diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/task/TaskConfig.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/task/TaskConfig.java
index 1859b0d..74c164a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/task/TaskConfig.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/task/TaskConfig.java
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
   public class TaskBase extends SubSection {
     public String applicable;
     public String duplicateKey;
+    public int evaluationThreshold;
     public Map<String, String> exported;
     public String fail;
     public String failHint;
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@
       this.isMasqueraded = isMasqueraded;
       applicable = getString(s, KEY_APPLICABLE, null);
       duplicateKey = getString(s, KEY_DUPLICATE_KEY, null);
+      evaluationThreshold = getInt(s, KEY_EVALUATION_THRESHOLD, DEFAULT_EVALUATION_THRESHOLD);
       exported = getProperties(s, KEY_EXPORT_PREFIX);
       fail = getString(s, KEY_FAIL, null);
       failHint = getString(s, KEY_FAIL_HINT, null);
@@ -205,6 +207,7 @@
   public static final String KEY_ARG = "arg";
   public static final String KEY_CHANGES = "changes";
   public static final String KEY_DUPLICATE_KEY = "duplicate-key";
+  public static final String KEY_EVALUATION_THRESHOLD = "evaluation-threshold";
   public static final String KEY_EXPORT_PREFIX = "export-";
   public static final String KEY_FAIL = "fail";
   public static final String KEY_FAIL_HINT = "fail-hint";
@@ -224,6 +227,7 @@
   public static final String KEY_SUBTASKS_FILE = "subtasks-file";
   public static final String KEY_TYPE = "type";
   public static final String KEY_USER = "user";
+  public static final int DEFAULT_EVALUATION_THRESHOLD = Integer.MAX_VALUE;
 
   protected final FileKey file;
   public boolean isVisible;
@@ -323,6 +327,10 @@
     return cfg.getString(s.section(), s.subSection(), key);
   }
 
+  protected int getInt(SubSectionKey s, String key, int def) {
+    return cfg.getInt(s.section(), s.subSection(), key, def);
+  }
+
   protected List<String> getStringList(SubSectionKey s, String key) {
     List<String> stringList = Arrays.asList(cfg.getStringList(s.section(), s.subSection(), key));
     stringList.replaceAll(str -> str == null ? "" : str);
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/task/TaskPluginDefinedInfoFactory.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/task/TaskPluginDefinedInfoFactory.java
index 7cb083f..0791bda 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/task/TaskPluginDefinedInfoFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/task/TaskPluginDefinedInfoFactory.java
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
     INVALID,
     UNKNOWN,
     DUPLICATE,
+    SKIPPED,
     WAITING,
     READY,
     PASS,
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@
     public long numberOfChangeNodes;
     public long numberOfDuplicates;
     public long numberOfNodes;
+    public long numberOfSkippedTasks;
     public long numberOfTaskPluginAttributes;
     public Object predicateCache;
     public Object matchCache;
@@ -109,6 +111,7 @@
   protected Modules.MyOptions options;
   protected TaskPluginAttribute lastTaskPluginAttribute;
   protected Statistics statistics;
+  protected int numberOfChanges;
 
   @Inject
   public TaskPluginDefinedInfoFactory(
@@ -132,6 +135,7 @@
   @Override
   public Map<Change.Id, PluginDefinedInfo> createPluginDefinedInfos(
       Collection<ChangeData> cds, BeanProvider beanProvider, String plugin) {
+    numberOfChanges = cds.size();
     Map<Change.Id, PluginDefinedInfo> pluginInfosByChange = new HashMap<>();
     options = (Modules.MyOptions) beanProvider.getDynamicBean(plugin);
     if (options.all || options.onlyApplicable || options.onlyInvalid) {
@@ -176,16 +180,15 @@
     protected Task task;
     protected TaskAttribute attribute;
     protected boolean isDuplicate;
+    protected boolean isExpensive;
 
     protected AttributeFactory(Node node) {
       this.node = node;
       this.task = node.task;
       attribute = new TaskAttribute(task.name());
 
