diff --git a/src/core/config/misc.h b/src/core/config/misc.h
index 8909c4559..3070bb07c 100644
--- a/src/core/config/misc.h
+++ b/src/core/config/misc.h
@@ -483,6 +483,22 @@
 #define OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_DELAY_AWARE_QUEUE_MANAGEMENT_FRAG_TAG_ENTRY_LIST_SIZE 16
 #endif
 
+/**
+ * @def OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_MAX_FRAMES_IN_DIRECT_TX_QUEUE
+ *
+ * Specifies the maximum number of frames in direct tx queue before new direct tx messages are dropped.
+ *
+ * If set to zero then the behavior is disabled, i.e., no check is performed on tx queue length.
+ *
+ */
+#ifndef OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_MAX_FRAMES_IN_DIRECT_TX_QUEUE
+#if (OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_THREAD_VERSION >= OT_THREAD_VERSION_1_3)
+#define OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_MAX_FRAMES_IN_DIRECT_TX_QUEUE 100
+#else
+#define OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_MAX_FRAMES_IN_DIRECT_TX_QUEUE 0
+#endif
+#endif
+
 /**
  * @def OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_PLATFORM_RADIO_PROPRIETARY_SUPPORT
  *
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp
index c7f68339b..bd55d74d6 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp
@@ -438,6 +438,89 @@ Error MeshForwarder::RemoveAgedMessages(void)
 
 #endif // OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_DELAY_AWARE_QUEUE_MANAGEMENT_ENABLE
 
+#if (OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_MAX_FRAMES_IN_DIRECT_TX_QUEUE > 0)
+
+bool MeshForwarder::IsDirectTxQueueOverMaxFrameThreshold(void) const
+{
+    uint16_t frameCount = 0;
+
+    for (const Message &message : mSendQueue)
+    {
+        if (!message.IsDirectTransmission() || (&message == mSendMessage))
+        {
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        switch (message.GetType())
+        {
+        case Message::kTypeIp6:
+        {
+            // If it is an IPv6 message, we estimate the number of
+            // fragment frames assuming typical header sizes and lowpan
+            // compression. Since this estimate is only used for queue
+            // management, we lean towards an under estimate in sense
+            // that we may allow few more frames in the tx queue over
+            // threshold in some rare cases.
+            //
+            // The constants below are derived as follows: Typical MAC
+            // header (15 bytes) and MAC footer (6 bytes) leave 106
+            // bytes for MAC payload. Next fragment header is 5 bytes
+            // leaving 96 for next fragment payload. Lowpan compression
+            // on average compresses 40 bytes IPv6 header into about 19
+            // bytes leaving 87 bytes for the IPv6 payload, so the first
+            // fragment can fit 87 + 40 = 127 bytes.
+
+            static constexpr uint16_t kFirstFragmentMaxLength = 127;
+            static constexpr uint16_t kNextFragmentSize       = 96;
+
+            uint16_t length = message.GetLength();
+
+            frameCount++;
+
+            if (length > kFirstFragmentMaxLength)
+            {
+                frameCount += (length - kFirstFragmentMaxLength) / kNextFragmentSize;
+            }
+
+            break;
+        }
+
+        case Message::kType6lowpan:
+        case Message::kTypeMacEmptyData:
+            frameCount++;
+            break;
+
+        case Message::kTypeSupervision:
+        default:
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return (frameCount > OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_MAX_FRAMES_IN_DIRECT_TX_QUEUE);
+}
+
+void MeshForwarder::ApplyDirectTxQueueLimit(Message &aMessage)
+{
+    VerifyOrExit(aMessage.IsDirectTransmission());
+    VerifyOrExit(IsDirectTxQueueOverMaxFrameThreshold());
+
+#if OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_DELAY_AWARE_QUEUE_MANAGEMENT_ENABLE
+    if (RemoveAgedMessages() == kErrorNone)
+    {
+        VerifyOrExit(IsDirectTxQueueOverMaxFrameThreshold());
+    }
+#endif
+
+    LogMessage(kMessageFullQueueDrop, aMessage);
+    aMessage.ClearDirectTransmission();
+    RemoveMessageIfNoPendingTx(aMessage);
+
+exit:
+    return;
+}
+
+#endif // (OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_MAX_FRAMES_IN_DIRECT_TX_QUEUE > 0)
+
 void MeshForwarder::ScheduleTransmissionTask(Tasklet &aTasklet)
 {
     aTasklet.Get<MeshForwarder>().ScheduleTransmissionTask();
@@ -1809,6 +1892,9 @@ const char *MeshForwarder::MessageActionToString(MessageAction aAction, Error aE
 #if OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_DELAY_AWARE_QUEUE_MANAGEMENT_ENABLE
         "Marked ECN",            // (6) kMessageMarkEcn
         "Dropping (queue mgmt)", // (7) kMessageQueueMgmtDrop
+#endif
+#if (OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_MAX_FRAMES_IN_DIRECT_TX_QUEUE > 0)
+        "Dropping (dir queue full)", // (8) kMessageFullQueueDrop
 #endif
     };
 
