diff --git a/deps/amqp10_client/test/system_SUITE.erl b/deps/amqp10_client/test/system_SUITE.erl
index 9b72dd4f6e5d..302754d4fad3 100644
--- a/deps/amqp10_client/test/system_SUITE.erl
+++ b/deps/amqp10_client/test/system_SUITE.erl
@@ -105,14 +105,20 @@ stop_amqp10_client_app(Config) ->
 init_per_group(rabbitmq, Config0) ->
     Config = rabbit_ct_helpers:set_config(Config0,
                                           {sasl, {plain, <<"guest">>, <<"guest">>}}),
-    rabbit_ct_helpers:run_steps(Config, rabbit_ct_broker_helpers:setup_steps());
+    Config1 = rabbit_ct_helpers:merge_app_env(Config,
+                                              [{rabbit,
+                                                [{max_message_size, 134217728}]}]),
+    rabbit_ct_helpers:run_steps(Config1, rabbit_ct_broker_helpers:setup_steps());
+
 init_per_group(rabbitmq_strict, Config0) ->
     Config = rabbit_ct_helpers:set_config(Config0,
                                           {sasl, {plain, <<"guest">>, <<"guest">>}}),
     Config1 = rabbit_ct_helpers:merge_app_env(Config,
                                               [{rabbit,
-                                                [{amqp1_0_default_user, none}]}]),
+                                                [{amqp1_0_default_user, none},
+                                                 {max_message_size, 134217728}]}]),
     rabbit_ct_helpers:run_steps(Config1, rabbit_ct_broker_helpers:setup_steps());
+
 init_per_group(activemq, Config0) ->
     Config = rabbit_ct_helpers:set_config(Config0, {sasl, anon}),
     rabbit_ct_helpers:run_steps(Config,
diff --git a/deps/rabbit/BUILD.bazel b/deps/rabbit/BUILD.bazel
index 1915327b978d..a1deb10e175b 100644
--- a/deps/rabbit/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/deps/rabbit/BUILD.bazel
@@ -129,8 +129,8 @@ _APP_ENV = """[
 	    {default_consumer_prefetch, {false, 0}},
 		%% interval at which the channel can perform periodic actions
 	    {channel_tick_interval, 60000},
-	    %% Default max message size is 128 MB
-	    {max_message_size, 134217728},
+	    %% Default max message size is 16 MB
+	    {max_message_size, 16777216},
 	    %% Socket writer will run GC every 1 GB of outgoing data
 	    {writer_gc_threshold, 1000000000},
 	    %% interval at which connection/channel tracking executes post operations
diff --git a/deps/rabbit/Makefile b/deps/rabbit/Makefile
index 1b3ac754ca49..5f33e4160d21 100644
--- a/deps/rabbit/Makefile
+++ b/deps/rabbit/Makefile
@@ -112,8 +112,8 @@ define PROJECT_ENV
 	    {default_consumer_prefetch, {false, 0}},
 		  %% interval at which the channel can perform periodic actions
 	    {channel_tick_interval, 60000},
-	    %% Default max message size is 128 MB
-	    {max_message_size, 134217728},
+	    %% Default max message size is 16 MB
+	    {max_message_size, 16777216},
 	    %% Socket writer will run GC every 1 GB of outgoing data
 	    {writer_gc_threshold, 1000000000},
 	    %% interval at which connection/channel tracking executes post operations
diff --git a/deps/rabbit/test/message_size_limit_SUITE.erl b/deps/rabbit/test/message_size_limit_SUITE.erl
index b3e0fb4210ec..09aedd007ca8 100644
--- a/deps/rabbit/test/message_size_limit_SUITE.erl
+++ b/deps/rabbit/test/message_size_limit_SUITE.erl
@@ -14,14 +14,18 @@
 
 all() ->
     [
-     {group, tests}
+     {group, tests},
+     {group, default}
     ].
 
 groups() ->
     [
      {tests, [], [
                   max_message_size
-                 ]}
+                 ]},
+     {default, [], [
+                    default_max_message_size
+                   ]}
     ].
 
 suite() ->
@@ -70,9 +74,6 @@ max_message_size(Config) ->
     Binary6M  = gen_binary_mb(6),
     Binary10M = gen_binary_mb(10),
 
-    Size2Mb = 1024 * 1024 * 2,
-    Size2Mb = byte_size(Binary2M),
-
     ok = rabbit_ct_broker_helpers:rpc(Config, persistent_term, put, [max_message_size, 1024 * 1024 * 3]),
 
     {_, Ch} = rabbit_ct_client_helpers:open_connection_and_channel(Config, 0),
@@ -104,6 +105,21 @@ max_message_size(Config) ->
     amqp_channel:call(Ch1, #'basic.publish'{routing_key = <<"none">>}, #amqp_msg{payload = Binary10M}),
     assert_channel_fail_max_size(Ch1, Monitor1).
 
+default_max_message_size(Config) ->
+    Binary15M = gen_binary_mb(15),
+    Binary17M = gen_binary_mb(20),
+
+    {_, Ch} = rabbit_ct_client_helpers:open_connection_and_channel(Config, 0),
+
+    %% Binary is within the default max size limit of 16MB
+    amqp_channel:call(Ch, #'basic.publish'{routing_key = <<"none">>}, #amqp_msg{payload = Binary15M}),
+    %% The channel process is alive
+    assert_channel_alive(Ch),
+
+    Monitor = monitor(process, Ch),
+    amqp_channel:call(Ch, #'basic.publish'{routing_key = <<"none">>}, #amqp_msg{payload = Binary17M}),
+    assert_channel_fail_max_size(Ch, Monitor).
+
 %% -------------------------------------------------------------------
 %% Implementation
 %% -------------------------------------------------------------------