-      isDuplicate =
-          node.isDuplicate
-              || (node.isChange()
-                  && node.getNodeSetByBaseTasksFactory().get(task.subSection).contains(node.key()));
+      isExpensive = numberOfChanges > node.task.evaluationThreshold;
+      isDuplicate = !isExpensive && isDuplicate();
 
       if (options.includeStatistics) {
         statistics.numberOfNodes++;
@@ -195,6 +198,9 @@
         if (isDuplicate) {
           statistics.numberOfDuplicates++;
         }
+        if (isExpensive) {
+          statistics.numberOfSkippedTasks++;
+        }
         attribute.statistics = new TaskAttribute.Statistics();
         attribute.statistics.properties = node.propertiesStatistics;
       }
@@ -222,8 +228,8 @@
           if (node.isChange()) {
             attribute.change = node.getChangeData().getId().get();
           }
-          attribute.hasPass = !(isDuplicate || isAllNull(task.pass, task.fail));
-          if (!isDuplicate) {
+          attribute.hasPass = !(isDuplicate || isExpensive || isAllNull(task.pass, task.fail));
+          if (!(isDuplicate || isExpensive)) {
             attribute.subTasks = getSubTasks();
           }
           attribute.status = getStatus();
@@ -246,7 +252,7 @@
               if (!options.onlyApplicable) {
                 attribute.applicable = applicable;
               }
-              if (!isDuplicate) {
+              if (!(isDuplicate || isExpensive)) {
                 if (task.inProgress != null) {
                   attribute.inProgress = node.matchOrNull(task.inProgress);
                 }
@@ -297,6 +303,9 @@
       if (isDuplicate) {
         return Status.DUPLICATE;
       }
+      if (isExpensive) {
+        return Status.SKIPPED;
+      }
       if (isAllNull(task.pass, task.fail, attribute.subTasks)) {
         // A leaf def has no defined subdefs.
         boolean hasDefinedSubtasks =
@@ -333,7 +342,8 @@
       }
 
       if (attribute.subTasks != null
-          && !isAll(attribute.subTasks, EnumSet.of(Status.PASS, Status.DUPLICATE))) {
+          && !isAll(
+              attribute.subTasks, EnumSet.of(Status.PASS, Status.DUPLICATE, Status.SKIPPED))) {
         // It is possible for a subtask's PASS criteria to change while
         // a parent task is executing, or even after the parent task
         // completes.  This can result in the parent PASS criteria being
@@ -393,6 +403,12 @@
         return false;
       }
     }
+
+    protected boolean isDuplicate() {
+      return node.isDuplicate
+          || (node.isChange()
+              && node.getNodeSetByBaseTasksFactory().get(task.subSection).contains(node.key()));
+    }
   }
 
   protected long millis() {
@@ -445,6 +461,8 @@
           return def.failHint;
         case DUPLICATE:
           return "Duplicate task is non blocking and empty to break the loop";
+        case SKIPPED:
+          return "Expensive task evaluation-threshold breached, skipped evaluation";
         default:
       }
     }
diff --git a/src/main/resources/Documentation/task.md b/src/main/resources/Documentation/task.md
index b37f52a..4644649 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/Documentation/task.md
+++ b/src/main/resources/Documentation/task.md
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@
 A task with a `INVALID` status has an invalid/missing definition or an
 invalid query.
 
