diff --git a/charts/budibase/values.yaml b/charts/budibase/values.yaml
index 455d3251a8..2734202fff 100644
--- a/charts/budibase/values.yaml
+++ b/charts/budibase/values.yaml
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ globals:
   google:
     clientId: ""
     secret: ""
-  automationMaxIterations: "500"
+  automationMaxIterations: "200"
 
   createSecrets: true # creates an internal API key, JWT secrets and redis password for you
 
diff --git a/packages/server/src/automations/automationUtils.js b/packages/server/src/automations/automationUtils.js
index a3bcae0cee..0646e453c2 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/automations/automationUtils.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/automations/automationUtils.js
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 const { getTable } = require("../api/controllers/table/utils")
-const { findHBSBlocks } = require("@budibase/string-templates")
+const {
+  findHBSBlocks,
+  decodeJSBinding,
+  isJSBinding,
+  encodeJSBinding,
+} = require("@budibase/string-templates")
 
 /**
  * When values are input to the system generally they will be of type string as this is required for template strings.
@@ -77,11 +82,21 @@ exports.getError = err => {
 }
 
 exports.substituteLoopStep = (hbsString, substitute) => {
-  let blocks = findHBSBlocks(hbsString)
+  let blocks = []
+  let checkForJS = isJSBinding(hbsString)
+  if (checkForJS) {
+    hbsString = decodeJSBinding(hbsString)
+    blocks.push(hbsString)
+  } else {
+    blocks = findHBSBlocks(hbsString)
+  }
   for (let block of blocks) {
-    let oldBlock = block
     block = block.replace(/loop/, substitute)
-    hbsString = hbsString.replace(new RegExp(oldBlock, "g"), block)
+    if (checkForJS) {
+      hbsString = encodeJSBinding(block)
+    } else {
+      hbsString = block
+    }
   }
 
   return hbsString
diff --git a/packages/server/src/environment.js b/packages/server/src/environment.js
index 56d05684b0..570ac0ddf2 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/environment.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/environment.js
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ module.exports = {
   SALT_ROUNDS: process.env.SALT_ROUNDS,
   LOGGER: process.env.LOGGER,
   LOG_LEVEL: process.env.LOG_LEVEL,
-  AUTOMATION_MAX_ITERATIONS: process.env.AUTOMATION_MAX_ITERATIONS,
+  AUTOMATION_MAX_ITERATIONS:
+    parseIntSafe(process.env.AUTOMATION_MAX_ITERATIONS) || 200,
   SENDGRID_API_KEY: process.env.SENDGRID_API_KEY,
   DYNAMO_ENDPOINT: process.env.DYNAMO_ENDPOINT,
   QUERY_THREAD_TIMEOUT: parseIntSafe(process.env.QUERY_THREAD_TIMEOUT),
diff --git a/packages/server/src/threads/automation.js b/packages/server/src/threads/automation.js
index 7c5c96fc39..739441ef46 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/threads/automation.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/threads/automation.js
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ class Orchestrator {
             }
           }
           if (
-            index === parseInt(env.AUTOMATION_MAX_ITERATIONS) ||
+            index === env.AUTOMATION_MAX_ITERATION ||
             index === parseInt(loopStep.inputs.iterations)
           ) {
             this.updateContextAndOutput(loopStepNumber, step, tempOutput, {