diff --git a/db/memtable.cc b/db/memtable.cc
index ba4f0da824..60037c9ba4 100644
--- a/db/memtable.cc
+++ b/db/memtable.cc
@@ -1621,7 +1621,8 @@ Status MemTable::UpdateCallback(SequenceNumber seq, const Slice& key,
   return Status::NotFound();
 }
 
-size_t MemTable::CountSuccessiveMergeEntries(const LookupKey& key) {
+size_t MemTable::CountSuccessiveMergeEntries(const LookupKey& key,
+                                             size_t limit) {
   Slice memkey = key.memtable_key();
 
   // A total ordered iterator is costly for some memtablerep (prefix aware
@@ -1633,7 +1634,7 @@ size_t MemTable::CountSuccessiveMergeEntries(const LookupKey& key) {
 
   size_t num_successive_merges = 0;
 
-  for (; iter->Valid(); iter->Next()) {
+  for (; iter->Valid() && num_successive_merges < limit; iter->Next()) {
     const char* entry = iter->key();
     uint32_t key_length = 0;
     const char* iter_key_ptr = GetVarint32Ptr(entry, entry + 5, &key_length);
diff --git a/db/memtable.h b/db/memtable.h
index 730258f05c..11ab6ea41b 100644
--- a/db/memtable.h
+++ b/db/memtable.h
@@ -326,9 +326,10 @@ class MemTable {
                         const ProtectionInfoKVOS64* kv_prot_info);
 
   // Returns the number of successive merge entries starting from the newest
-  // entry for the key up to the last non-merge entry or last entry for the
-  // key in the memtable.
-  size_t CountSuccessiveMergeEntries(const LookupKey& key);
+  // entry for the key. The count ends when the oldest entry in the memtable
+  // with which the newest entry would be merged is reached, or the count
+  // reaches `limit`.
+  size_t CountSuccessiveMergeEntries(const LookupKey& key, size_t limit);
 
   // Update counters and flush status after inserting a whole write batch
   // Used in concurrent memtable inserts.
diff --git a/db/write_batch.cc b/db/write_batch.cc
index 4adba1de84..e16cef7f52 100644
--- a/db/write_batch.cc
+++ b/db/write_batch.cc
@@ -2623,8 +2623,10 @@ class MemTableInserter : public WriteBatch::Handler {
       LookupKey lkey(key, sequence_);
 
       // Count the number of successive merges at the head
-      // of the key in the memtable
-      size_t num_merges = mem->CountSuccessiveMergeEntries(lkey);
+      // of the key in the memtable. Limit the count to the threshold for
+      // triggering merge to prevent unnecessary counting overhead.
+      size_t num_merges = mem->CountSuccessiveMergeEntries(
+          lkey, moptions->max_successive_merges /* limit */);
 
       if (num_merges >= moptions->max_successive_merges) {
         perform_merge = true;
diff --git a/unreleased_history/bug_fixes/max_successive_merges_regression.md b/unreleased_history/bug_fixes/max_successive_merges_regression.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d00028014b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unreleased_history/bug_fixes/max_successive_merges_regression.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+* Fixed a regression when `ColumnFamilyOptions::max_successive_merges > 0` where the CPU overhead for deciding whether to merge could have increased unless the user had set the option `ColumnFamilyOptions::strict_max_successive_merges`