diff --git a/awx/main/dispatch/pool.py b/awx/main/dispatch/pool.py
index 9741f83a08..a255e168cd 100644
--- a/awx/main/dispatch/pool.py
+++ b/awx/main/dispatch/pool.py
@@ -71,9 +71,11 @@ class PoolWorker(object):
         self.messages_finished = 0
         self.managed_tasks = collections.OrderedDict()
         self.finished = MPQueue(queue_size) if self.track_managed_tasks else NoOpResultQueue()
+        self.last_finished = None
         self.queue = MPQueue(queue_size)
         self.process = Process(target=target, args=(self.queue, self.finished) + args)
         self.process.daemon = True
+        self.scale_down_in = settings.DISPATCHER_SCALE_DOWN_WAIT_TIME
 
     def start(self):
         self.process.start()
@@ -144,6 +146,9 @@ class PoolWorker(object):
                 # state of which events are *currently* being processed.
                 logger.warning('Event UUID {} appears to be have been duplicated.'.format(uuid))
 
+        if finished:
+            self.last_finished = time.time()
+
     @property
     def current_task(self):
         if not self.track_managed_tasks:
@@ -189,6 +194,14 @@ class PoolWorker(object):
     def idle(self):
         return not self.busy
 
+    @property
+    def ready_to_scale_down(self):
+        if self.busy:
+            return False
+        if self.last_finished is None:
+            return True
+        return time.time() - self.last_finished > self.scale_down_in
+
 
 class StatefulPoolWorker(PoolWorker):
 
@@ -249,7 +262,7 @@ class WorkerPool(object):
         except Exception:
             logger.exception('could not fork')
         else:
-            logger.debug('scaling up worker pid:{}'.format(worker.pid))
+            logger.info(f'scaling up worker pid:{worker.pid} total:{len(self.workers)}')
         return idx, worker
 
     def debug(self, *args, **kwargs):
@@ -385,12 +398,12 @@ class AutoscalePool(WorkerPool):
                             logger.exception('failed to reap job UUID {}'.format(w.current_task['uuid']))
                 orphaned.extend(w.orphaned_tasks)
                 self.workers.remove(w)
-            elif w.idle and len(self.workers) > self.min_workers:
+            elif (len(self.workers) > self.min_workers) and w.ready_to_scale_down:
                 # the process has an empty queue (it's idle) and we have
                 # more processes in the pool than we need (> min)
                 # send this process a message so it will exit gracefully
                 # at the next opportunity
-                logger.debug('scaling down worker pid:{}'.format(w.pid))
+                logger.info(f'scaling down worker pid:{w.pid} prior total:{len(self.workers)}')
                 w.quit()
                 self.workers.remove(w)
             if w.alive:
diff --git a/awx/settings/defaults.py b/awx/settings/defaults.py
index 2751534cfb..bf20f8b9f8 100644
--- a/awx/settings/defaults.py
+++ b/awx/settings/defaults.py
@@ -438,6 +438,10 @@ EXECUTION_NODE_REMEDIATION_CHECKS = 60 * 30  # once every 30 minutes check if an
 # Amount of time dispatcher will try to reconnect to database for jobs and consuming new work
 DISPATCHER_DB_DOWNTOWN_TOLLERANCE = 40
 
+# Minimum time to wait after last job finished before scaling down a worker
+# A higher value will free up memory more agressively, but a lower value will require less forking
+DISPATCHER_SCALE_DOWN_WAIT_TIME = 60
+
 BROKER_URL = 'unix:///var/run/redis/redis.sock'
 CELERYBEAT_SCHEDULE = {
     'tower_scheduler': {'task': 'awx.main.tasks.system.awx_periodic_scheduler', 'schedule': timedelta(seconds=30), 'options': {'expires': 20}},