diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/config.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/config.sgml
index 7a48973b3c..d440429a2c 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/config.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/config.sgml
@@ -5919,6 +5919,23 @@ SELECT * FROM parent WHERE key = 2400;
       </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
 
+     <varlistentry id="guc-recursive-worktable-estimate" xreflabel="recursive_worktable_estimate">
+      <term><varname>recursive_worktable_estimate</varname> (<type>floating point</type>)
+      <indexterm>
+       <primary><varname>recursive_worktable_estimate</varname> configuration parameter</primary>
+      </indexterm>
+      </term>
+      <listitem>
+       <para>
+        Sets the planner's estimate of the average size of the worktable as a multiple of
+        the initial non-recursive term of the query.  The default is 10.0.
+        This helps the planner choose the most appropriate method for joining the worktable
+        to the query's other tables.  A setting of 1.0 is appropriate for shortest path
+        queries; graph analytics queries may benefit from larger values.
+       </para>
+      </listitem>
+     </varlistentry>
+
      </variablelist>
     </sect2>
    </sect1>
diff --git a/src/backend/optimizer/path/costsize.c b/src/backend/optimizer/path/costsize.c
index 4d9f3b4bb6..4015efb314 100644
--- a/src/backend/optimizer/path/costsize.c
+++ b/src/backend/optimizer/path/costsize.c
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ double		cpu_index_tuple_cost = DEFAULT_CPU_INDEX_TUPLE_COST;
 double		cpu_operator_cost = DEFAULT_CPU_OPERATOR_COST;
 double		parallel_tuple_cost = DEFAULT_PARALLEL_TUPLE_COST;
 double		parallel_setup_cost = DEFAULT_PARALLEL_SETUP_COST;
+double		recursive_worktable_estimate = DEFAULT_RECURSIVE_WORKTABLE_ESTIMATE;
 
 int			effective_cache_size = DEFAULT_EFFECTIVE_CACHE_SIZE;
 
@@ -5664,11 +5665,20 @@ set_cte_size_estimates(PlannerInfo *root, RelOptInfo *rel, double cte_rows)
 
 	if (rte->self_reference)
 	{
+		double multiplier = recursive_worktable_estimate;
+
+		/*
+		 * Reserve zero as a special case meaning use-the-built-in-calculation.
+		 */
+		if (recursive_worktable_estimate == 0.0)
+			multiplier = DEFAULT_RECURSIVE_WORKTABLE_ESTIMATE;
+
 		/*
-		 * In a self-reference, arbitrarily assume the average worktable size
-		 * is about 10 times the nonrecursive term's size.
+		 * Use recursive_worktable_estimate to get average size of worktable,
+		 * across all iterations. This will vary depending upon how bushy the
+		 * data is, so allow the user to set based upon their data.
 		 */
-		rel->tuples = 10 * cte_rows;
+		rel->tuples = clamp_row_est(multiplier * cte_rows);
 	}
 	else
 	{
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
index 932aefc777..677fdcc46f 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
@@ -3740,6 +3740,19 @@ static struct config_real ConfigureNamesReal[] =
 		NULL, NULL, NULL
 	},
 
+	{
+		{"recursive_worktable_estimate", PGC_USERSET, QUERY_TUNING_OTHER,
+			gettext_noop("Sets the planner's estimate of the average size "
+						 "of the worktable as a multiple of the initial "
+						 "non-recursive term of the query."),
+			NULL,
+			GUC_EXPLAIN
+		},
+		&recursive_worktable_estimate,
+		DEFAULT_RECURSIVE_WORKTABLE_ESTIMATE, 0.0, 1000000.0,
+		NULL, NULL, NULL
+	},
+
 	{
 		{"geqo_selection_bias", PGC_USERSET, QUERY_TUNING_GEQO,
 			gettext_noop("GEQO: selective pressure within the population."),
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/misc/postgresql.conf.sample b/src/backend/utils/misc/postgresql.conf.sample
index 4cf5b26a36..c7eeb11a17 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/misc/postgresql.conf.sample
+++ b/src/backend/utils/misc/postgresql.conf.sample
@@ -426,6 +426,7 @@
 					# JOIN clauses
 #plan_cache_mode = auto			# auto, force_generic_plan or
 					# force_custom_plan
+#recursive_worktable_estimate = 10.0 # Set to 1.0 for shortest path queries
 
 
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/include/optimizer/cost.h b/src/include/optimizer/cost.h
index 356a51f370..1afaae5e61 100644
--- a/src/include/optimizer/cost.h
+++ b/src/include/optimizer/cost.h
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@
 #define DEFAULT_PARALLEL_TUPLE_COST 0.1
 #define DEFAULT_PARALLEL_SETUP_COST  1000.0
 
+#define DEFAULT_RECURSIVE_WORKTABLE_ESTIMATE 10.0
+
 #define DEFAULT_EFFECTIVE_CACHE_SIZE  524288	/* measured in pages */
 
 typedef enum
diff --git a/src/include/optimizer/optimizer.h b/src/include/optimizer/optimizer.h
index 6b8ee0c69f..5e60f0bb27 100644
--- a/src/include/optimizer/optimizer.h
+++ b/src/include/optimizer/optimizer.h
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ extern PGDLLIMPORT double cpu_operator_cost;
 extern PGDLLIMPORT double parallel_tuple_cost;
 extern PGDLLIMPORT double parallel_setup_cost;
 extern PGDLLIMPORT int effective_cache_size;
+extern PGDLLIMPORT double recursive_worktable_estimate;
 
 extern double clamp_row_est(double nrows);