diff --git a/lib/dynamo-backup.js b/lib/dynamo-backup.js
index a81e469..160664f 100644
--- a/lib/dynamo-backup.js
+++ b/lib/dynamo-backup.js
@@ -159,38 +159,59 @@ DynamoBackup.prototype._copyTable = function (tableName, itemsReceived, callback
             return callback(err);
         }
 
-        var readPercentage = self.readPercentage;
-        var limit = Math.max((data.Table.ProvisionedThroughput.ReadCapacityUnits * readPercentage) | 0, 1);
+        const Table = data.Table;
+        var maxCapacityUnits = Math.max(Math.floor(Table.ProvisionedThroughput.ReadCapacityUnits * self.readPercentage), 1);
+        var averageItemSize = Table.TableSizeBytes / Table.ItemCount;
 
-        self._streamItems(tableName, null, limit, itemsReceived, callback);
+        self._streamItems(tableName, null, 0, maxCapacityUnits, averageItemSize, itemsReceived, callback);
     });
 };
 
-DynamoBackup.prototype._streamItems = function fetchItems(tableName, startKey, limit, itemsReceived, callback) {
+DynamoBackup.prototype._streamItems = function fetchItems(tableName, startKey, remainingCapacityUnits, maxCapacityUnits, averageItemSize, itemsReceived, callback) {
     var self = this;
     var ddb = new AWS.DynamoDB();
-    var params = {
-        Limit: limit,
-        ReturnConsumedCapacity: 'NONE',
-        TableName: tableName
-    };
-    if (startKey) {
-        params.ExclusiveStartKey = startKey;
-    }
-    ddb.scan(params, function (err, data) {
-        if (err) {
-            return callback(err);
-        }
+    var startOfSecond = new Date().getTime();
+    
+    var usableCapacity = maxCapacityUnits + remainingCapacityUnits;
+    if (usableCapacity > 0) {
+        var limit = Math.max(Math.floor(((8 * 1024) / averageItemSize) * usableCapacity), 1);
+        var params = {
+            Limit: limit,
+            ReturnConsumedCapacity: 'TOTAL',
+            TableName: tableName
+        };
 
-        if (data.Items.length > 0) {
-            itemsReceived(data.Items);
+        if (startKey) {
+            params.ExclusiveStartKey = startKey;
         }
 
-        if (!data.LastEvaluatedKey || _.keys(data.LastEvaluatedKey).length === 0) {
-            return callback();
-        }
-        self._streamItems(tableName, data.LastEvaluatedKey, limit, itemsReceived, callback);
-    });
+        ddb.scan(params, function (error, data) {
+            if (error) {
+                callback(error);
+                return;
+            }
+
+            if (data.Items.length > 0) {
+                itemsReceived(data.Items);
+            }
+
+            if (!data.LastEvaluatedKey || _.keys(data.LastEvaluatedKey).length === 0) {
+                callback();
+                return;
+            }
+
+            var nextRemainingCapacity = usableCapacity - data.ConsumedCapacity.CapacityUnits;
+            var timeout = Math.max(1000 - (new Date().getTime() - startOfSecond), 0);
+            setTimeout(function () {
+                self._streamItems(tableName, data.LastEvaluatedKey, nextRemainingCapacity, maxCapacityUnits, averageItemSize, itemsReceived, callback);
+            }, timeout);
+        });
+    } else {
+        // Wait until we have capacity again
+        setTimeout(() => {
+            self._streamItems(tableName, startKey, usableCapacity, maxCapacityUnits, averageItemSize, itemsReceived, callback);
+        }, 1000);
+    }
 };
 
 DynamoBackup.prototype._fetchTables = function (lastTable, tables, callback) {
@@ -259,4 +280,4 @@ DynamoBackup.prototype._getDataPipelineAttributeValueKey = function (type) {
     }
 };
 
-module.exports = DynamoBackup;
\ No newline at end of file
+module.exports = DynamoBackup;