diff --git a/docs/changelog/101012.yaml b/docs/changelog/101012.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..1d5f62bdddba7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog/101012.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+pr: 101012
+summary: Adjust `DateHistogram's` bucket accounting to be iteratively
+area: Aggregations
+type: bug
+issues: []
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/histogram/InternalDateHistogram.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/histogram/InternalDateHistogram.java
index 82716dca7311c..4eaec7034b7f4 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/histogram/InternalDateHistogram.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/histogram/InternalDateHistogram.java
@@ -310,6 +310,7 @@ protected boolean lessThan(IteratorAndCurrent<Bucket> a, IteratorAndCurrent<Buck
             }
         }
 
+        int consumeBucketCount = 0;
         List<Bucket> reducedBuckets = new ArrayList<>();
         if (pq.size() > 0) {
             // list of buckets coming from different shards that have the same key
@@ -323,6 +324,10 @@ protected boolean lessThan(IteratorAndCurrent<Bucket> a, IteratorAndCurrent<Buck
                     // the key changes, reduce what we already buffered and reset the buffer for current buckets
                     final Bucket reduced = reduceBucket(currentBuckets, reduceContext);
                     if (reduced.getDocCount() >= minDocCount || reduceContext.isFinalReduce() == false) {
+                        if (consumeBucketCount++ >= REPORT_EMPTY_EVERY) {
+                            reduceContext.consumeBucketsAndMaybeBreak(consumeBucketCount);
+                            consumeBucketCount = 0;
+                        }
                         reducedBuckets.add(reduced);
                     }
                     currentBuckets.clear();
@@ -344,10 +349,14 @@ protected boolean lessThan(IteratorAndCurrent<Bucket> a, IteratorAndCurrent<Buck
                 final Bucket reduced = reduceBucket(currentBuckets, reduceContext);
                 if (reduced.getDocCount() >= minDocCount || reduceContext.isFinalReduce() == false) {
                     reducedBuckets.add(reduced);
+                    if (consumeBucketCount++ >= REPORT_EMPTY_EVERY) {
+                        reduceContext.consumeBucketsAndMaybeBreak(consumeBucketCount);
+                        consumeBucketCount = 0;
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }
-
+        reduceContext.consumeBucketsAndMaybeBreak(consumeBucketCount);
         return reducedBuckets;
     }
 
@@ -387,7 +396,7 @@ private void addEmptyBuckets(List<Bucket> list, AggregationReduceContext reduceC
          * consumeBucketsAndMaybeBreak.
          */
         class Counter implements LongConsumer {
-            private int size = list.size();
+            private int size;
 
             @Override
             public void accept(long key) {
@@ -490,11 +499,9 @@ private void iterateEmptyBuckets(List<Bucket> list, ListIterator<Bucket> iter, L
     @Override
     public InternalAggregation reduce(List<InternalAggregation> aggregations, AggregationReduceContext reduceContext) {
         List<Bucket> reducedBuckets = reduceBuckets(aggregations, reduceContext);
-        boolean alreadyAccountedForBuckets = false;
         if (reduceContext.isFinalReduce()) {
             if (minDocCount == 0) {
                 addEmptyBuckets(reducedBuckets, reduceContext);
-                alreadyAccountedForBuckets = true;
             }
             if (InternalOrder.isKeyDesc(order)) {
                 // we just need to reverse here...
@@ -508,9 +515,6 @@ public InternalAggregation reduce(List<InternalAggregation> aggregations, Aggreg
                 CollectionUtil.introSort(reducedBuckets, order.comparator());
             }
         }
-        if (false == alreadyAccountedForBuckets) {
-            reduceContext.consumeBucketsAndMaybeBreak(reducedBuckets.size());
-        }
         return new InternalDateHistogram(
             getName(),
             reducedBuckets,