10 * cte_rows;
+		rel->tuples = recursive_worktable_estimate * cte_rows;
 	}
 	else
 	{
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
index d2ce4a8450..c84643bc0d 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
@@ -3702,6 +3702,19 @@ static struct config_real ConfigureNamesReal[] =
 		NULL, NULL, NULL
 	},
 
+	{
+		{"recursive_worktable_estimate", PGC_USERSET, QUERY_TUNING_OTHER,
+			gettext_noop("Sets the planner's estimate of the size of "
+						 "the recursive_worktable as a multiple of the "
+						 "initial non-recursive query size."),
+			NULL,
+			GUC_EXPLAIN
+		},
+		&recursive_worktable_estimate,
+		DEFAULT_RECURSIVE_WORKTABLE_ESTIMATE, 0.0, 1000000.0,
+		NULL, NULL, NULL
+	},
+
 	{
 		{"geqo_selection_bias", PGC_USERSET, QUERY_TUNING_GEQO,
 			gettext_noop("GEQO: selective pressure within the population."),
diff --git a/src/include/optimizer/cost.h b/src/include/optimizer/cost.h
index 2113bc82de..9af7a6eea3 100644
--- a/src/include/optimizer/cost.h
+++ b/src/include/optimizer/cost.h
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
 #define DEFAULT_PARALLEL_TUPLE_COST 0.1
 #define DEFAULT_PARALLEL_SETUP_COST  1000.0
 
+#define DEFAULT_RECURSIVE_WORKTABLE_ESTIMATE 10.0
+
 #define DEFAULT_EFFECTIVE_CACHE_SIZE  524288	/* measured in pages */
 
 typedef enum
diff --git a/src/include/optimizer/optimizer.h b/src/include/optimizer/optimizer.h
index 41b49b2662..eccac5039f 100644
--- a/src/include/optimizer/optimizer.h
+++ b/src/include/optimizer/optimizer.h
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ extern PGDLLIMPORT double cpu_operator_cost;
 extern PGDLLIMPORT double parallel_tuple_cost;
 extern PGDLLIMPORT double parallel_setup_cost;
 extern PGDLLIMPORT int effective_cache_size;
+extern PGDLLIMPORT double recursive_worktable_estimate;
 
 extern double clamp_row_est(double nrows);