diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/cache/PerThreadCache.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/cache/PerThreadCache.java
index 32dff38116..0881d595ea 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/cache/PerThreadCache.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/cache/PerThreadCache.java
@@ -43,9 +43,19 @@ import java.util.function.Supplier;
  * <p>Lastly, this class offers a cache, that requires callers to also provide a {@code Supplier} in
  * case the object is not present in the cache, while {@code CurrentUser} provides a storage where
  * just retrieving stored values is a valid operation.
+ *
+ * <p>To prevent OOM errors on requests that would cache a lot of objects, this class enforces an
+ * internal limit after which no new elements are cached. All {@code get} calls are served by
+ * invoking the {@code Supplier} after that.
  */
 public class PerThreadCache implements AutoCloseable {
   private static final ThreadLocal<PerThreadCache> CACHE = new ThreadLocal<>();
+  /**
+   * Cache at maximum 50 values per thread. This value was chosen arbitrarily. Some endpoints (like
+   * ListProjects) break the assumption that the data cached in a request is limited. To prevent
+   * this class from accumulating an unbound number of objects, we enforce this limit.
+   */
+  private static final int PER_THREAD_CACHE_SIZE = 50;
 
   /**
    * Unique key for key-value mappings stored in PerThreadCache. The key is based on the value's
@@ -109,7 +119,7 @@ public class PerThreadCache implements AutoCloseable {
     return cache != null ? cache.get(key, loader) : loader.get();
   }
 
-  private final Map<Key<?>, Object> cache = Maps.newHashMapWithExpectedSize(10);
+  private final Map<Key<?>, Object> cache = Maps.newHashMapWithExpectedSize(PER_THREAD_CACHE_SIZE);
 
   private PerThreadCache() {}
 
@@ -122,7 +132,9 @@ public class PerThreadCache implements AutoCloseable {
     T value = (T) cache.get(key);
     if (value == null) {
       value = loader.get();
-      cache.put(key, value);
+      if (cache.size() < PER_THREAD_CACHE_SIZE) {
+        cache.put(key, value);
+      }
     }
     return value;
   }
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/server/cache/PerThreadCacheTest.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/server/cache/PerThreadCacheTest.java
index ae5e911d14..cfb5f3f361 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/server/cache/PerThreadCacheTest.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/server/cache/PerThreadCacheTest.java
@@ -83,4 +83,20 @@ public class PerThreadCacheTest {
       PerThreadCache.create();
     }
   }
+
+  @Test
+  public void enforceMaxSize() {
+    try (PerThreadCache cache = PerThreadCache.create()) {
+      // Fill the cache
+      for (int i = 0; i < 50; i++) {
+        PerThreadCache.Key<String> key = PerThreadCache.Key.create(String.class, i);
+        cache.get(key, () -> "cached value");
+      }
+      // Assert that the value was not persisted
+      PerThreadCache.Key<String> key = PerThreadCache.Key.create(String.class, 1000);
+      cache.get(key, () -> "new value");
+      String value = cache.get(key, () -> "directly served");
+      assertThat(value).isEqualTo("directly served");
+    }
+  }
 }