diff --git a/nvflare/fuel/hci/conn.py b/nvflare/fuel/hci/conn.py
index 3d35a77f62..5542641f22 100644
--- a/nvflare/fuel/hci/conn.py
+++ b/nvflare/fuel/hci/conn.py
@@ -27,16 +27,20 @@
 
 LINE_END = "\x03"  # Indicates the end of the line (end of text)
 ALL_END = "\x04"  # Marks the end of a complete transmission (End of Transmission)
-
-
 MAX_MSG_SIZE = 1024
+MAX_DATA_SIZE = 512 * 1024 * 1024
+MAX_IDLE_TIME = 10
 
 
 def receive_til_end(sock, end=ALL_END):
     total_data = []
-
+    data_size = 0
+    sock.settimeout(MAX_IDLE_TIME)
     while True:
         data = str(sock.recv(1024), "utf-8")
+        data_size += len(data)
+        if data_size > MAX_DATA_SIZE:
+            raise BufferError(f"Data size exceeds limit ({MAX_DATA_SIZE} bytes)")
         if end in data:
             total_data.append(data[: data.find(end)])
             break
diff --git a/nvflare/fuel/hci/server/hci.py b/nvflare/fuel/hci/server/hci.py
index 2d58b6cdfe..96e0d0cc73 100644
--- a/nvflare/fuel/hci/server/hci.py
+++ b/nvflare/fuel/hci/server/hci.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 import socketserver
 import ssl
 import threading
-import traceback
 
 from nvflare.fuel.hci.conn import Connection, receive_til_end
 from nvflare.fuel.hci.proto import validate_proto
@@ -24,6 +23,8 @@
 
 from .reg import ServerCommandRegister
 
+MAX_ADMIN_CONNECTIONS = 16
+
 
 class _MsgHandler(socketserver.BaseRequestHandler):
     """Message handler.
@@ -32,8 +33,23 @@ class _MsgHandler(socketserver.BaseRequestHandler):
     ServerCommandRegister.
     """
 
+    connections = 0
+    lock = threading.Lock()
+
+    def __init__(self, request, client_address, server):
+        # handle() is called in the constructor so logger must be initialized first
+        self.logger = logging.getLogger(self.__class__.__name__)
+        super().__init__(request, client_address, server)
+
     def handle(self):
         try:
+            with _MsgHandler.lock:
+                _MsgHandler.connections += 1
+
+            self.logger.debug(f"Concurrent admin connections: {_MsgHandler.connections}")
+            if _MsgHandler.connections > MAX_ADMIN_CONNECTIONS:
+                raise ConnectionRefusedError(f"Admin connection limit ({MAX_ADMIN_CONNECTIONS}) reached")
+
             conn = Connection(self.request, self.server)
 
             if self.server.use_ssl:
@@ -68,8 +84,13 @@ def handle(self):
 
             if not conn.ended:
                 conn.close()
-        except BaseException:
-            traceback.print_exc()
+        except BaseException as exc:
+            self.logger.error(f"Admin connection terminated due to exception: {str(exc)}")
+            if self.logger.getEffectiveLevel() <= logging.DEBUG:
+                self.logger.exception("Admin connection error")
+        finally:
+            with _MsgHandler.lock:
+                _MsgHandler.connections -= 1
 
 
 def initialize_hci():
@@ -121,7 +142,7 @@ def __init__(
             ctx.load_verify_locations(ca_cert)
             ctx.load_cert_chain(certfile=server_cert, keyfile=server_key)
 
-            # replace the socket with an ssl version of itself
+            # replace the socket with an SSL version of itself
             self.socket = ctx.wrap_socket(self.socket, server_side=True)
             self.use_ssl = True