A variable displacement compressor for an air conditioning system includes a suction throttle valve. The suction throttle valve includes a housing with a cavity formed therein. A first piston reciprocatingly disposed in the cavity is configured to cause a variable restriction of a flow of refrigerant through a suction inlet formed in the housing. The suction inlet provides fluid communication between a suction port and the cavity formed in the housing. The refrigerant flows through the suction port in a direction that is not parallel to a direction the piston reciprocates within the cavity. The suction throttle valve is configured to increase the restriction in the suction inlet when a crankcase pressure associated with the variable displacement compression is increased relative to an external suction pressure of the refrigerant entering the suction throttle valve.