diff --git a/quartz/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/nip01Core/relay/server/policies/LimitsPolicy.kt b/quartz/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/nip01Core/relay/server/policies/LimitsPolicy.kt
index e711734d5b..3aaa3e3f32 100644
--- a/quartz/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/nip01Core/relay/server/policies/LimitsPolicy.kt
+++ b/quartz/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/nip01Core/relay/server/policies/LimitsPolicy.kt
@@ -72,9 +72,13 @@ class LimitsPolicy(
         return PolicyResult.Accepted(if (clamped === cmd.filters) cmd else ReqCmd(cmd.subId, clamped))
     }
 
+    /**
+     * A COUNT is clamped by [RelayLimits.maxLimit] but NEVER given
+     * [RelayLimits.defaultLimit] — see [capLimits].
+     */
     override fun accept(cmd: CountCmd): PolicyResult<CountCmd> {
         subscriptionRejection(cmd.queryId, cmd.filters)?.let { return PolicyResult.Rejected(it) }
-        val clamped = clampLimits(cmd.filters)
+        val clamped = capLimits(cmd.filters)
         return PolicyResult.Accepted(if (clamped === cmd.filters) cmd else CountCmd(cmd.queryId, clamped))
     }
 
@@ -106,6 +110,28 @@ class LimitsPolicy(
         return filters.map { it.copy(limit = targetLimit(it.limit)) }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Cap what a COUNT asks for, without inventing a page size for it.
+     *
+     * `defaultLimit` answers "how many events should a REQ return when the
+     * client names no limit". A COUNT returns no events, so that question has
+     * no meaning for it — and applying the answer anyway turns every unbounded
+     * COUNT into `min(matches, defaultLimit)`.
+     *
+     * Silently: a relay holding 12,289,614 profiles replied `{"count":500}`,
+     * which is a plausible-looking number, so a client cannot tell it from the
+     * truth. The kinds that happened to fall under the default were correct,
+     * which is what made it survive.
+     *
+     * `maxLimit` still applies, because a client that explicitly asks to count
+     * at most N is asking a question this relay may bound.
+     */
+    private fun capLimits(filters: List<Filter>): List<Filter> {
+        val max = limits.maxLimit ?: return filters
+        if (filters.none { it.limit != null && it.limit!! > max }) return filters
+        return filters.map { if (it.limit != null && it.limit!! > max) it.copy(limit = max) else it }
+    }
+
     private fun targetLimit(current: Int?): Int? =
         when {
             current != null && limits.maxLimit != null && current > limits.maxLimit -> limits.maxLimit
diff --git a/quartz/src/commonTest/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/nip01Core/relay/server/RelayLimitsTest.kt b/quartz/src/commonTest/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/nip01Core/relay/server/RelayLimitsTest.kt
index 4fa12f80d7..55f6aa7139 100644
--- a/quartz/src/commonTest/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/nip01Core/relay/server/RelayLimitsTest.kt
+++ b/quartz/src/commonTest/kotlin/com/vitorpamplona/quartz/nip01Core/relay/server/RelayLimitsTest.kt
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import com.vitorpamplona.quartz.nip01Core.relay.server.policies.PolicyResult
 import com.vitorpamplona.quartz.nip01Core.relay.server.policies.RelayLimits
 import kotlin.test.Test
 import kotlin.test.assertEquals
+import kotlin.test.assertNull
 import kotlin.test.assertTrue
 
 class RelayLimitsTest {
@@ -157,6 +158,39 @@ class RelayLimitsTest {
         )
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun countNeverGetsTheDefaultLimit() {
+        // A COUNT returns no events, so "how many should a REQ return by
+        // default" is not a question it asked. Applying the answer anyway turns
+        // every unbounded COUNT into min(matches, defaultLimit) — a relay
+        // holding 12,289,614 profiles replied {"count":500}, which is plausible
+        // enough that no client can tell it from the truth.
+        val policy = LimitsPolicy(RelayLimits(defaultLimit = 50, maxLimit = 100))
+
+        val result = policy.accept(CountCmd("q", listOf(Filter(kinds = listOf(1))))) as PolicyResult.Accepted
+
+        assertNull(
+            result.cmd.filters
+                .single()
+                .limit,
+        )
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun countStillHonoursAnExplicitMaxLimit() {
+        // Asking to count at most N is a question the relay may bound.
+        val policy = LimitsPolicy(RelayLimits(defaultLimit = 50, maxLimit = 100))
+
+        val result = policy.accept(CountCmd("q", listOf(Filter(kinds = listOf(1), limit = 900)))) as PolicyResult.Accepted
+
+        assertEquals(
+            100,
+            result.cmd.filters
+                .single()
+                .limit,
+        )
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun leavesAcceptableRequestUnchanged() {
         val policy = LimitsPolicy(RelayLimits(maxLimit = 100))