diff --git a/Detectors/CTF/README.md b/Detectors/CTF/README.md
index 48fa78c896a86..e1e65060db523 100644
--- a/Detectors/CTF/README.md
+++ b/Detectors/CTF/README.md
@@ -100,6 +100,11 @@ comma-separated list of detectors to skip
 ```
 max CTFs to process (<= 0 : infinite)
 
+```
+--max-tf-per-file arg (=-1)
+```
+max TFs to process from every CTF file (<= 0 : infinite)
+
 ```
 --loop arg (=0)
 ```
diff --git a/Detectors/CTF/workflow/include/CTFWorkflow/CTFReaderSpec.h b/Detectors/CTF/workflow/include/CTFWorkflow/CTFReaderSpec.h
index 501541f25cf27..997572e0371b2 100644
--- a/Detectors/CTF/workflow/include/CTFWorkflow/CTFReaderSpec.h
+++ b/Detectors/CTF/workflow/include/CTFWorkflow/CTFReaderSpec.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ struct CTFReaderInp {
   int64_t delay_us = 0;
   int maxLoops = 0;
   int maxTFs = -1;
+  int maxTFsPerFile = -1;
   unsigned int subspec = 0;
   unsigned int decSSpecEMC = 0;
   int tfRateLimit = -999;
diff --git a/Detectors/CTF/workflow/src/CTFReaderSpec.cxx b/Detectors/CTF/workflow/src/CTFReaderSpec.cxx
index 681547f9a814c..9b16e65c3a2b7 100644
--- a/Detectors/CTF/workflow/src/CTFReaderSpec.cxx
+++ b/Detectors/CTF/workflow/src/CTFReaderSpec.cxx
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ bool CTFReaderSpec::processTF(ProcessingContext& pc)
 void CTFReaderSpec::checkTreeEntries()
 {
   // check if the tree has entries left, if needed, close current tree/file
-  if (++mCurrTreeEntry >= mCTFTree->GetEntries()) { // this file is done, check if there are other files
+  if (++mCurrTreeEntry >= mCTFTree->GetEntries() || (mInput.maxTFsPerFile > 0 && mCurrTreeEntry >= mInput.maxTFsPerFile)) { // this file is done, check if there are other files
     mCTFTree.reset();
     mCTFFile->Close();
     mCTFFile.reset();
diff --git a/Detectors/CTF/workflow/src/ctf-reader-workflow.cxx b/Detectors/CTF/workflow/src/ctf-reader-workflow.cxx
index ef3a0f8d3c2c4..a12c9c10f9dd8 100644
--- a/Detectors/CTF/workflow/src/ctf-reader-workflow.cxx
+++ b/Detectors/CTF/workflow/src/ctf-reader-workflow.cxx
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ void customize(std::vector<o2::framework::ConfigParamSpec>& workflowOptions)
   options.push_back(ConfigParamSpec{"onlyDet", VariantType::String, std::string{DetID::ALL}, {"comma-separated list of detectors to accept. Overrides skipDet"}});
   options.push_back(ConfigParamSpec{"skipDet", VariantType::String, std::string{DetID::NONE}, {"comma-separate list of detectors to skip"}});
   options.push_back(ConfigParamSpec{"max-tf", VariantType::Int, -1, {"max CTFs to process (<= 0 : infinite)"}});
+  options.push_back(ConfigParamSpec{"max-tf-per-file", VariantType::Int, -1, {"max TFs to process per ctf file (<= 0 : infinite)"}});
   options.push_back(ConfigParamSpec{"loop", VariantType::Int, 0, {"loop N times (infinite for N<0)"}});
   options.push_back(ConfigParamSpec{"delay", VariantType::Float, 0.f, {"delay in seconds between consecutive TFs sending"}});
   options.push_back(ConfigParamSpec{"copy-cmd", VariantType::String, "alien_cp ?src file://?dst", {"copy command for remote files or no-copy to avoid copying"}}); // Use "XrdSecPROTOCOL=sss,unix xrdcp -N root://eosaliceo2.cern.ch/?src ?dst" for direct EOS access
@@ -119,6 +120,9 @@ WorkflowSpec defineDataProcessing(ConfigContext const& configcontext)
   int n = configcontext.options().get<int>("max-tf");
   ctfInput.maxTFs = n > 0 ? n : 0x7fffffff;
 
+  n = configcontext.options().get<int>("max-tf-per-file");
+  ctfInput.maxTFsPerFile = n > 0 ? n : 0x7fffffff;
+
   ctfInput.maxFileCache = std::max(1, configcontext.options().get<int>("max-cached-files"));
 
   ctfInput.copyCmd = configcontext.options().get<std::string>("copy-cmd");