diff --git a/test/nvmf/host/perf.sh b/test/nvmf/host/perf.sh
index 58f37044b..804b06b19 100755
--- a/test/nvmf/host/perf.sh
+++ b/test/nvmf/host/perf.sh
@@ -45,11 +45,20 @@ if [ $RUN_NIGHTLY -eq 1 ]; then
 	if [ -n "$local_nvme_trid" ]; then
 		ls_guid=$($rpc_py construct_lvol_store Nvme0n1 lvs_0)
 		get_lvs_free_mb $ls_guid
+		# We don't need to create an lvol larger than 20G for this test.
+		# decreasing the size of the nested lvol allows us to take less time setting up
+		#before running I/O.
+		if [ $free_mb -gt 20480 ]; then
+			free_mb=20480
+		fi
 		lb_guid=$($rpc_py construct_lvol_bdev -u $ls_guid lbd_0 $free_mb)
 
 		# Create lvol bdev for nested lvol stores
 		ls_nested_guid=$($rpc_py construct_lvol_store $lb_guid lvs_n_0)
 		get_lvs_free_mb $ls_nested_guid
+		if [ $free_mb -gt 20480 ]; then
+			free_mb=20480
+		fi
 		lb_nested_guid=$($rpc_py construct_lvol_bdev -u $ls_nested_guid lbd_nest_0 $free_mb)
 		$rpc_py nvmf_subsystem_create nqn.2016-06.io.spdk:cnode1 -a -s SPDK00000000000001
 		for bdev in $lb_nested_guid; do