diff --git a/include/LightGBM/bin.h b/include/LightGBM/bin.h
index ec330bd94f8c..71b60c493504 100644
--- a/include/LightGBM/bin.h
+++ b/include/LightGBM/bin.h
@@ -261,8 +261,9 @@ class Bin {
   /*!
   * \brief Initialize for pushing.  By default, no action needed.
   * \param num_thread The number of external threads that will be calling the push APIs
+  * \param omp_max_threads The maximum number of OpenMP threads to allocate for
   */
-  virtual void InitStreaming(uint32_t /*num_thread*/) { }
+  virtual void InitStreaming(uint32_t /*num_thread*/, int32_t /*omp_max_threads*/) { }
   /*!
   * \brief Push one record
   * \param tid Thread id
diff --git a/include/LightGBM/c_api.h b/include/LightGBM/c_api.h
index 7bde951b65e4..27fb0b620a07 100644
--- a/include/LightGBM/c_api.h
+++ b/include/LightGBM/c_api.h
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ LIGHTGBM_C_EXPORT int LGBM_DatasetCreateByReference(const DatasetHandle referenc
  * \param has_queries Whether the dataset has Metadata queries/groups
  * \param nclasses Number of initial score classes
  * \param nthreads Number of external threads that will use the PushRows APIs
+ * \param omp_max_threads Maximum number of OpenMP threads (-1 for default)
  * \return 0 when succeed, -1 when failure happens
  */
 LIGHTGBM_C_EXPORT int LGBM_DatasetInitStreaming(DatasetHandle dataset,
@@ -160,7 +161,8 @@ LIGHTGBM_C_EXPORT int LGBM_DatasetInitStreaming(DatasetHandle dataset,
                                                 int32_t has_init_scores,
                                                 int32_t has_queries,
                                                 int32_t nclasses,
-                                                int32_t nthreads);
+                                                int32_t nthreads,
+                                                int32_t omp_max_threads);
 
 /*!
  * \brief Push data to existing dataset, if ``nrow + start_row == num_total_row``, will call ``dataset->FinishLoad``.
diff --git a/include/LightGBM/dataset.h b/include/LightGBM/dataset.h
index c60aaf037c71..74e3e9c1dad4 100644
--- a/include/LightGBM/dataset.h
+++ b/include/LightGBM/dataset.h
@@ -458,10 +458,18 @@ class Dataset {
                                      int32_t has_init_scores,
                                      int32_t has_queries,
                                      int32_t nclasses,
-                                     int32_t nthreads) {
+                                     int32_t nthreads,
+                                     int32_t omp_max_threads) {
+    // Initialize optional max thread count with either parameter or OMP setting
+    if (omp_max_threads > 0) {
+      omp_max_threads_ = omp_max_threads;
+    } else if (omp_max_threads_ <= 0) {
+      omp_max_threads_ = OMP_NUM_THREADS();
+    }
+
     metadata_.Init(num_data, has_weights, has_init_scores, has_queries, nclasses);
     for (int i = 0; i < num_groups_; ++i) {
-      feature_groups_[i]->InitStreaming(nthreads);
+      feature_groups_[i]->InitStreaming(nthreads, omp_max_threads_);
     }
   }
 
@@ -846,6 +854,9 @@ class Dataset {
   /*! \brief Get whether FinishLoad is automatically called when pushing last row. */
   inline bool wait_for_manual_finish() const { return wait_for_manual_finish_; }
 
+  /*! \brief Get the maximum number of OpenMP threads to allocate for. */
+  inline int omp_max_threads() const { return omp_max_threads_; }
+
   /*! \brief Set whether the Dataset is finished automatically when last row is pushed or with a manual
    *         MarkFinished API call.  Set to true for thread-safe streaming and/or if will be coalesced later.
    *         FinishLoad should not be called on any Dataset that will be coalesced.
@@ -947,6 +958,7 @@ class Dataset {
   std::vector<int> feature_need_push_zeros_;
   std::vector<std::vector<float>> raw_data_;
   bool wait_for_manual_finish_;
+  int omp_max_threads_ = -1;
   bool has_raw_;
   /*! map feature (inner index) to its index in the list of numeric (non-categorical) features */
   std::vector<int> numeric_feature_map_;
diff --git a/include/LightGBM/feature_group.h b/include/LightGBM/feature_group.h
index 72d9fcac08dc..0ddfd857bce1 100644
--- a/include/LightGBM/feature_group.h
+++ b/include/LightGBM/feature_group.h
@@ -192,14 +192,15 @@ class FeatureGroup {
   /*!
   * \brief Initialize for pushing in a streaming fashion.  By default, no action needed.
   * \param num_thread The number of external threads that will be calling the push APIs
+  * \param omp_max_threads The maximum number of OpenMP threads to allocate for
   */
-  void InitStreaming(int32_t num_thread) {
+  void InitStreaming(int32_t num_thread, int32_t omp_max_threads) {
     if (is_multi_val_) {
       for (int i = 0; i < num_feature_; ++i) {
-        multi_bin_data_[i]->InitStreaming(num_thread);
+        multi_bin_data_[i]->InitStreaming(num_thread, omp_max_threads);
       }
     } else {
-      bin_data_->InitStreaming(num_thread);
+      bin_data_->InitStreaming(num_thread, omp_max_threads);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/c_api.cpp b/src/c_api.cpp
index 20633273134e..004a1f230c74 100644
--- a/src/c_api.cpp
+++ b/src/c_api.cpp
@@ -1018,11 +1018,12 @@ int LGBM_DatasetInitStreaming(DatasetHandle dataset,
                               int32_t has_init_scores,
                               int32_t has_queries,
                               int32_t nclasses,
-                              int32_t nthreads) {
+                              int32_t nthreads,
+                              int32_t omp_max_threads) {
   API_BEGIN();
   auto p_dataset = reinterpret_cast<Dataset*>(dataset);
   auto num_data = p_dataset->num_data();
-  p_dataset->InitStreaming(num_data, has_weights, has_init_scores, has_queries, nclasses, nthreads);
+  p_dataset->InitStreaming(num_data, has_weights, has_init_scores, has_queries, nclasses, nthreads, omp_max_threads);
   p_dataset->set_wait_for_manual_finish(true);
   API_END();
 }
@@ -1073,19 +1074,20 @@ int LGBM_DatasetPushRowsWithMetadata(DatasetHandle dataset,
   if (!data) {
     Log::Fatal("data cannot be null.");
   }
-  const int num_omp_threads = OMP_NUM_THREADS();
   auto p_dataset = reinterpret_cast<Dataset*>(dataset);
   auto get_row_fun = RowFunctionFromDenseMatric(data, nrow, ncol, data_type, 1);
   if (p_dataset->has_raw()) {
     p_dataset->ResizeRaw(p_dataset->num_numeric_features() + nrow);
   }
 
