diff --git a/cmd/drone-server/config/config.go b/cmd/drone-server/config/config.go
index 94f52ad4..ab9fb920 100644
--- a/cmd/drone-server/config/config.go
+++ b/cmd/drone-server/config/config.go
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ type (
 	// Starlark configures the starlark plugin
 	Starlark struct {
 		Enabled bool `envconfig:"DRONE_STARLARK_ENABLED"`
+		StepLimit uint64 `envconfig:"DRONE_STARLARK_STEP_LIMIT"`
 	}
 
 	// License provides license configuration
diff --git a/cmd/drone-server/inject_plugin.go b/cmd/drone-server/inject_plugin.go
index f982a622..a19eb050 100644
--- a/cmd/drone-server/inject_plugin.go
+++ b/cmd/drone-server/inject_plugin.go
@@ -81,12 +81,14 @@ func provideConvertPlugin(client *scm.Client, conf spec.Config, templateStore co
 		converter.Legacy(false),
 		converter.Starlark(
 			conf.Starlark.Enabled,
+			conf.Starlark.StepLimit,
 		),
 		converter.Jsonnet(
 			conf.Jsonnet.Enabled,
 		),
 		converter.Template(
 			templateStore,
+			conf.Starlark.StepLimit,
 		),
 		converter.Memoize(
 			converter.Remote(
diff --git a/plugin/converter/starlark.go b/plugin/converter/starlark.go
index b5283ac3..8238a950 100644
--- a/plugin/converter/starlark.go
+++ b/plugin/converter/starlark.go
@@ -26,14 +26,16 @@ import (
 
 // Starlark returns a conversion service that converts the
 // starlark file to a yaml file.
-func Starlark(enabled bool) core.ConvertService {
+func Starlark(enabled bool, stepLimit uint64) core.ConvertService {
 	return &starlarkPlugin{
 		enabled: enabled,
+		stepLimit: stepLimit,
 	}
 }
 
 type starlarkPlugin struct {
 	enabled bool
+	stepLimit uint64
 }
 
 func (p *starlarkPlugin) Convert(ctx context.Context, req *core.ConvertArgs) (*core.Config, error) {
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ func (p *starlarkPlugin) Convert(ctx context.Context, req *core.ConvertArgs) (*c
 		return nil, nil
 	}
 
-	file, err := starlark.Parse(req, nil, nil)
+	file, err := starlark.Parse(req, nil, nil, p.stepLimit)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/plugin/converter/starlark/starlark.go b/plugin/converter/starlark/starlark.go
index b15a99d2..3ad3239b 100644
--- a/plugin/converter/starlark/starlark.go
+++ b/plugin/converter/starlark/starlark.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ var (
 	ErrCannotLoad = errors.New("starlark: cannot load external scripts")
 )
 
-func Parse(req *core.ConvertArgs, template *core.Template, templateData map[string]interface{}) (string, error) {
+func Parse(req *core.ConvertArgs, template *core.Template, templateData map[string]interface{}, stepLimit uint64) (string, error) {
 	thread := &starlark.Thread{
 		Name: "drone",
 		Load: noLoad,
@@ -101,7 +101,10 @@ func Parse(req *core.ConvertArgs, template *core.Template, templateData map[stri
 
 	// set the maximum number of operations in the script. this
 	// mitigates long running scripts.
-	thread.SetMaxExecutionSteps(50000)
+	if stepLimit == 0 {
+		stepLimit = 50000
+	}
+	thread.SetMaxExecutionSteps(stepLimit)
 
 	// execute the main method in the script.
 	mainVal, err = starlark.Call(thread, main, args, nil)
diff --git a/plugin/converter/starlark/starlark_test.go b/plugin/converter/starlark/starlark_test.go
index 8ba84d77..6700fdd5 100644
--- a/plugin/converter/starlark/starlark_test.go
+++ b/plugin/converter/starlark/starlark_test.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func TestParseStarlark(t *testing.T) {
 
 	req.Config.Data = string(before)
 
-	parsedFile, err := Parse(req, template, templateData)
+	parsedFile, err := Parse(req, template, templateData, 0)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 		return
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func TestParseStarlarkNotTemplateFile(t *testing.T) {
 	req.Repo.Config = "plugin.starlark.star"
 	req.Config.Data = string(before)
 
-	parsedFile, err := Parse(req, nil, nil)
+	parsedFile, err := Parse(req, nil, nil, 0)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 		return
diff --git a/plugin/converter/starlark_test.go b/plugin/converter/starlark_test.go
index 97310b9f..2846ac63 100644
--- a/plugin/converter/starlark_test.go
+++ b/plugin/converter/starlark_test.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestStarlarkConvert(t *testing.T) {
-	plugin := Starlark(true)
+	plugin := Starlark(true, 0)
 
 	req := &core.ConvertArgs{
 		Build: &core.Build{
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ func TestConvert_Multi(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
-	plugin := Starlark(true)
+	plugin := Starlark(true, 0)
 	config, err := plugin.Convert(noContext, req)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ func TestConvert_Multi(t *testing.T) {
 // this test verifies the plugin is skipped when it has
 // not been explicitly enabled.
 func TestConvert_Skip(t *testing.T) {
-	plugin := Starlark(false)
+	plugin := Starlark(false, 0)
 	config, err := plugin.Convert(noContext, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ func TestConvert_SkipYaml(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
-	plugin := Starlark(true)
+	plugin := Starlark(true, 0)
 	config, err := plugin.Convert(noContext, req)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
diff --git a/plugin/converter/template.go b/plugin/converter/template.go
index aa72a82d..c89249cf 100644
--- a/plugin/converter/template.go
+++ b/plugin/converter/template.go
@@ -42,14 +42,16 @@ var (
 	errTemplateExtensionInvalid = errors.New("template extension invalid. must be yaml, starlark or jsonnet")
 )
 
