diff --git a/lib/settings.cpp b/lib/settings.cpp
index 848499655..5dbe8e177 100644
--- a/lib/settings.cpp
+++ b/lib/settings.cpp
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ Settings::Settings()
     showtime(SHOWTIME_MODES::SHOWTIME_NONE),
     templateMaxTime(0),
     typedefMaxTime(0),
-    valueFlowMaxIterations(4),
+    valueFlowMaxIterations(2),
     verbose(false),
     xml(false),
     xml_version(2)
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ void Settings::setCheckLevelExhaustive()
 {
     // Checking can take a little while. ~ 10 times slower than normal analysis is OK.
     performanceValueFlowMaxIfCount = -1;
+    valueFlowMaxIterations = 4;
     performanceValueFlowMaxSubFunctionArgs = 256;
 }
 
@@ -237,4 +238,5 @@ void Settings::setCheckLevelNormal()
     // Checking should finish in reasonable time.
     performanceValueFlowMaxSubFunctionArgs = 8;
     performanceValueFlowMaxIfCount = 100;
+    valueFlowMaxIterations = 2;
 }