diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/ThreadPoolMergeExecutorService.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/ThreadPoolMergeExecutorService.java
index 7c78698ac6f66..7e41fffdd5357 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/ThreadPoolMergeExecutorService.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/ThreadPoolMergeExecutorService.java
@@ -87,8 +87,10 @@ public class ThreadPoolMergeExecutorService {
     private ThreadPoolMergeExecutorService(ThreadPool threadPool) {
         this.executorService = threadPool.executor(ThreadPool.Names.MERGE);
         this.maxConcurrentMerges = threadPool.info(ThreadPool.Names.MERGE).getMax();
-        this.concurrentMergesFloorLimitForThrottling = maxConcurrentMerges * 2;
-        this.concurrentMergesCeilLimitForThrottling = maxConcurrentMerges * 4;
+        // the intent here is to throttle down whenever we submit a task and no other task is running
+        this.concurrentMergesFloorLimitForThrottling = 2;
+        this.concurrentMergesCeilLimitForThrottling = maxConcurrentMerges * 2;
+        assert concurrentMergesFloorLimitForThrottling <= concurrentMergesCeilLimitForThrottling;
     }
 
     boolean submitMergeTask(MergeTask mergeTask) {
@@ -230,10 +232,10 @@ private static long newTargetIORateBytesPerSec(
             );
         } else if (currentlySubmittedIOThrottledMergeTasks > concurrentMergesCeilLimitForThrottling
             && currentTargetIORateBytesPerSec < MAX_IO_RATE.getBytes()) {
-                // increase target IO rate by 10% (capped)
+                // increase target IO rate by 20% (capped)
                 newTargetIORateBytesPerSec = Math.min(
                     MAX_IO_RATE.getBytes(),
-                    currentTargetIORateBytesPerSec + currentTargetIORateBytesPerSec / 10L
+                    currentTargetIORateBytesPerSec + currentTargetIORateBytesPerSec / 5L
                 );
             } else {
                 newTargetIORateBytesPerSec = currentTargetIORateBytesPerSec;
@@ -295,14 +297,4 @@ long getTargetIORateBytesPerSec() {
     int getMaxConcurrentMerges() {
         return maxConcurrentMerges;
     }
-
-    // exposed for tests
-    int getConcurrentMergesFloorLimitForThrottling() {
-        return concurrentMergesFloorLimitForThrottling;
-    }
-
-    // exposed for tests
-    int getConcurrentMergesCeilLimitForThrottling() {
-        return concurrentMergesCeilLimitForThrottling;
-    }
 }
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/ThreadPoolMergeExecutorServiceTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/ThreadPoolMergeExecutorServiceTests.java
index 0a99c5002d5ad..8ce1645148337 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/ThreadPoolMergeExecutorServiceTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/ThreadPoolMergeExecutorServiceTests.java
@@ -219,18 +219,16 @@ public void testTargetIORateChangesWhenSubmittingMergeTasks() throws Exception {
                     }
                     long newIORate = threadPoolMergeExecutorService.getTargetIORateBytesPerSec();
                     if (supportsIOThrottling) {
-                        if (submittedIOThrottledMergeTasks.get() < threadPoolMergeExecutorService
-                            .getConcurrentMergesFloorLimitForThrottling()) {
-                            // assert the IO rate decreases, with a floor limit, when there are few merge tasks enqueued
+                        if (submittedIOThrottledMergeTasks.get() < 2) {
+                            // assert the IO rate decreases, with a floor limit, when there is just a single merge task running
                             assertThat(newIORate, either(is(MIN_IO_RATE.getBytes())).or(lessThan(currentIORate)));
-                        } else if (submittedIOThrottledMergeTasks.get() > threadPoolMergeExecutorService
-                            .getConcurrentMergesCeilLimitForThrottling()) {
-                                // assert the IO rate increases, with a ceiling limit, when there are many merge tasks enqueued
-                                assertThat(newIORate, either(is(MAX_IO_RATE.getBytes())).or(greaterThan(currentIORate)));
-                            } else {
-                                // assert the IO rate does NOT change when there are a couple of merge tasks enqueued
-                                assertThat(newIORate, equalTo(currentIORate));
-                            }
+                        } else if (submittedIOThrottledMergeTasks.get() > threadPoolMergeExecutorService.getMaxConcurrentMerges() * 2) {
+                            // assert the IO rate increases, with a ceiling limit, when there are many merge tasks enqueued
+                            assertThat(newIORate, either(is(MAX_IO_RATE.getBytes())).or(greaterThan(currentIORate)));
+                        } else {
+                            // assert the IO rate does NOT change when there are a couple of merge tasks enqueued
+                            assertThat(newIORate, equalTo(currentIORate));
+                        }
                     } else {
                         // assert the IO rate does not change, when the merge task doesn't support IO throttling
                         assertThat(newIORate, equalTo(currentIORate));
@@ -375,17 +373,16 @@ private void testIORateAdjustedForSubmittedTasks(
                 initialTasksCounter--;
                 threadPoolMergeExecutorService.submitMergeTask(mergeTask);
                 long newTargetIORateLimit = threadPoolMergeExecutorService.getTargetIORateBytesPerSec();
-                if (currentlySubmittedMergeTaskCount.get() < threadPoolMergeExecutorService.getConcurrentMergesFloorLimitForThrottling()) {
+                if (currentlySubmittedMergeTaskCount.get() < 2) {
                     // assert the IO rate decreases, with a floor limit, when there are few merge tasks enqueued
                     assertThat(newTargetIORateLimit, either(is(MIN_IO_RATE.getBytes())).or(lessThan(targetIORateLimit.get())));
-                } else if (currentlySubmittedMergeTaskCount.get() > threadPoolMergeExecutorService
-                    .getConcurrentMergesCeilLimitForThrottling()) {
-                        // assert the IO rate increases, with a ceiling limit, when there are many merge tasks enqueued
-                        assertThat(newTargetIORateLimit, either(is(MAX_IO_RATE.getBytes())).or(greaterThan(targetIORateLimit.get())));
-                    } else {
-                        // assert the IO rate does change, when there are a couple of merge tasks enqueued
-                        assertThat(newTargetIORateLimit, equalTo(targetIORateLimit.get()));
-                    }
+                } else if (currentlySubmittedMergeTaskCount.get() > threadPoolMergeExecutorService.getMaxConcurrentMerges() * 2) {
+                    // assert the IO rate increases, with a ceiling limit, when there are many merge tasks enqueued
+                    assertThat(newTargetIORateLimit, either(is(MAX_IO_RATE.getBytes())).or(greaterThan(targetIORateLimit.get())));
+                } else {
+                    // assert the IO rate does not change, when there are a couple of merge tasks enqueued
+                    assertThat(newTargetIORateLimit, equalTo(targetIORateLimit.get()));
+                }
                 targetIORateLimit.set(newTargetIORateLimit);
             } else {
                 // execute already submitted merge task