diff --git a/spring-rabbit/src/main/java/org/springframework/amqp/rabbit/listener/SimpleMessageListenerContainer.java b/spring-rabbit/src/main/java/org/springframework/amqp/rabbit/listener/SimpleMessageListenerContainer.java
index a3034e2a..8f1a6de7 100644
--- a/spring-rabbit/src/main/java/org/springframework/amqp/rabbit/listener/SimpleMessageListenerContainer.java
+++ b/spring-rabbit/src/main/java/org/springframework/amqp/rabbit/listener/SimpleMessageListenerContainer.java
@@ -164,19 +164,8 @@ public class SimpleMessageListenerContainer extends AbstractMessageListenerConta
 			}
 			int delta = this.concurrentConsumers - concurrentConsumers;
 			this.concurrentConsumers = concurrentConsumers;
-			if (isActive() && this.consumers != null) {
-				if (delta > 0) {
-					Iterator<BlockingQueueConsumer> consumerIterator = this.consumers.iterator();
-					while (consumerIterator.hasNext() && delta > 0) {
-						BlockingQueueConsumer consumer = consumerIterator.next();
-						consumer.basicCancel(true);
-						consumerIterator.remove();
-						delta--;
-					}
-				}
-				else {
-					addAndStartConsumers(-delta);
-				}
+			if (isActive()) {
+				adjustConsumers(delta);
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -196,7 +185,15 @@ public class SimpleMessageListenerContainer extends AbstractMessageListenerConta
 				"'maxConcurrentConsumers' value must be at least 'concurrentConsumers'");
 		Assert.isTrue(!isExclusive() || maxConcurrentConsumers == 1,
 				"When the consumer is exclusive, the concurrency must be 1");
+		Integer oldMax = this.maxConcurrentConsumers;
 		this.maxConcurrentConsumers = maxConcurrentConsumers;
+		if (oldMax != null && isActive()) {
+			int delta = oldMax - maxConcurrentConsumers;
+			if (delta > 0) { // only decrease, not increase
+				adjustConsumers(delta);
+			}
+		}
+
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -587,10 +584,45 @@ public class SimpleMessageListenerContainer extends AbstractMessageListenerConta
 		return count;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Adjust consumers depending on delta.
+	 * @param delta a negative value increases, positive decreases.
+	 * @since 1.7.8
+	 */
+	protected void adjustConsumers(int delta) {
+		synchronized (this.consumersMonitor) {
+			if (isActive() && this.consumers != null) {
+				if (delta > 0) {
+					Iterator<BlockingQueueConsumer> consumerIterator = this.consumers.iterator();
+					while (consumerIterator.hasNext() && delta > 0
+						&& (this.maxConcurrentConsumers == null
+								|| this.consumers.size() > this.maxConcurrentConsumers)) {
+						BlockingQueueConsumer consumer = consumerIterator.next();
+						consumer.basicCancel(true);
+						consumerIterator.remove();
+						delta--;
+					}
+				}
+				else {
+					addAndStartConsumers(-delta);
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+
+	/**
+	 * Start up to delta consumers, limited by {@link #setMaxConcurrentConsumers(int)}.
+	 * @param delta the consumers to add.
+	 */
 	protected void addAndStartConsumers(int delta) {
 		synchronized (this.consumersMonitor) {
 			if (this.consumers != null) {
 				for (int i = 0; i < delta; i++) {
+					if (this.maxConcurrentConsumers != null
+							&& this.consumers.size() >= this.maxConcurrentConsumers) {
+						break;
+					}
 					BlockingQueueConsumer consumer = createBlockingQueueConsumer();
 					this.consumers.add(consumer);
 					AsyncMessageProcessingConsumer processor = new AsyncMessageProcessingConsumer(consumer);
diff --git a/spring-rabbit/src/test/java/org/springframework/amqp/rabbit/listener/SimpleMessageListenerContainerLongTests.java b/spring-rabbit/src/test/java/org/springframework/amqp/rabbit/listener/SimpleMessageListenerContainerLongTests.java
index f47155fa..e97b11e4 100644
--- a/spring-rabbit/src/test/java/org/springframework/amqp/rabbit/listener/SimpleMessageListenerContainerLongTests.java
+++ b/spring-rabbit/src/test/java/org/springframework/amqp/rabbit/listener/SimpleMessageListenerContainerLongTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2017 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2018 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@
 
 package org.springframework.amqp.rabbit.listener;
 
