diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/config/ConductorProperties.java b/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/config/ConductorProperties.java
index f07f1485f..7ef41368a 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/config/ConductorProperties.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/config/ConductorProperties.java
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ public class ConductorProperties {
     @DurationUnit(ChronoUnit.SECONDS)
     private Duration workflowOffsetTimeout = Duration.ofSeconds(30);
 
+    /** The maximum timeout duration to set when a workflow is pushed to the decider queue. */
+    @DurationUnit(ChronoUnit.SECONDS)
+    private Duration maxPostponeDurationSeconds = Duration.ofSeconds(3600);
+
     /** The number of threads to use to do background sweep on active workflows. */
     private int sweeperThreadCount = Runtime.getRuntime().availableProcessors() * 2;
 
@@ -251,6 +255,14 @@ public void setWorkflowOffsetTimeout(Duration workflowOffsetTimeout) {
         this.workflowOffsetTimeout = workflowOffsetTimeout;
     }
 
+    public Duration getMaxPostponeDurationSeconds() {
+        return maxPostponeDurationSeconds;
+    }
+
+    public void setMaxPostponeDurationSeconds(Duration maxPostponeDurationSeconds) {
+        this.maxPostponeDurationSeconds = maxPostponeDurationSeconds;
+    }
+
     public int getSweeperThreadCount() {
         return sweeperThreadCount;
     }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/reconciliation/WorkflowSweeper.java b/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/reconciliation/WorkflowSweeper.java
index b39d122f0..9702eadd6 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/reconciliation/WorkflowSweeper.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/reconciliation/WorkflowSweeper.java
@@ -139,8 +139,18 @@ void unack(WorkflowModel workflowModel, long workflowOffsetTimeout) {
                 } else if (taskModel.getTaskType().equals(TaskType.TASK_TYPE_HUMAN)) {
                     postponeDurationSeconds = workflowOffsetTimeout;
                 } else {
-                    postponeDurationSeconds = workflowOffsetTimeout;
+                    postponeDurationSeconds =
+                            (taskModel.getResponseTimeoutSeconds() != 0)
+                                    ? taskModel.getResponseTimeoutSeconds() + 1
+                                    : workflowOffsetTimeout;
                 }
+
+                if (postponeDurationSeconds
+                        > properties.getMaxPostponeDurationSeconds().getSeconds()) {
+                    postponeDurationSeconds =
+                            properties.getMaxPostponeDurationSeconds().getSeconds();
+                }
+
                 break;
             } else if (taskModel.getStatus() == Status.SCHEDULED) {
                 Optional<TaskDef> taskDefinition = taskModel.getTaskDefinition();
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/reconciliation/TestWorkflowSweeper.java b/core/src/test/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/reconciliation/TestWorkflowSweeper.java
index 042735b70..c882ec45f 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/reconciliation/TestWorkflowSweeper.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/com/netflix/conductor/core/reconciliation/TestWorkflowSweeper.java
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ public class TestWorkflowSweeper {
     private ExecutionLockService executionLockService;
 
     private int defaultPostPoneOffSetSeconds = 1800;
+    private int defaulMmaxPostponeDurationSeconds = 2000000;
 
     @Before
     public void setUp() {
@@ -79,6 +80,8 @@ public void testPostponeDurationForHumanTaskType() {
         workflowModel.setTasks(List.of(taskModel));
         when(properties.getWorkflowOffsetTimeout())
                 .thenReturn(Duration.ofSeconds(defaultPostPoneOffSetSeconds));
+        when(properties.getMaxPostponeDurationSeconds())
+                .thenReturn(Duration.ofSeconds(defaulMmaxPostponeDurationSeconds));
         workflowSweeper.unack(workflowModel, defaultPostPoneOffSetSeconds);
         verify(queueDAO)
                 .setUnackTimeout(
@@ -98,6 +101,8 @@ public void testPostponeDurationForWaitTaskType() {
         workflowModel.setTasks(List.of(taskModel));
         when(properties.getWorkflowOffsetTimeout())
                 .thenReturn(Duration.ofSeconds(defaultPostPoneOffSetSeconds));
+        when(properties.getMaxPostponeDurationSeconds())
+                .thenReturn(Duration.ofSeconds(defaulMmaxPostponeDurationSeconds));
         workflowSweeper.unack(workflowModel, defaultPostPoneOffSetSeconds);
         verify(queueDAO)
                 .setUnackTimeout(
@@ -119,6 +124,8 @@ public void testPostponeDurationForWaitTaskTypeWithLongWaitTime() {
         workflowModel.setTasks(List.of(taskModel));
         when(properties.getWorkflowOffsetTimeout())
                 .thenReturn(Duration.ofSeconds(defaultPostPoneOffSetSeconds));
+        when(properties.getMaxPostponeDurationSeconds())
+                .thenReturn(Duration.ofSeconds(defaulMmaxPostponeDurationSeconds));
         workflowSweeper.unack(workflowModel, defaultPostPoneOffSetSeconds);
         verify(queueDAO)
                 .setUnackTimeout(
@@ -174,6 +181,8 @@ public void testPostponeDurationForTaskInProgress() {
         workflowModel.setTasks(List.of(taskModel));
         when(properties.getWorkflowOffsetTimeout())
                 .thenReturn(Duration.ofSeconds(defaultPostPoneOffSetSeconds));
+        when(properties.getMaxPostponeDurationSeconds())
+                .thenReturn(Duration.ofSeconds(defaulMmaxPostponeDurationSeconds));
         workflowSweeper.unack(workflowModel, defaultPostPoneOffSetSeconds);
         verify(queueDAO)
                 .setUnackTimeout(
@@ -196,11 +205,33 @@ public void testPostponeDurationForTaskInProgressWithResponseTimeoutSet() {
         when(properties.getWorkflowOffsetTimeout())
                 .thenReturn(Duration.ofSeconds(defaultPostPoneOffSetSeconds));
         workflowSweeper.unack(workflowModel, defaultPostPoneOffSetSeconds);
+        verify(queueDAO)
+                .setUnackTimeout(
+                        DECIDER_QUEUE, workflowModel.getWorkflowId(), (responseTimeout + 1) * 1000);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void
+            testPostponeDurationForTaskInProgressWithResponseTimeoutSetLongerThanMaxPostponeDuration() {
+        long responseTimeout = defaulMmaxPostponeDurationSeconds + 1;
+        WorkflowModel workflowModel = new WorkflowModel();
+        workflowModel.setWorkflowId("1");
+        TaskModel taskModel = new TaskModel();
+        taskModel.setTaskId("task1");
+        taskModel.setTaskType(TaskType.TASK_TYPE_SIMPLE);
+        taskModel.setStatus(Status.IN_PROGRESS);
+        taskModel.setResponseTimeoutSeconds(responseTimeout);
+        workflowModel.setTasks(List.of(taskModel));
+        when(properties.getWorkflowOffsetTimeout())
+                .thenReturn(Duration.ofSeconds(defaultPostPoneOffSetSeconds));
+        when(properties.getMaxPostponeDurationSeconds())
+                .thenReturn(Duration.ofSeconds(defaulMmaxPostponeDurationSeconds));
+        workflowSweeper.unack(workflowModel, defaultPostPoneOffSetSeconds);
         verify(queueDAO)
                 .setUnackTimeout(
                         DECIDER_QUEUE,
                         workflowModel.getWorkflowId(),
-                        defaultPostPoneOffSetSeconds * 1000);
+                        defaulMmaxPostponeDurationSeconds * 1000L);
     }
 
     @Test