An apparatus to arbitrate data transfer between a computing host and a storage device across an interface includes a data transfer limiter configured to track an amount of data credits used by a data transfer across the interface and an amount of accrued data credits available to the interface. The apparatus further includes a data transfer arbiter configured to selectively disable the data transfer across the interface when the amount of data credits used by the data transfer across the interface exceeds a first threshold, and to selectively enable the data transfer across the interface when the amount of data credits used by the data transfer across the interface does not exceed a second threshold. The amount of accrued data credits reduces the amount of data credits used by the data transfer.