-func Template(templateStore core.TemplateStore) core.ConvertService {
+func Template(templateStore core.TemplateStore, stepLimit uint64) core.ConvertService {
 	return &templatePlugin{
 		templateStore: templateStore,
+		stepLimit: stepLimit,
 	}
 }
 
 type templatePlugin struct {
 	templateStore core.TemplateStore
+	stepLimit uint64
 }
 
 func (p *templatePlugin) Convert(ctx context.Context, req *core.ConvertArgs) (*core.Config, error) {
@@ -81,7 +83,7 @@ func (p *templatePlugin) Convert(ctx context.Context, req *core.ConvertArgs) (*c
 	case ".yml", ".yaml":
 		return parseYaml(req, template, templateArgs)
 	case ".star", ".starlark", ".script":
-		return parseStarlark(req, template, templateArgs)
+		return parseStarlark(req, template, templateArgs, p.stepLimit)
 	case ".jsonnet":
 		return parseJsonnet(req, template, templateArgs)
 	default:
@@ -119,8 +121,8 @@ func parseJsonnet(req *core.ConvertArgs, template *core.Template, templateArgs c
 	}, nil
 }
 
-func parseStarlark(req *core.ConvertArgs, template *core.Template, templateArgs core.TemplateArgs) (*core.Config, error) {
-	file, err := starlark.Parse(req, template, templateArgs.Data)
+func parseStarlark(req *core.ConvertArgs, template *core.Template, templateArgs core.TemplateArgs, stepLimit uint64) (*core.Config, error) {
+	file, err := starlark.Parse(req, template, templateArgs.Data, stepLimit)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/plugin/converter/template_test.go b/plugin/converter/template_test.go
index 820522ec..61f03764 100644
--- a/plugin/converter/template_test.go
+++ b/plugin/converter/template_test.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ func TestTemplatePluginConvertStarlark(t *testing.T) {
 	templates := mock.NewMockTemplateStore(controller)
 	templates.EXPECT().FindName(gomock.Any(), template.Name, req.Repo.Namespace).Return(template, nil)
 
-	plugin := Template(templates)
+	plugin := Template(templates, 0)
 	config, err := plugin.Convert(noContext, req)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ func TestTemplatePluginConvertStarlark(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestTemplatePluginConvertNotYamlFile(t *testing.T) {
 
-	plugin := Template(nil)
+	plugin := Template(nil, 0)
 	req := &core.ConvertArgs{
 		Build: &core.Build{
 			After: "3d21ec53a331a6f037a91c368710b99387d012c1",
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ func TestTemplatePluginConvertDroneFileTypePipeline(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error(err)
 		return
 	}
-	plugin := Template(nil)
+	plugin := Template(nil, 0)
 	req := &core.ConvertArgs{
 		Build: &core.Build{
 			After: "3d21ec53a331a6f037a91c368710b99387d012c1",
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ func TestTemplatePluginConvertTemplateNotFound(t *testing.T) {
 	templates := mock.NewMockTemplateStore(controller)
 	templates.EXPECT().FindName(gomock.Any(), template.Name, req.Repo.Namespace).Return(nil, nil)
 
-	plugin := Template(templates)
+	plugin := Template(templates, 0)
 
 	config, err := plugin.Convert(noContext, req)
 	if config != nil {
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ func TestTemplatePluginConvertJsonnet(t *testing.T) {
 	templates := mock.NewMockTemplateStore(controller)
 	templates.EXPECT().FindName(gomock.Any(), template.Name, req.Repo.Namespace).Return(template, nil)
 
-	plugin := Template(templates)
+	plugin := Template(templates, 0)
 	config, err := plugin.Convert(noContext, req)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ func TestTemplateNestedValuesPluginConvertStarlark(t *testing.T) {
 	templates := mock.NewMockTemplateStore(controller)
 	templates.EXPECT().FindName(gomock.Any(), template.Name, req.Repo.Namespace).Return(template, nil)
 
-	plugin := Template(templates)
+	plugin := Template(templates, 0)
 	config, err := plugin.Convert(noContext, req)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ func TestTemplatePluginConvertYaml(t *testing.T) {
 	templates := mock.NewMockTemplateStore(controller)
 	templates.EXPECT().FindName(gomock.Any(), template.Name, req.Repo.Namespace).Return(template, nil)
 
-	plugin := Template(templates)
+	plugin := Template(templates, 0)
 	config, err := plugin.Convert(noContext, req)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
@@ -430,9 +430,9 @@ func TestTemplatePluginConvertInvalidTemplateExtension(t *testing.T) {
 	templates := mock.NewMockTemplateStore(controller)
 	templates.EXPECT().FindName(gomock.Any(), template.Name, req.Repo.Namespace).Return(template, nil)
 
-	plugin := Template(templates)
+	plugin := Template(templates, 0)
 	config, err := plugin.Convert(noContext, req)
 	if config != nil {
 		t.Errorf("template extension invalid. must be yaml, starlark or jsonnet")
 	}
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}