diff --git a/release-image/Dockerfile b/release-image/Dockerfile
index 48c6c06a9572..4a4c329b3ff7 100644
--- a/release-image/Dockerfile
+++ b/release-image/Dockerfile
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ ARG BUILD_METADATA=""
 ENV BUILD_METADATA=$BUILD_METADATA
 
 # Provide paths to bb and acvm for use in yarn-project, also create default working directories for each
+ENV UV_THREADPOOL_SIZE=8
 ENV BB_WORKING_DIRECTORY=/usr/src/bb
 ENV BB_BINARY_PATH=/usr/src/barretenberg/cpp/build/bin/bb-avm
 ENV ACVM_WORKING_DIRECTORY=/usr/src/acvm
diff --git a/yarn-project/scripts/run_test.sh b/yarn-project/scripts/run_test.sh
index 437395d26c10..e71c3a2d1bfc 100755
--- a/yarn-project/scripts/run_test.sh
+++ b/yarn-project/scripts/run_test.sh
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ cd ../$dir
 
 export RAYON_NUM_THREADS=1
 export TOKIO_WORKER_THREADS=1
+export UV_THREADPOOL_SIZE=${UV_THREADPOOL_SIZE:-8}
 export HARDWARE_CONCURRENCY=${CPUS:-16}
 export LOG_LEVEL=${LOG_LEVEL:-info}
 exec node --no-warnings --experimental-vm-modules --loader @swc-node/register \