diff --git a/qa/rpc-tests/mempool_packages.py b/qa/rpc-tests/mempool_packages.py
index 6bc6e43f0..746c26ff5 100755
--- a/qa/rpc-tests/mempool_packages.py
+++ b/qa/rpc-tests/mempool_packages.py
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ from test_framework.util import *
 def satoshi_round(amount):
     return  Decimal(amount).quantize(Decimal('0.00000001'), rounding=ROUND_DOWN)
 
+MAX_ANCESTORS = 25
+MAX_DESCENDANTS = 25
+
 class MempoolPackagesTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
 
     def setup_network(self):
@@ -45,17 +48,17 @@ class MempoolPackagesTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
         value = utxo[0]['amount']
 
         fee = Decimal("0.0001")
-        # 100 transactions off a confirmed tx should be fine
+        # MAX_ANCESTORS transactions off a confirmed tx should be fine
         chain = []
-        for i in xrange(100):
+        for i in xrange(MAX_ANCESTORS):
             (txid, sent_value) = self.chain_transaction(self.nodes[0], txid, 0, value, fee, 1)
             value = sent_value
             chain.append(txid)
 
-        # Check mempool has 100 transactions in it, and descendant
+        # Check mempool has MAX_ANCESTORS transactions in it, and descendant
         # count and fees should look correct
         mempool = self.nodes[0].getrawmempool(True)
-        assert_equal(len(mempool), 100)
+        assert_equal(len(mempool), MAX_ANCESTORS)
         descendant_count = 1
         descendant_fees = 0
         descendant_size = 0
@@ -91,18 +94,18 @@ class MempoolPackagesTest(BitcoinTestFramework):
         for i in xrange(10):
             transaction_package.append({'txid': txid, 'vout': i, 'amount': sent_value})
 
-        for i in xrange(1000):
+        for i in xrange(MAX_DESCENDANTS):
             utxo = transaction_package.pop(0)
             try:
                 (txid, sent_value) = self.chain_transaction(self.nodes[0], utxo['txid'], utxo['vout'], utxo['amount'], fee, 10)
                 for j in xrange(10):
                     transaction_package.append({'txid': txid, 'vout': j, 'amount': sent_value})
-                if i == 998:
+                if i == MAX_DESCENDANTS - 2:
                     mempool = self.nodes[0].getrawmempool(True)
-                    assert_equal(mempool[parent_transaction]['descendantcount'], 1000)
+                    assert_equal(mempool[parent_transaction]['descendantcount'], MAX_DESCENDANTS)
             except JSONRPCException as e:
                 print e.error['message']
-                assert_equal(i, 999)
+                assert_equal(i, MAX_DESCENDANTS - 1)
                 print "tx that would create too large descendant package successfully rejected"
 
         # TODO: check that node1's mempool is as expected
diff --git a/src/main.h b/src/main.h
index 65732d770..214493287 100644
--- a/src/main.h
+++ b/src/main.h
@@ -44,13 +44,13 @@ static const bool DEFAULT_ALERTS = true;
 /** Default for -maxorphantx, maximum number of orphan transactions kept in memory */
 static const unsigned int DEFAULT_MAX_ORPHAN_TRANSACTIONS = 100;
 /** Default for -limitancestorcount, max number of in-mempool ancestors */
-static const unsigned int DEFAULT_ANCESTOR_LIMIT = 100;
+static const unsigned int DEFAULT_ANCESTOR_LIMIT = 25;
 /** Default for -limitancestorsize, maximum kilobytes of tx + all in-mempool ancestors */
-static const unsigned int DEFAULT_ANCESTOR_SIZE_LIMIT = 900;
+static const unsigned int DEFAULT_ANCESTOR_SIZE_LIMIT = 101;
 /** Default for -limitdescendantcount, max number of in-mempool descendants */
-static const unsigned int DEFAULT_DESCENDANT_LIMIT = 1000;
+static const unsigned int DEFAULT_DESCENDANT_LIMIT = 25;
 /** Default for -limitdescendantsize, maximum kilobytes of in-mempool descendants */
-static const unsigned int DEFAULT_DESCENDANT_SIZE_LIMIT = 2500;
+static const unsigned int DEFAULT_DESCENDANT_SIZE_LIMIT = 101;
 /** Default for -maxmempool, maximum megabytes of mempool memory usage */
 static const unsigned int DEFAULT_MAX_MEMPOOL_SIZE = 300;
 /** Default for -mempoolexpiry, expiration time for mempool transactions in hours */