diff --git a/host_source.go b/host_source.go
index 31132e38f..ea5c5980a 100644
--- a/host_source.go
+++ b/host_source.go
@@ -409,6 +409,11 @@ func (h *HostInfo) IsUp() bool {
 	return h != nil && h.State() == NodeUp
 }
 
+func (h *HostInfo) IsBusy(s *Session) bool {
+	pool, ok := s.pool.getPool(h)
+	return ok && h != nil && pool.Size() >= MAX_IN_FLIGHT_THRESHOLD
+}
+
 func (h *HostInfo) HostnameAndPort() string {
 	h.mu.Lock()
 	defer h.mu.Unlock()
diff --git a/policies.go b/policies.go
index 70ea00164..f679d7ae5 100644
--- a/policies.go
+++ b/policies.go
@@ -391,6 +391,16 @@ func ShuffleReplicas() func(*tokenAwareHostPolicy) {
 	}
 }
 
+// AvoidSlowReplicas enabled avoiding slow replicas
+//
+// TokenAwareHostPolicy normally does not check how busy replica is, with avoidSlowReplicas enabled it avoids replicas
+// if they have equal or more than MAX_IN_FLIGHT_THRESHOLD connections in flight
+func AvoidSlowReplicas() func(policy *tokenAwareHostPolicy) {
+	return func(t *tokenAwareHostPolicy) {
+		t.avoidSlowReplicas = true
+	}
+}
+
 // NonLocalReplicasFallback enables fallback to replicas that are not considered local.
 //
 // TokenAwareHostPolicy used with DCAwareHostPolicy fallback first selects replicas by partition key in local DC, then
@@ -424,6 +434,8 @@ type clusterMeta struct {
 	tokenRing *tokenRing
 }
 
+const MAX_IN_FLIGHT_THRESHOLD int = 10
+
 type tokenAwareHostPolicy struct {
 	fallback            HostSelectionPolicy
 	getKeyspaceMetadata func(keyspace string) (*KeyspaceMetadata, error)
@@ -443,6 +455,8 @@ type tokenAwareHostPolicy struct {
 
 	// Experimental, this interface and use may change
 	tablets cowTabletList
+
+	avoidSlowReplicas bool
 }
 
 func (t *tokenAwareHostPolicy) Init(s *Session) {
@@ -687,6 +701,21 @@ func (t *tokenAwareHostPolicy) Pick(qry ExecutableQuery) NextHost {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if s := qry.GetSession(); s != nil && t.avoidSlowReplicas {
+		healthyReplicas := make([]*HostInfo, 0, len(replicas))
+		unhealthyReplicas := make([]*HostInfo, 0, len(replicas))
+
+		for _, h := range replicas {
+			if h.IsBusy(s) {
+				unhealthyReplicas = append(unhealthyReplicas, h)
+			} else {
+				healthyReplicas = append(healthyReplicas, h)
+			}
+		}
+
+		replicas = append(healthyReplicas, unhealthyReplicas...)
+	}
+
 	var (
 		fallbackIter NextHost
 		i, j, k      int