diff --git a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/application/options/editor/EditorTabsConfigurable.java b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/application/options/editor/EditorTabsConfigurable.java
index 03e554769ab9..568bc4eac679 100644
--- a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/application/options/editor/EditorTabsConfigurable.java
+++ b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/application/options/editor/EditorTabsConfigurable.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import com.intellij.ide.ui.UINumericRange;
 import com.intellij.ide.ui.UISettings;
 import com.intellij.openapi.application.ApplicationBundle;
 import com.intellij.openapi.options.ConfigurationException;
+import com.intellij.openapi.util.registry.Registry;
 import com.intellij.ui.ListCellRendererWrapper;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nls;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ import java.awt.event.ItemListener;
  * @author yole
  */
 public class EditorTabsConfigurable implements EditorOptionsProvider {
-  private static final UINumericRange EDITOR_TABS_RANGE = new UINumericRange(10, 1, 100);
+  private static final UINumericRange EDITOR_TABS_RANGE = new UINumericRange(10, 1, Math.max(10, Registry.intValue("ide.max.editor.tabs", 100)));
   private JPanel myRootPanel;
   private JCheckBox myHideKnownExtensions;
   private JCheckBox myScrollTabLayoutInEditorCheckBox;
diff --git a/platform/util/resources/misc/registry.properties b/platform/util/resources/misc/registry.properties
index bac3c18fbd7d..6c01bbaaa21a 100644
--- a/platform/util/resources/misc/registry.properties
+++ b/platform/util/resources/misc/registry.properties
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ ide.dnd.textHints=false
 ide.max.recent.projects=50
 ide.max.recent.projects.description=Maximum number of recent project available
 
+ide.max.editor.tabs=100
+ide.max.editor.tabs.description=Maximum number of open editor tabs
 ide.editor.tabs.open.at.the.end=false
 ide.editor.tabs.open.at.the.end.description=If true all new tabs will be opened at the end