diff --git a/bigframes/core/blocks.py b/bigframes/core/blocks.py
index ea063669d5..0e0bd30be3 100644
--- a/bigframes/core/blocks.py
+++ b/bigframes/core/blocks.py
@@ -508,11 +508,24 @@ def try_peek(
         else:
             return None
 
-    def to_pandas_batches(self):
-        """Download results one message at a time."""
+    def to_pandas_batches(
+        self, page_size: Optional[int] = None, max_results: Optional[int] = None
+    ):
+        """Download results one message at a time.
+
+        page_size and max_results determine the size and number of batches,
+        see https://cloud.google.com/python/docs/reference/bigquery/latest/google.cloud.bigquery.job.QueryJob#google_cloud_bigquery_job_QueryJob_result"""
         dtypes = dict(zip(self.index_columns, self.index.dtypes))
         dtypes.update(zip(self.value_columns, self.dtypes))
-        results_iterator, _ = self.session._execute(self.expr, sorted=True)
+        _, query_job = self.session._query_to_destination(
+            self.session._to_sql(self.expr, sorted=True),
+            list(self.index_columns),
+            api_name="cached",
+            do_clustering=False,
+        )
+        results_iterator = query_job.result(
+            page_size=page_size, max_results=max_results
+        )
         for arrow_table in results_iterator.to_arrow_iterable(
             bqstorage_client=self.session.bqstoragereadclient
         ):
diff --git a/bigframes/dataframe.py b/bigframes/dataframe.py
index e404e439ab..874ef76f6e 100644
--- a/bigframes/dataframe.py
+++ b/bigframes/dataframe.py
@@ -1215,10 +1215,30 @@ def to_pandas(
         self._set_internal_query_job(query_job)
         return df.set_axis(self._block.column_labels, axis=1, copy=False)
 
-    def to_pandas_batches(self) -> Iterable[pandas.DataFrame]:
-        """Stream DataFrame results to an iterable of pandas DataFrame"""
+    def to_pandas_batches(
+        self, page_size: Optional[int] = None, max_results: Optional[int] = None
+    ) -> Iterable[pandas.DataFrame]:
+        """Stream DataFrame results to an iterable of pandas DataFrame.
+
+        page_size and max_results determine the size and number of batches,
+        see https://cloud.google.com/python/docs/reference/bigquery/latest/google.cloud.bigquery.job.QueryJob#google_cloud_bigquery_job_QueryJob_result
+
+        Args:
+            page_size (int, default None):
+                The size of each batch.
+            max_results (int, default None):
+                If given, only download this many rows at maximum.
+
+        Returns:
+            Iterable[pandas.DataFrame]:
+                An iterable of smaller dataframes which combine to
+                form the original dataframe. Results stream from bigquery,
+                see https://cloud.google.com/python/docs/reference/bigquery/latest/google.cloud.bigquery.table.RowIterator#google_cloud_bigquery_table_RowIterator_to_arrow_iterable
+        """
         self._optimize_query_complexity()
-        return self._block.to_pandas_batches()
+        return self._block.to_pandas_batches(
+            page_size=page_size, max_results=max_results
+        )
 
     def _compute_dry_run(self) -> bigquery.QueryJob:
         return self._block._compute_dry_run()
diff --git a/tests/system/load/test_large_tables.py b/tests/system/load/test_large_tables.py
index cf1c787a58..f92207b191 100644
--- a/tests/system/load/test_large_tables.py
+++ b/tests/system/load/test_large_tables.py
@@ -75,22 +75,17 @@ def test_index_repr_large_table():
 
 
 def test_to_pandas_batches_large_table():
-    df = bpd.read_gbq("load_testing.scalars_10gb")
-    # df will be downloaded locally
-    expected_row_count, expected_column_count = df.shape
-
-    row_count = 0
-    # TODO(b/340890167): fix type error
-    for df in df.to_pandas_batches():  # type: ignore
-        batch_row_count, batch_column_count = df.shape
+    df = bpd.read_gbq("load_testing.scalars_1tb")
+    _, expected_column_count = df.shape
+
+    # download only a few batches, since 1tb would be too much
+    iterable = df.to_pandas_batches(page_size=500, max_results=1500)
+    # use page size since client library doesn't support
+    # streaming only part of the dataframe via bqstorage
+    for pdf in iterable:
+        batch_row_count, batch_column_count = pdf.shape
         assert batch_column_count == expected_column_count
-        row_count += batch_row_count
-
-        # Attempt to save on memory by manually removing the batch df
-        # from local memory after finishing with processing.
-        del df
-
-    assert row_count == expected_row_count
+        assert batch_row_count > 0
 
 
 @pytest.mark.skip(reason="See if it caused kokoro build aborted.")