+  const int max_omp_threads = p_dataset->omp_max_threads() > 0 ? p_dataset->omp_max_threads() : OMP_NUM_THREADS();
+
   OMP_INIT_EX();
 #pragma omp parallel for schedule(static)
   for (int i = 0; i < nrow; ++i) {
     OMP_LOOP_EX_BEGIN();
     // convert internal thread id to be unique based on external thread id
-    const int internal_tid = omp_get_thread_num() + (num_omp_threads * tid);
+    const int internal_tid = omp_get_thread_num() + (max_omp_threads * tid);
     auto one_row = get_row_fun(i);
     p_dataset->PushOneRow(internal_tid, start_row + i, one_row);
     OMP_LOOP_EX_END();
@@ -1154,19 +1156,21 @@ int LGBM_DatasetPushRowsByCSRWithMetadata(DatasetHandle dataset,
   if (!data) {
     Log::Fatal("data cannot be null.");
   }
-  const int num_omp_threads = OMP_NUM_THREADS();
   auto p_dataset = reinterpret_cast<Dataset*>(dataset);
   auto get_row_fun = RowFunctionFromCSR<int>(indptr, indptr_type, indices, data, data_type, nindptr, nelem);
   int32_t nrow = static_cast<int32_t>(nindptr - 1);
   if (p_dataset->has_raw()) {
     p_dataset->ResizeRaw(p_dataset->num_numeric_features() + nrow);
   }
+
+  const int max_omp_threads = p_dataset->omp_max_threads() > 0 ? p_dataset->omp_max_threads() : OMP_NUM_THREADS();
+
   OMP_INIT_EX();
 #pragma omp parallel for schedule(static)
   for (int i = 0; i < nrow; ++i) {
     OMP_LOOP_EX_BEGIN();
     // convert internal thread id to be unique based on external thread id
-    const int internal_tid = omp_get_thread_num() + (num_omp_threads * tid);
+    const int internal_tid = omp_get_thread_num() + (max_omp_threads * tid);
     auto one_row = get_row_fun(i);
     p_dataset->PushOneRow(internal_tid, static_cast<data_size_t>(start_row + i), one_row);
     OMP_LOOP_EX_END();
diff --git a/src/io/sparse_bin.hpp b/src/io/sparse_bin.hpp
index 24931fd4eff0..79ebb25d08dd 100644
--- a/src/io/sparse_bin.hpp
+++ b/src/io/sparse_bin.hpp
@@ -81,10 +81,10 @@ class SparseBin : public Bin {
 
   ~SparseBin() {}
 
-  void InitStreaming(uint32_t num_thread) override {
-    // Each thread needs its own push buffer, so allocate external num_thread times the number of OMP threads
-    int num_omp_threads = OMP_NUM_THREADS();
-    push_buffers_.resize(num_omp_threads * num_thread);
+  void InitStreaming(uint32_t num_thread, int32_t omp_max_threads) override {
+    // Each external thread needs its own set of OpenMP push buffers,
+    // so allocate num_thread times the maximum number of OMP threads per external thread
+    push_buffers_.resize(omp_max_threads * num_thread);
   };
 
   void ReSize(data_size_t num_data) override { num_data_ = num_data; }
diff --git a/tests/cpp_tests/test_stream.cpp b/tests/cpp_tests/test_stream.cpp
index e8bcc7a76a22..bc5f73b0a3ee 100644
--- a/tests/cpp_tests/test_stream.cpp
+++ b/tests/cpp_tests/test_stream.cpp
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ void test_stream_dense(
           &dataset_handle);
         EXPECT_EQ(0, result) << "LGBM_DatasetCreateFromSampledColumn result code: " << result;
 
-        result = LGBM_DatasetInitStreaming(dataset_handle, has_weights, has_init_scores, has_queries, nclasses, 1);
+        result = LGBM_DatasetInitStreaming(dataset_handle, has_weights, has_init_scores, has_queries, nclasses, 1, -1);
         EXPECT_EQ(0, result) << "LGBM_DatasetInitStreaming result code: " << result;
         break;
       }
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ void test_stream_sparse(
         EXPECT_EQ(0, result) << "LGBM_DatasetCreateFromSampledColumn result code: " << result;
 
         dataset = static_cast<Dataset*>(dataset_handle);
-        dataset->InitStreaming(nrows, has_weights, has_init_scores, has_queries, nclasses, 2);
+        dataset->InitStreaming(nrows, has_weights, has_init_scores, has_queries, nclasses, 2, -1);
         break;
       }