diff --git a/pubsub/iterator.go b/pubsub/iterator.go
index 49a3742d3c3..8f1d9316bbf 100644
--- a/pubsub/iterator.go
+++ b/pubsub/iterator.go
@@ -76,7 +76,13 @@ type messageIterator struct {
 func newMessageIterator(subc *vkit.SubscriberClient, subName string, maxExtensionPeriod *time.Duration, po *pullOptions) *messageIterator {
 	var ps *pullStream
 	if !po.synchronous {
-		ps = newPullStream(context.Background(), subc.StreamingPull, subName, po.maxOutstandingMessages, po.maxOutstandingBytes)
+		maxMessages := po.maxOutstandingMessages
+		maxBytes := po.maxOutstandingBytes
+		if po.useLegacyFlowControl {
+			maxMessages = 0
+			maxBytes = 0
+		}
+		ps = newPullStream(context.Background(), subc.StreamingPull, subName, maxMessages, maxBytes)
 	}
 	// The period will update each tick based on the distribution of acks. We'll start by arbitrarily sending
 	// the first keepAlive halfway towards the minimum ack deadline.
diff --git a/pubsub/subscription.go b/pubsub/subscription.go
index 0af3238cbab..59f296e04cf 100644
--- a/pubsub/subscription.go
+++ b/pubsub/subscription.go
@@ -489,6 +489,12 @@ type ReceiveSettings struct {
 	// for unprocessed messages.
 	MaxOutstandingBytes int
 
+	// UseLegacyFlowControl disables enforcing flow control settings at the Cloud
+	// PubSub server and the less accurate method of only enforcing flow control
+	// at the client side is used.
+	// The default is false.
+	UseLegacyFlowControl bool
+
 	// NumGoroutines is the number of goroutines that each datastructure along
 	// the Receive path will spawn. Adjusting this value adjusts concurrency
 	// along the receive path.
@@ -820,6 +826,7 @@ func (s *Subscription) Receive(ctx context.Context, f func(context.Context, *Mes
 		synchronous:            s.ReceiveSettings.Synchronous,
 		maxOutstandingMessages: maxCount,
 		maxOutstandingBytes:    maxBytes,
+		useLegacyFlowControl:   s.ReceiveSettings.UseLegacyFlowControl,
 	}
 	fc := newFlowController(maxCount, maxBytes)
 
@@ -950,4 +957,5 @@ type pullOptions struct {
 	synchronous            bool
 	maxOutstandingMessages int
 	maxOutstandingBytes    int
+	useLegacyFlowControl   bool
 }