diff --git a/pkg/sql/create_table.go b/pkg/sql/create_table.go
index 331884cd2512..9db298b7b341 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/create_table.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/create_table.go
@@ -578,6 +578,14 @@ func (n *createTableNode) startExec(params runParams) error {
 					break
 				}
 
+				// Periodically flush out the batches, so that we don't issue gigantic,
+				// raft commands.
+				if ti.currentBatchSize >= ti.maxBatchSize {
+					if err := tw.flushAndStartNewBatch(params.ctx); err != nil {
+						return err
+					}
+				}
+
 				// Populate the buffer.
 				copy(rowBuffer, n.sourcePlan.Values())
 
diff --git a/pkg/sql/logictest/testdata/logic_test/create_as b/pkg/sql/logictest/testdata/logic_test/create_as
index c8c51ae8fe6c..e28567d48b0d 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/logictest/testdata/logic_test/create_as
+++ b/pkg/sql/logictest/testdata/logic_test/create_as
@@ -382,3 +382,17 @@ query I
 SELECT * FROM tab_from_seq
 ----
 2
+
+# Regression test for #81554, where tried to do gigantic batches for CTAS in
+# explicit transactions. Use a fixed command size, so that an error is decoupled
+# fom the default size.
+statement ok
+SET CLUSTER SETTING kv.raft.command.max_size='5m'
+
+statement ok
+BEGIN;
+CREATE TABLE source_tbl_huge AS SELECT 1::CHAR(256) FROM generate_series(1, 500000);
+COMMIT;
+
+statement ok
+SET CLUSTER SETTING kv.raft.command.max_size to default