+A task with a `SKIPPED` status has been skipped while evaluating the task tree
+based on the [evaluation-threshold](#evaluation-threshold) defined for it.
+
 Tasks
 -----
 Tasks can either be root tasks, or subtasks. Tasks are expected to be
@@ -289,6 +292,37 @@
     changes = -status:merged parentof:${_change_number} project:${_change_project} branch:${_change_branch}
 ```
 
+<a id="evaluation-threshold"></a>
+
+`evaluation-threshold`
+
+: This key defines a threshold based on which a task can be determined to
+be expensive for evaluation and consequently, should be skipped. If the number
+of changes in a single `createPluginDefinedInfos()` invocation (such as from a
+`gerrit query` command) are more than the `evaluation-threshold` of the task,
+it will be skipped i.e. the keys below are not evaluated for the task.
+
+- pass
+- fail
+- in-progress
+- subtask
+- subtasks-factory
+- subtasks-external
+- subtasks-file
+- preload-task
+- duplicate-key
+
+Example:
+
+```
+[root "Root with expensive task"]
+  subtask = expensive task
+
+[task "expensive task"]
+  evaluation-threshold = 1
+  pass = True
+```
+
 Root Tasks
 ----------
 Root tasks typically define the "final verification" tasks for changes. Each
diff --git a/src/main/resources/Documentation/test/task_states.md b/src/main/resources/Documentation/test/task_states.md
index aea074e..49c0703 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/Documentation/test/task_states.md
+++ b/src/main/resources/Documentation/test/task_states.md
@@ -2137,6 +2137,115 @@
    ]
 }
 
+[root "Root (subtask SKIPPED)"]
+  subtask = Subtask SKIPPED
+
+[task "Subtask SKIPPED"]
+  evaluation-threshold = 1
+  pass = True
+
+{
+   "applicable" : true,
+   "hasPass" : false,
+   "name" : "Root (subtask SKIPPED)",
+   "status" : "PASS",
+   "subTasks" : [
+      {
+         "applicable" : true,
+         "hasPass" : false,
+         "hint" : "Expensive task evaluation-threshold breached, skipped evaluation",
+         "name" : "Subtask SKIPPED",
+         "status" : "SKIPPED"
+      }
+   ]
+}
+
+[root "Root (subtask NOT SKIPPED)"]
+  subtask = Subtask NOT SKIPPED
+
+[task "Subtask NOT SKIPPED"]
+  evaluation-threshold = 2
+  pass = True
+
+{
+   "applicable" : true,
+   "hasPass" : false,
+   "name" : "Root (subtask NOT SKIPPED)",
+   "status" : "PASS",
+   "subTasks" : [
+      {
+         "applicable" : true,
+         "hasPass" : true,
+         "name" : "Subtask NOT SKIPPED",
+         "status" : "PASS"
+      }
+   ]
+}
+
+[root "Root tasks-factory CHANGE SKIPPED"]
+  subtasks-factory = tasks-factory change SKIPPED
+
+[tasks-factory "tasks-factory change SKIPPED"]
+  names-factory = names-factory change list
+  evaluation-threshold = 1
+  preload-task = Subtask APPLICABLE
+
+{
+   "applicable" : true,
+   "hasPass" : false,
+   "name" : "Root tasks-factory CHANGE SKIPPED",
+   "status" : "PASS",
+   "subTasks" : [
+      {
+         "applicable" : true,
+         "change" : _change1_number,
+         "hasPass" : false,
+         "hint": "Expensive task evaluation-threshold breached, skipped evaluation",
+         "name" : "_change1_number",
+         "status" : "SKIPPED"
+      },
+      {
+         "applicable" : true,
+         "change" : _change2_number,
+         "hasPass" : false,
+         "hint": "Expensive task evaluation-threshold breached, skipped evaluation",
+         "name" : "_change2_number",
+         "status" : "SKIPPED"
+      }
+   ]
+}
+
+[root "Root tasks-factory CHANGE NOT SKIPPED"]
+  subtasks-factory = tasks-factory change NOT SKIPPED
+
+[tasks-factory "tasks-factory change NOT SKIPPED"]
+  names-factory = names-factory change list
+  evaluation-threshold = 2
+  preload-task = Subtask APPLICABLE
+
+{
+   "applicable" : true,
+   "hasPass" : false,
+   "name" : "Root tasks-factory CHANGE NOT SKIPPED",
+   "status" : "PASS",
+   "subTasks" : [
+      {
+         "applicable" : true,
+         "change" : _change1_number,
+         "hasPass" : true,
+         "name" : "_change1_number",
+         "status" : "PASS"
+      },
+      {
+         "applicable" : true,
+         "change" : _change2_number,
+         "hasPass" : true,
+         "name" : "_change2_number",
+         "status" : "PASS"
+      }
+   ]
+}
+
 [root "Root Looping"]
   subtask = Looping
 
diff --git a/test/strip_non_applicable.py b/test/strip_non_applicable.py
index a0ce4fa..6cec219 100755
--- a/test/strip_non_applicable.py
+++ b/test/strip_non_applicable.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
                     status=''
                     if STATUS in list(task.keys()):
                         status = task[STATUS]
-                    if status != 'INVALID' and status != 'DUPLICATE':
+                    if status != 'INVALID' and status != 'DUPLICATE' and status != 'SKIPPED':
                         del tasks[i]
                         nexti = i