Most computer systems today are lightly loaded in normal operation. The real performance problems occur during burst times when the system becomes overloaded. We evaluate how the choice of scheduling algorithms can assist a system in maintaining stable performance while operating under transient overloads. We propose a new disk scheduling algorithm that efficiently handles overload by dynamically adjusting its parameters. The algorithm adapts its operation to the current load conditions and achieves good overall performance, while maintaining minimal variability in the request response time. We evaluate the robustness of the algorithm against different disks and synthetic and realistic traces measured in benchmarked systems.