---
title: "SET QUERY_GOVERNOR_COST_LIMIT (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "06/10/2016"
ms.prod: "sql-non-specified"
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.suite: ""
ms.technology: 
  - "database-engine"
ms.tgt_pltfrm: ""
ms.topic: "language-reference"
f1_keywords: 
  - "SET QUERY_GOVERNOR_COST_LIMIT"
  - "SET_QUERY_GOVERNOR_COST_LIMIT_TSQL"
  - "QUERY_GOVERNOR_COST_LIMIT"
  - "QUERY_GOVERNOR_COST_LIMIT_TSQL"
dev_langs: 
  - "TSQL"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "SET QUERY_GOVERNOR_COST_LIMIT statement"
  - "connections [SQL Server], overriding"
  - "QUERY_GOVERNOR_COST_LIMIT option"
  - "overriding connection values"
ms.assetid: 3424bb44-6915-462d-a8d7-fe834af81387
caps.latest.revision: 27
author: "JennieHubbard"
ms.author: "jhubbard"
manager: "jhubbard"
---
# SET QUERY_GOVERNOR_COST_LIMIT (Transact-SQL)
[!INCLUDE[tsql-appliesto-ss2008-asdb-xxxx-xxx_md](../../includes/tsql-appliesto-ss2008-asdb-xxxx-xxx-md.md)]

  Overrides the currently configured **query governor cost limit** value for the current connection.  
  
 ![Topic link icon](../../database-engine/configure-windows/media/topic-link.gif "Topic link icon") [Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions](../../t-sql/language-elements/transact-sql-syntax-conventions-transact-sql.md)  
  
## Syntax  
  
```  
  
SET QUERY_GOVERNOR_COST_LIMIT value  
```  
  
## Arguments  
 *value*  
 Is a numeric or integer value specifying the longest time in which a query can run. Values are rounded down to the nearest integer. Negative values are rounded up to 0. The query governor disallows execution of any query that has an estimated cost exceeding that value. Specifying 0 (the default) for this option turns off the query governor, and all queries are allowed to run indefinitely.  
  
 "Query cost" refers to the estimated elapsed time, in seconds, required to complete a query on a specific hardware configuration.  
  
## Remarks  
 Using SET QUERY_GOVERNOR_COST_LIMIT applies to the current connection only and lasts the duration of the current connection. Use the [Configure the query governor cost limit Server Configuration Option](../../database-engine/configure-windows/configure-the-query-governor-cost-limit-server-configuration-option.md)option of **sp_configure** to change the server-wide query governor cost limit value. For more information about configuring this option, see [sp_configure](../../relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-configure-transact-sql.md) and [Server Configuration Options (SQL Server)](../../database-engine/configure-windows/server-configuration-options-sql-server.md).  
  
 The setting of SET QUERY_GOVERNOR_COST_LIMIT is set at execute or run time and not at parse time.  
  
## Permissions  
 Requires membership in the **public** role.  
  
## See Also  
 [SET Statements (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/set-statements-transact-sql.md)