@@ -1823,6 +1909,13 @@ const char *MeshForwarder::MessageActionToString(MessageAction aAction, Error aE
 #if OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_DELAY_AWARE_QUEUE_MANAGEMENT_ENABLE
     static_assert(kMessageMarkEcn == 6, "kMessageMarkEcn is incorrect");
     static_assert(kMessageQueueMgmtDrop == 7, "kMessageQueueMgmtDrop is incorrect");
+#if (OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_MAX_FRAMES_IN_DIRECT_TX_QUEUE > 0)
+    static_assert(kMessageFullQueueDrop == 8, "kMessageFullQueueDrop is incorrect");
+#endif
+#else
+#if (OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_MAX_FRAMES_IN_DIRECT_TX_QUEUE > 0)
+    static_assert(kMessageFullQueueDrop == 6, "kMessageFullQueueDrop is incorrect");
+#endif
 #endif
 
     if ((aAction == kMessageTransmit) && (aError != kErrorNone))
@@ -1932,6 +2025,9 @@ void MeshForwarder::LogMessage(MessageAction       aAction,
     case kMessageEvict:
 #if OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_DELAY_AWARE_QUEUE_MANAGEMENT_ENABLE
     case kMessageQueueMgmtDrop:
+#endif
+#if (OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_MAX_FRAMES_IN_DIRECT_TX_QUEUE > 0)
+    case kMessageFullQueueDrop:
 #endif
         logLevel = kLogLevelNote;
         break;
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.hpp b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.hpp
index be4cb6217..e063c9dfb 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.hpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.hpp
@@ -352,6 +352,9 @@ private:
 #if OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_DELAY_AWARE_QUEUE_MANAGEMENT_ENABLE
         kMessageMarkEcn,       // Indicates that ECN is marked on an outbound message by delay-aware queue management.
         kMessageQueueMgmtDrop, // Indicates that an outbound message is dropped by delay-aware queue management.
+#endif
+#if (OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_MAX_FRAMES_IN_DIRECT_TX_QUEUE > 0)
+        kMessageFullQueueDrop, // Indicates message drop due to reaching max allowed frames in direct tx queue.
 #endif
     };
 
@@ -460,6 +463,10 @@ private:
 #if OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_DELAY_AWARE_QUEUE_MANAGEMENT_ENABLE
     Error UpdateEcnOrDrop(Message &aMessage, bool aPreparingToSend = true);
     Error RemoveAgedMessages(void);
+#endif
+#if (OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_MAX_FRAMES_IN_DIRECT_TX_QUEUE > 0)
+    bool IsDirectTxQueueOverMaxFrameThreshold(void) const;
+    void ApplyDirectTxQueueLimit(Message &aMessage);
 #endif
     void  SendMesh(Message &aMessage, Mac::TxFrame &aFrame);
     void  SendDestinationUnreachable(uint16_t aMeshSource, const Ip6::Headers &aIp6Headers);
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder_ftd.cpp b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder_ftd.cpp
index 25688e297..9b5cdc33a 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder_ftd.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder_ftd.cpp
@@ -134,6 +134,10 @@ Error MeshForwarder::SendMessage(Message &aMessage)
         break;
     }
 
+#if (OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_MAX_FRAMES_IN_DIRECT_TX_QUEUE > 0)
+    ApplyDirectTxQueueLimit(aMessage);
+#endif
+
     mScheduleTransmissionTask.Post();
 
     return error;
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder_mtd.cpp b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder_mtd.cpp
index d74fba23f..5e697056b 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder_mtd.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder_mtd.cpp
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ Error MeshForwarder::SendMessage(Message &aMessage)
     mSendQueue.Enqueue(aMessage);
     mScheduleTransmissionTask.Post();
 
+#if (OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_MAX_FRAMES_IN_DIRECT_TX_QUEUE > 0)
+    ApplyDirectTxQueueLimit(aMessage);
+#endif
+
     return kErrorNone;
 }