diff --git a/paddle/fluid/operators/reader/open_files_op.cc b/paddle/fluid/operators/reader/open_files_op.cc
index eacedeea8835d27b712b287824b9d30b03ebebbf..db4e619e7b1cee2c934aa5da38a95c4a99c4ead3 100644
--- a/paddle/fluid/operators/reader/open_files_op.cc
+++ b/paddle/fluid/operators/reader/open_files_op.cc
@@ -38,8 +38,9 @@ class MultipleReader : public framework::ReaderBase {
   };
 
   MultipleReader(const std::vector<std::string>& file_names,
-                 const std::vector<framework::DDim>& dims, size_t thread_num)
-      : file_names_(file_names), dims_(dims) {
+                 const std::vector<framework::DDim>& dims, size_t thread_num,
+                 size_t buffer_size)
+      : file_names_(file_names), dims_(dims), buffer_size_(buffer_size) {
     prefetchers_.resize(thread_num);
     StartNewScheduler();
   }
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ class MultipleReader : public framework::ReaderBase {
   std::vector<framework::DDim> dims_;
   std::thread scheduler_;
   std::vector<std::thread> prefetchers_;
+  size_t buffer_size_;
   framework::Channel<size_t>* waiting_file_idx_;
   framework::Channel<size_t>* available_thread_idx_;
   framework::Channel<std::vector<framework::LoDTensor>>* buffer_;
@@ -92,7 +94,7 @@ void MultipleReader::StartNewScheduler() {
   waiting_file_idx_ = framework::MakeChannel<size_t>(file_names_.size());
   available_thread_idx_ = framework::MakeChannel<size_t>(thread_num);
   buffer_ =
-      framework::MakeChannel<std::vector<framework::LoDTensor>>(thread_num);
+      framework::MakeChannel<std::vector<framework::LoDTensor>>(buffer_size_);
 
   for (size_t i = 0; i < file_names_.size(); ++i) {
     waiting_file_idx_->Send(&i);
@@ -197,11 +199,13 @@ class OpenFilesOp : public framework::OperatorBase {
     const auto& file_names = Attr<std::vector<std::string>>("file_names");
     PADDLE_ENFORCE(!file_names.empty(), "No file to be read!");
     const size_t thread_num = Attr<int>("thread_num");
+    const size_t buffer_size = Attr<int>("buffer_size");
 
     auto* out = scope.FindVar(Output("Out"))
                     ->template GetMutable<framework::ReaderHolder>();
-    out->Reset(new MultipleReader(
-        file_names, RestoreShapes(shape_concat, ranks), thread_num));
+    out->Reset(new MultipleReader(file_names,
+                                  RestoreShapes(shape_concat, ranks),
+                                  thread_num, buffer_size));
   }
 };
 
@@ -212,6 +216,7 @@ class OpenFilesOpMaker : public FileReaderMakerBase {
     AddAttr<std::vector<std::string>>("file_names", "Files to be read.");
     AddAttr<int>("thread_num", "The maximal concurrent prefetch thread number.")
         .GreaterThan(0);
+    AddAttr<int>("buffer_size", "The size of prefetch buffer.").GreaterThan(0);
 
     AddComment(R"DOC(
       OpenFiles Operator
diff --git a/python/paddle/fluid/layers/io.py b/python/paddle/fluid/layers/io.py
index bd7e9c30fed2c38a206bf17a646d8a4433af4099..da5b4853d34241ad70d2d75f665dffb4bae1e821 100644
--- a/python/paddle/fluid/layers/io.py
+++ b/python/paddle/fluid/layers/io.py
@@ -287,7 +287,14 @@ def open_recordio_file(filename, shapes, lod_levels, dtypes):
                              startup_var)
 
 
-def open_files(filenames, thread_num, shapes, lod_levels, dtypes):
+def open_files(filenames,
+               shapes,
+               lod_levels,
+               dtypes,
+               thread_num,
+               buffer_size=None):
+    if buffer_size is None:
+        buffer_size = thread_num
     dtypes = [convert_np_dtype_to_dtype_(dt) for dt in dtypes]
     shape_concat = []
     ranks = []
@@ -308,7 +315,8 @@ def open_files(filenames, thread_num, shapes, lod_levels, dtypes):
             'lod_levels': lod_levels,
             'ranks': ranks,
             'file_names': filenames,
-            'thread_num': thread_num
+            'thread_num': thread_num,
+            'buffer_size': buffer_size
         })
 
     startup_var.desc.set_dtypes(dtypes)