diff --git a/userspace/engine/falco_common.h b/userspace/engine/falco_common.h
index e0c7ebed..6ddefad2 100644
--- a/userspace/engine/falco_common.h
+++ b/userspace/engine/falco_common.h
@@ -21,7 +21,11 @@ limitations under the License.
 #include <mutex>
 #include <sinsp.h>
 
-#define DEFAULT_OUTPUTS_QUEUE_CAPACITY 0
+//
+// equivalent to an "unbounded queue" in TBB terms or largest long value
+// https://github.com/oneapi-src/oneTBB/blob/b2474bfc636937052d05daf8b3f4d6b76e20273a/include/oneapi/tbb/concurrent_queue.h#L554
+//
+#define DEFAULT_OUTPUTS_QUEUE_CAPACITY std::ptrdiff_t(~size_t(0) / 2)
 
 //
 // Most falco_* classes can throw exceptions. Unless directly related
diff --git a/userspace/falco/configuration.cpp b/userspace/falco/configuration.cpp
index a25299bb..0f67d3f4 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/configuration.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/configuration.cpp
@@ -284,6 +284,11 @@ void falco_configuration::load_yaml(const std::string& config_name, const yaml_h
 
 	m_buffered_outputs = config.get_scalar<bool>("buffered_outputs", false);
 	m_outputs_queue_capacity = config.get_scalar<size_t>("outputs_queue.capacity", DEFAULT_OUTPUTS_QUEUE_CAPACITY);
+	// We use 0 in falco.yaml to indicate an unbounded queue; equivalent to the largest long value 
+	if (m_outputs_queue_capacity == 0)
+	{
+		m_outputs_queue_capacity = DEFAULT_OUTPUTS_QUEUE_CAPACITY;
+	}
 	std::string recovery = config.get_scalar<std::string>("outputs_queue.recovery", "exit");
 	if (!falco_common::parse_recovery(recovery, m_outputs_queue_recovery))
 	{
diff --git a/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.cpp b/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.cpp
index af2c642a..1cbc6cb3 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.cpp
@@ -67,10 +67,7 @@ falco_outputs::falco_outputs(
 	}
 #ifndef __EMSCRIPTEN__
 	m_worker_thread = std::thread(&falco_outputs::worker, this);
-	if (outputs_queue_capacity > 0)
-	{
-		m_queue.set_capacity(outputs_queue_capacity);
-	}
+	m_queue.set_capacity(outputs_queue_capacity);
 	m_recovery = outputs_queue_recovery;
 	m_outputs_queue_num_drops = 0UL;
 #endif
diff --git a/userspace/falco/stats_writer.cpp b/userspace/falco/stats_writer.cpp
index 0f3b73ea..4a04cd06 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/stats_writer.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/stats_writer.cpp
@@ -91,10 +91,7 @@ stats_writer::stats_writer(
 	m_config = config;
 	// capacity and controls should not be relevant for stats outputs, adopt capacity
 	// for completeness, but do not implement config recovery strategies.
-	if (config->m_outputs_queue_capacity > 0)
-	{
-		m_queue.set_capacity(config->m_outputs_queue_capacity);
-	}
+	m_queue.set_capacity(config->m_outputs_queue_capacity);
 	if (config->m_metrics_enabled)
 	{
 		if (!config->m_metrics_output_file.empty())