diff --git a/src/common/task_queue.cpp b/src/common/task_queue.cpp
index 82294fd39..ab771f65d 100644
--- a/src/common/task_queue.cpp
+++ b/src/common/task_queue.cpp
@@ -4,15 +4,19 @@
 #include "task_queue.h"
 #include "assert.h"
 
+#include "common/log.h"
+
+LOG_CHANNEL(Threading);
+
 TaskQueue::TaskQueue() = default;
 
 TaskQueue::~TaskQueue()
 {
-  SetWorkerCount(0);
+  SetWorkerCount(0, 0);
   Assert(m_tasks.empty());
 }
 
-void TaskQueue::SetWorkerCount(u32 count)
+void TaskQueue::SetWorkerCount(u16 count, u16 max_threads)
 {
   std::unique_lock lock(m_mutex);
 
@@ -38,6 +42,8 @@ void TaskQueue::SetWorkerCount(u32 count)
     for (u32 i = 0; i < count; i++)
       m_threads.emplace_back(&TaskQueue::WorkerThreadEntryPoint, this);
   }
+
+  m_max_threads = max_threads;
 }
 
 size_t TaskQueue::GetOutstandingTasks()
@@ -50,7 +56,7 @@ void TaskQueue::SubmitTask(TaskFunctionType func)
 {
   std::unique_lock lock(m_mutex);
 
-  if (m_threads.empty()) [[unlikely]]
+  if (m_max_threads == 0) [[unlikely]]
   {
     lock.unlock();
     func();
@@ -59,6 +65,14 @@ void TaskQueue::SubmitTask(TaskFunctionType func)
 
   m_tasks.push_back(std::move(func));
   m_tasks_outstanding++;
+
+  // If we're under pressure and all threads are busy, spin up another one.
+  if (m_threads_busy == m_threads.size() && m_threads.size() < m_max_threads)
+  {
+    m_threads.emplace_back(&TaskQueue::WorkerThreadEntryPoint, this);
+    DEV_LOG("Spawning TaskQueue worker thread, now {} threads", m_threads.size());
+  }
+
   m_task_wait_cv.notify_one();
 }
 
@@ -96,9 +110,12 @@ void TaskQueue::ExecuteOneTask(std::unique_lock<std::mutex>& lock)
 {
   TaskFunctionType func = std::move(m_tasks.front());
   m_tasks.pop_front();
+  m_threads_busy++;
   lock.unlock();
   func();
   lock.lock();
+  DebugAssert(m_threads_busy > 0);
+  m_threads_busy--;
   m_tasks_outstanding--;
   if (m_tasks_outstanding == 0)
     m_tasks_done_cv.notify_all();
diff --git a/src/common/task_queue.h b/src/common/task_queue.h
index fa5762fc3..ff112d43a 100644
--- a/src/common/task_queue.h
+++ b/src/common/task_queue.h
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ public:
   /// Sets the number of worker threads to be used by the task queue.
   /// Setting this to zero threads completes tasks on the calling thread.
   /// @param count The desired number of worker threads.
-  void SetWorkerCount(u32 count);
+  /// @param max_threads The maximum number of worker threads.
+  void SetWorkerCount(u16 count, u16 max_threads);
 
   /// Returns the number of tasks remaining.
   size_t GetOutstandingTasks();
@@ -59,8 +60,10 @@ private:
   std::mutex m_mutex;
   std::deque<TaskFunctionType> m_tasks;
   size_t m_tasks_outstanding = 0;
+  u32 m_threads_busy = 0;
+  u16 m_max_threads = 0;
+  bool m_threads_done = false;
   std::condition_variable m_task_wait_cv;
   std::condition_variable m_tasks_done_cv;
   std::vector<std::thread> m_threads;
-  bool m_threads_done = false;
 };
diff --git a/src/core/core.cpp b/src/core/core.cpp
index ed4248e9f..6836a06d9 100644
--- a/src/core/core.cpp
+++ b/src/core/core.cpp
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ LOG_CHANNEL(Core);
 
 namespace Core {
 
-/// Use two async worker threads, should be enough for most tasks.
-static constexpr u32 NUM_ASYNC_WORKER_THREADS = 2;
+/// Worker threads are dynamically allocated, maximum 8.
+static constexpr u32 MAX_ASYNC_WORKER_THREADS = 8;
 
 static bool SetAppRootAndResources(Error* error);
 static bool SetDataRoot(Error* error);
@@ -738,7 +738,7 @@ bool Core::CoreThreadInitialize(bool disable_worker_threads, Error* error)
   s_locals.core_thread_handle = Threading::ThreadHandle::GetForCallingThread();
 
   if (!disable_worker_threads)
-    s_locals.async_task_queue.SetWorkerCount(NUM_ASYNC_WORKER_THREADS);
+    s_locals.async_task_queue.SetWorkerCount(0, MAX_ASYNC_WORKER_THREADS);
 
   System::LoadSettings(false);
 
@@ -758,7 +758,7 @@ bool Core::CoreThreadInitialize(bool disable_worker_threads, Error* error)
 
 void Core::CoreThreadShutdown()
 {
-  s_locals.async_task_queue.SetWorkerCount(0);
+  s_locals.async_task_queue.SetWorkerCount(0, 0);
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_DISCORD_PRESENCE
   DiscordPresence::Shutdown();