diff --git a/opencl/test/unit_test/test_files/igdrcl.config b/opencl/test/unit_test/test_files/igdrcl.config
index bd5b6c13c2..43080b545b 100644
--- a/opencl/test/unit_test/test_files/igdrcl.config
+++ b/opencl/test/unit_test/test_files/igdrcl.config
@@ -244,4 +244,5 @@ EngineInstancedSubDevices = 0
 OverrideTimestampPacketSize = -1
 ClDeviceGlobalMemSizeAvailablePercent = -1
 DebugApiUsed = 0
-ForceHostPointerImport = -1
\ No newline at end of file
+ForceHostPointerImport = -1
+OverrideMaxWorkGroupCount = -1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/shared/source/debug_settings/debug_variables_base.inl b/shared/source/debug_settings/debug_variables_base.inl
index 1a3885164f..32b9611f6e 100644
--- a/shared/source/debug_settings/debug_variables_base.inl
+++ b/shared/source/debug_settings/debug_variables_base.inl
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ DECLARE_DEBUG_VARIABLE(int32_t, DebuggerOptDisable, -1, "-1: default from debugg
 DECLARE_DEBUG_VARIABLE(int32_t, DebugApiUsed, 0, "0: default L0 Debug API not used, 1: L0 Debug API used")
 DECLARE_DEBUG_VARIABLE(int32_t, OverrideCsrAllocationSize, -1, "-1: default, >0: use value for size of CSR allocation")
 DECLARE_DEBUG_VARIABLE(int32_t, OverrideTimestampPacketSize, -1, "-1: default, >0: size in bytes. 4 and 8 supported for experiments")
+DECLARE_DEBUG_VARIABLE(int32_t, OverrideMaxWorkGroupCount, -1, "-1: default, >0: Max WG size")
 
 /*LOGGING FLAGS*/
 DECLARE_DEBUG_VARIABLE(int32_t, PrintDriverDiagnostics, -1, "prints driver diagnostics messages to standard output, value corresponds to hint level")
diff --git a/shared/source/helpers/kernel_helpers.cpp b/shared/source/helpers/kernel_helpers.cpp
index 84a42a3a50..5184fc146c 100644
--- a/shared/source/helpers/kernel_helpers.cpp
+++ b/shared/source/helpers/kernel_helpers.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (C) 2019-2020 Intel Corporation
+ * Copyright (C) 2019-2021 Intel Corporation
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
  *
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 #include "shared/source/helpers/kernel_helpers.h"
 
+#include "shared/source/debug_settings/debug_settings_manager.h"
 #include "shared/source/helpers/basic_math.h"
 #include "shared/source/helpers/debug_helpers.h"
 
@@ -17,6 +18,10 @@ namespace NEO {
 uint32_t KernelHelper::getMaxWorkGroupCount(uint32_t simd, uint32_t availableThreadCount, uint32_t dssCount, uint32_t availableSlmSize,
                                             uint32_t usedSlmSize, uint32_t maxBarrierCount, uint32_t numberOfBarriers, uint32_t workDim,
                                             const size_t *localWorkSize) {
+    if (DebugManager.flags.OverrideMaxWorkGroupCount.get() != -1) {
+        return static_cast<uint32_t>(DebugManager.flags.OverrideMaxWorkGroupCount.get());
+    }
+
     UNRECOVERABLE_IF((workDim == 0) || (workDim > 3));
     UNRECOVERABLE_IF(localWorkSize == nullptr);
 
diff --git a/shared/test/common/helpers/kernel_helpers_tests.cpp b/shared/test/common/helpers/kernel_helpers_tests.cpp
index 2bf8bf40e7..15a2fa1f9c 100644
--- a/shared/test/common/helpers/kernel_helpers_tests.cpp
+++ b/shared/test/common/helpers/kernel_helpers_tests.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "shared/source/helpers/basic_math.h"
 #include "shared/source/helpers/constants.h"
 #include "shared/source/helpers/kernel_helpers.h"
+#include "shared/test/common/helpers/debug_manager_state_restore.h"
 
 #include "test.h"
 
@@ -36,6 +37,13 @@ TEST_F(KernelHelperMaxWorkGroupsTests, GivenNoBarriersOrSlmUsedWhenCalculatingMa
     EXPECT_EQ(expected, getMaxWorkGroupCount());
 }
 
+TEST_F(KernelHelperMaxWorkGroupsTests, GivenDebugFlagSetWhenGetMaxWorkGroupCountCalledThenReturnCorrectValue) {
+    DebugManagerStateRestore restore;
+    DebugManager.flags.OverrideMaxWorkGroupCount.set(123);
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(123u, getMaxWorkGroupCount());
+}
+
 TEST_F(KernelHelperMaxWorkGroupsTests, GivenBarriersWhenCalculatingMaxWorkGroupsCountThenResultIsCalculatedWithRegardToBarriersCount) {
     numberOfBarriers = 16;