A network device receives initial policer limits for a plurality of over-subscribing ingress ports, where the initial policer limits are based on existing bandwidth limits for an over-subscribed egress port associated with the over-subscribing ingress ports. The network device receives a high threshold watermark and a low threshold watermark for bandwidth usage of the over-subscribed egress port, and identifies a queue, associated with the over-subscribed egress port, with values outside the high threshold watermark or the low threshold watermark. The network device reduces the initial policer limits for the plurality of over-subscribing ingress ports when the queue has values above the high threshold watermark, and increases the initial policer limits for the plurality of over-subscribing ingress ports when the queue has values below the low threshold watermark.