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
 import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 
 import java.util.Set;
@@ -44,12 +46,23 @@ import com.rabbitmq.client.ConnectionFactory;
  * @since 1.2.1
  *
  */
-@RabbitAvailable(queues = SimpleMessageListenerContainerLongTests.QUEUE)
+@RabbitAvailable(queues = {
+		SimpleMessageListenerContainerLongTests.QUEUE,
+		SimpleMessageListenerContainerLongTests.QUEUE2,
+		SimpleMessageListenerContainerLongTests.QUEUE3,
+		SimpleMessageListenerContainerLongTests.QUEUE4
+})
 @LongRunning
 public class SimpleMessageListenerContainerLongTests {
 
 	public static final String QUEUE = "SimpleMessageListenerContainerLongTests.queue";
 
+	public static final String QUEUE2 = "SimpleMessageListenerContainerLongTests.queue2";
+
+	public static final String QUEUE3 = "SimpleMessageListenerContainerLongTests.queue3";
+
+	public static final String QUEUE4 = "SimpleMessageListenerContainerLongTests.queue4";
+
 	private final Log logger = LogFactory.getLog(SimpleMessageListenerContainerLongTests.class);
 
 	private final SingleConnectionFactory connectionFactory;
@@ -132,6 +145,90 @@ public class SimpleMessageListenerContainerLongTests {
 		connectionFactory.destroy();
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testIncreaseMinAtMax() throws Exception {
+		SimpleMessageListenerContainer container = new SimpleMessageListenerContainer(this.connectionFactory);
+		container.setStartConsumerMinInterval(100);
+		container.setConsecutiveActiveTrigger(1);
+		container.setMessageListener(m -> {
+			try {
+				Thread.sleep(50);
+			}
+			catch (InterruptedException e) {
+				Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
+			}
+		});
+		container.setQueueNames(QUEUE2);
+		container.setConcurrentConsumers(2);
+		container.setMaxConcurrentConsumers(5);
+		container.afterPropertiesSet();
+		container.start();
+		RabbitTemplate template = new RabbitTemplate(this.connectionFactory);
+		for (int i = 0; i < 20; i++) {
+			template.convertAndSend(QUEUE2, "foo");
+		}
+		waitForNConsumers(container, 5);
+		container.setConcurrentConsumers(4);
+		Set<?> consumers = (Set<?>) TestUtils.getPropertyValue(container, "consumers");
+		assertThat(consumers.size(), equalTo(5));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testDecreaseMinAtMax() throws Exception {
+		SimpleMessageListenerContainer container = new SimpleMessageListenerContainer(this.connectionFactory);
+		container.setStartConsumerMinInterval(100);
+		container.setConsecutiveActiveTrigger(1);
+		container.setMessageListener(m -> {
+			try {
+				Thread.sleep(50);
+			}
+			catch (InterruptedException e) {
+				Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
+			}
+		});
+		container.setQueueNames(QUEUE3);
+		container.setConcurrentConsumers(2);
+		container.setMaxConcurrentConsumers(3);
+		container.afterPropertiesSet();
+		container.start();
+		RabbitTemplate template = new RabbitTemplate(this.connectionFactory);
+		for (int i = 0; i < 20; i++) {
+			template.convertAndSend(QUEUE3, "foo");
+		}
+		waitForNConsumers(container, 3);
+		container.setConcurrentConsumers(1);
+		Set<?> consumers = (Set<?>) TestUtils.getPropertyValue(container, "consumers");
+		assertThat(consumers.size(), equalTo(3));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void testDecreaseMaxAtMax() throws Exception {
+		SimpleMessageListenerContainer container = new SimpleMessageListenerContainer(this.connectionFactory);
+		container.setStartConsumerMinInterval(100);
+		container.setConsecutiveActiveTrigger(1);
+		container.setMessageListener(m -> {
+			try {
+				Thread.sleep(50);
+			}
+			catch (InterruptedException e) {
+				Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
+			}
+		});
+		container.setQueueNames(QUEUE4);
+		container.setConcurrentConsumers(2);
+		container.setMaxConcurrentConsumers(3);
+		container.afterPropertiesSet();
+		container.start();
+		RabbitTemplate template = new RabbitTemplate(this.connectionFactory);
+		for (int i = 0; i < 20; i++) {
+			template.convertAndSend(QUEUE4, "foo");
+		}
+		waitForNConsumers(container, 3);
+		container.setConcurrentConsumers(1);
+		container.setMaxConcurrentConsumers(1);
+		Set<?> consumers = (Set<?>) TestUtils.getPropertyValue(container, "consumers");
+		assertThat(consumers.size(), equalTo(1));
+	}
 
 	public void handleMessage(String foo) {
 		logger.info(foo);