diff --git a/src/smpp_gateway/client.py b/src/smpp_gateway/client.py
index ed5d1d2..8dc3e2a 100644
--- a/src/smpp_gateway/client.py
+++ b/src/smpp_gateway/client.py
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ def __init__(
         backend: Backend,
         hc_worker: HealthchecksIoWorker,
         submit_sm_params: dict,
+        mt_messages_per_second: int,
         *args,
         **kwargs,
     ):
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ def __init__(
         self.backend = backend
         self.hc_worker = hc_worker
         self.submit_sm_params = submit_sm_params
+        self.mt_messages_per_second = mt_messages_per_second
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
         self._pg_conn = pg_listen(self.backend.name)
 
@@ -172,7 +174,11 @@ def receive_pg_notify(self):
             self.send_mt_messages()
 
     def send_mt_messages(self):
-        smses = get_mt_messages_to_send(limit=100, backend=self.backend)
+        limit = self.mt_messages_per_second * self.timeout
+        smses = get_mt_messages_to_send(limit=limit, backend=self.backend)
+        if len(smses) == 0:
+            return
+        logger.info(f"Found {len(smses)} messages to send in {self.timeout} seconds")
         submit_sm_resps = []
         for sms in smses:
             params = {**self.submit_sm_params, **sms["params"]}
@@ -222,7 +228,7 @@ def split_and_send_message(self, message, **kwargs):
 
     def listen(self, ignore_error_codes=None, auto_send_enquire_link=True):
         self.logger.info("Entering main listen loop")
-        # Look for and send up to 100 messages on start up
+        # Look for and send messages on start up
         self.send_mt_messages()
         while True:
             # When either main socket has data or _pg_conn has data, select.select will return
@@ -233,7 +239,6 @@ def listen(self, ignore_error_codes=None, auto_send_enquire_link=True):
                 self.logger.debug("Socket timeout, listening again")
                 pdu = smpplib.smpp.make_pdu("enquire_link", client=self)
                 self.send_pdu(pdu)
-                # Look for and send up to 100 messages every 5 seconds
                 self.send_mt_messages()
                 continue
             elif not rlist:
diff --git a/src/smpp_gateway/management/commands/smpp_client.py b/src/smpp_gateway/management/commands/smpp_client.py
index 00c2cfb..e484f69 100644
--- a/src/smpp_gateway/management/commands/smpp_client.py
+++ b/src/smpp_gateway/management/commands/smpp_client.py
@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@ def add_arguments(self, parser):
             "--submit-sm-params",
             default=os.environ.get("SMPPLIB_SUBMIT_SM_PARAMS", r"{}"),
         )
+        parser.add_argument(
+            "--mt-messages-per-second",
+            type=int,
+            default=os.environ.get("SMPPLIB_MT_MESSAGES_PER_SECOND", 20),
+        )
         parser.add_argument(
             "--database-url",
             default=os.environ.get("DATABASE_URL"),
diff --git a/src/smpp_gateway/smpp.py b/src/smpp_gateway/smpp.py
index 5821f9f..44ff4e2 100644
--- a/src/smpp_gateway/smpp.py
+++ b/src/smpp_gateway/smpp.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ def get_smpplib_client(
     notify_mo_channel: str,
     backend: Backend,
     submit_sm_params: dict,
+    mt_messages_per_second: int,
     hc_check_uuid: str,
     hc_ping_key: str,
     hc_check_slug: str,
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ def get_smpplib_client(
         backend,
         hc_worker,
         submit_sm_params,
+        mt_messages_per_second,
         host,
         port,
         allow_unknown_opt_params=True,
@@ -67,6 +69,7 @@ def start_smpp_client(options):
         options["notify_mo_channel"],
         backend,
         json.loads(options["submit_sm_params"]),
+        options["mt_messages_per_second"],
         options["hc_check_uuid"],
         options["hc_ping_key"],
         options["hc_check_slug"],
diff --git a/tests/test_client.py b/tests/test_client.py
index 14aaefa..280ce09 100644
--- a/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/tests/test_client.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ def test_received_mo_message(self):
             "notify_mo_channel",
             backend,
             {},  # submit_sm_params
+            20,  # mt_messages_per_second
             "",  # hc_check_uuid
             "",  # hc_ping_key
             "",  # hc_check_slug
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ def test_received_message_receipt(self):
             "notify_mo_channel",
             backend,
             {},  # submit_sm_params
+            20,  # mt_messages_per_second
             "",  # hc_check_uuid
             "",  # hc_ping_key
             "",  # hc_check_slug
@@ -98,6 +100,7 @@ def test_received_null_short_message(self):
             "notify_mo_channel",
             backend,
             {},  # submit_sm_params
+            20,  # mt_messages_per_second
             "",  # hc_check_uuid
             "",  # hc_ping_key
             "",  # hc_check_slug
@@ -135,6 +138,7 @@ def test_message_sent_handler():
         "notify_mo_channel",
         backend,
         {},  # submit_sm_params
+        20,  # mt_messages_per_second
         "",  # hc_check_uuid
         "",  # hc_ping_key
         "",  # hc_check_slug