diff --git a/derp/derp_server.go b/derp/derp_server.go
index ab0ab0a90..8066b7f19 100644
--- a/derp/derp_server.go
+++ b/derp/derp_server.go
@@ -84,11 +84,19 @@ func init() {
 }
 
 const (
-	perClientSendQueueDepth = 32 // packets buffered for sending
-	writeTimeout            = 2 * time.Second
-	privilegedWriteTimeout  = 30 * time.Second // for clients with the mesh key
+	defaultPerClientSendQueueDepth = 32 // default packets buffered for sending
+	writeTimeout                   = 2 * time.Second
+	privilegedWriteTimeout         = 30 * time.Second // for clients with the mesh key
 )
 
+func getPerClientSendQueueDepth() int {
+	if v, ok := envknob.LookupInt("TS_DEBUG_DERP_PER_CLIENT_SEND_QUEUE_DEPTH"); ok {
+		return v
+	}
+
+	return defaultPerClientSendQueueDepth
+}
+
 // dupPolicy is a temporary (2021-08-30) mechanism to change the policy
 // of how duplicate connection for the same key are handled.
 type dupPolicy int8
@@ -190,6 +198,9 @@ type Server struct {
 	// maps from netip.AddrPort to a client's public key
 	keyOfAddr map[netip.AddrPort]key.NodePublic
 
+	// Sets the client send queue depth for the server.
+	perClientSendQueueDepth int
+
 	clock tstime.Clock
 }
 
@@ -377,6 +388,8 @@ func NewServer(privateKey key.NodePrivate, logf logger.Logf) *Server {
 
 	s.packetsDroppedTypeDisco = s.packetsDroppedType.Get("disco")
 	s.packetsDroppedTypeOther = s.packetsDroppedType.Get("other")
+
+	s.perClientSendQueueDepth = getPerClientSendQueueDepth()
 	return s
 }
 
@@ -849,8 +862,8 @@ func (s *Server) accept(ctx context.Context, nc Conn, brw *bufio.ReadWriter, rem
 		done:           ctx.Done(),
 		remoteIPPort:   remoteIPPort,
 		connectedAt:    s.clock.Now(),
-		sendQueue:      make(chan pkt, perClientSendQueueDepth),
-		discoSendQueue: make(chan pkt, perClientSendQueueDepth),
+		sendQueue:      make(chan pkt, s.perClientSendQueueDepth),
+		discoSendQueue: make(chan pkt, s.perClientSendQueueDepth),
 		sendPongCh:     make(chan [8]byte, 1),
 		peerGone:       make(chan peerGoneMsg),
 		canMesh:        s.isMeshPeer(clientInfo),
diff --git a/derp/derp_test.go b/derp/derp_test.go
index 9185194dd..f0fc52fe7 100644
--- a/derp/derp_test.go
+++ b/derp/derp_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package derp
 import (
 	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
+	"cmp"
 	"context"
 	"crypto/x509"
 	"encoding/asn1"
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	qt "github.com/frankban/quicktest"
 	"go4.org/mem"
 	"golang.org/x/time/rate"
 	"tailscale.com/disco"
@@ -1598,3 +1600,29 @@ func TestServerRepliesToPing(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestGetPerClientSendQueueDepth(t *testing.T) {
+	c := qt.New(t)
+	envKey := "TS_DEBUG_DERP_PER_CLIENT_SEND_QUEUE_DEPTH"
+
+	testCases := []struct {
+		envVal string
+		want   int
+	}{
+		// Empty case, envknob treats empty as missing also.
+		{
+			"", defaultPerClientSendQueueDepth,
+		},
+		{
+			"64", 64,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(cmp.Or(tc.envVal, "empty"), func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Setenv(envKey, tc.envVal)
+			val := getPerClientSendQueueDepth()
+			c.Assert(val, qt.Equals, tc.want)
+		})
+	}
+}