diff --git a/routstr/upstream/venice.py b/routstr/upstream/venice.py
index deffb581..379a4a66 100644
--- a/routstr/upstream/venice.py
+++ b/routstr/upstream/venice.py
@@ -131,7 +131,8 @@ class VeniceUpstreamProvider(BaseUpstreamProvider):
             return ""
 
         # A key carrying null or an empty list states no constraint, so it is
-        # read as absent rather than refused.
+        # read as absent rather than refused. ``auto`` runs at most one search,
+        # so only an integer ``max_uses`` of one or more is known to be met.
         unenforceable = sorted(
             {
                 key
@@ -142,7 +143,15 @@ class VeniceUpstreamProvider(BaseUpstreamProvider):
                     and value is not None
                     and value != []
                 )
-                or (key == "max_uses" and value == 0)
+                or (
+                    key == "max_uses"
+                    and value is not None
+                    and not (
+                        isinstance(value, int)
+                        and not isinstance(value, bool)
+                        and value >= 1
+                    )
+                )
             }
         )
         if unenforceable:
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_venice_web_search.py b/tests/unit/test_venice_web_search.py
index 9bcae72b..a836e956 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_venice_web_search.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_venice_web_search.py
@@ -223,10 +223,20 @@ async def test_claude_code_web_search_tool_is_accepted() -> None:
     )
 
 
-def test_zero_max_uses_is_refused() -> None:
-    """``auto`` may still search, so a request for no search cannot be met."""
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("max_uses", [1, None])
+def test_max_uses_of_one_or_absent_is_accepted(max_uses: Any) -> None:
     provider = VeniceUpstreamProvider(api_key="sk-test")
-    tool = {"type": "web_search_20250305", "name": "web_search", "max_uses": 0}
+    tool = {"type": "web_search_20250305", "name": "web_search", "max_uses": max_uses}
+
+    assert provider.adapt_messages_request(_body(tools=[tool]), _model()) != ""
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("max_uses", [0, -1, 1.5, True, "0", "8"])
+def test_max_uses_other_than_a_positive_integer_is_refused(max_uses: Any) -> None:
+    """``auto`` may still search, so a cap below one cannot be met, and a
+    malformed cap cannot be shown to be met."""
+    provider = VeniceUpstreamProvider(api_key="sk-test")
+    tool = {"type": "web_search_20250305", "name": "web_search", "max_uses": max_uses}
 
     with pytest.raises(UpstreamError) as excinfo:
         provider.adapt_messages_request(_body(tools=[tool]), _model())