diff --git a/frontend/src/App.jsx b/frontend/src/App.jsx
index 5ea459b..2547e67 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.jsx
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ function App() {
   const [version, setVersion] = useState('...')
   const [settings, setSettings] = useState({
     conversations: {
-      show_calls: true
+      show_calls: true,
+      message_limit: 100000
     }
   })
 
@@ -89,7 +90,8 @@ function App() {
       // Use default settings if fetch fails
       setSettings({
         conversations: {
-          show_calls: true
+          show_calls: true,
+          message_limit: 100000
         }
       })
     }
@@ -372,6 +374,7 @@ function App() {
                 conversation={selectedConversation}
                 startDate={startDate}
                 endDate={endDate}
+                messageLimit={settings.conversations.message_limit}
               />
             </div>
           </>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/MessageThread.jsx b/frontend/src/components/MessageThread.jsx
index 262f907..6b5e9e8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/MessageThread.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/MessageThread.jsx
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import MediaGrid from './MediaGrid'
 
 const API_BASE = import.meta.env.VITE_API_URL || 'http://localhost:8085/api'
 
-function MessageThread({ conversation, startDate, endDate }) {
+function MessageThread({ conversation, startDate, endDate, messageLimit }) {
   const location = useLocation()
   const [items, setItems] = useState([])
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false)
@@ -235,6 +235,7 @@ function MessageThread({ conversation, startDate, endDate }) {
       }
       if (startDate) params.start = startDate.toISOString()
       if (endDate) params.end = endDate.toISOString()
+      if (messageLimit) params.limit = messageLimit
 
       const response = await axios.get(`${API_BASE}/messages`, { params })
       setItems(response.data || [])
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/SettingsModal.jsx b/frontend/src/components/SettingsModal.jsx
index d03a625..520ac0c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/SettingsModal.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/SettingsModal.jsx
@@ -3,10 +3,20 @@ import axios from 'axios'
 
 const API_BASE = import.meta.env.VITE_API_URL || 'http://localhost:8085/api'
 
+const MESSAGE_LIMIT_OPTIONS = [
+  { value: 100, label: '100' },
+  { value: 1000, label: '1,000' },
+  { value: 10000, label: '10,000' },
+  { value: 100000, label: '100,000' },
+  { value: 200000, label: '200,000' },
+  { value: 500000, label: '500,000' },
+]
+
 function SettingsModal({ show, onClose, onSettingsUpdated }) {
   const [settings, setSettings] = useState({
     conversations: {
-      show_calls: true
+      show_calls: true,
+      message_limit: 100000
     }
   })
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true)
@@ -38,7 +48,6 @@ function SettingsModal({ show, onClose, onSettingsUpdated }) {
       setError('')
       await axios.put(`${API_BASE}/settings`, settings)
 
-      // Notify parent component that settings were updated
       if (onSettingsUpdated) {
         onSettingsUpdated(settings)
       }
@@ -62,6 +71,16 @@ function SettingsModal({ show, onClose, onSettingsUpdated }) {
     })
   }
 
+  const handleMessageLimitChange = (e) => {
+    setSettings({
+      ...settings,
+      conversations: {
+        ...settings.conversations,
+        message_limit: parseInt(e.target.value, 10)
+      }
+    })
+  }
+
   if (!show) return null
 
   return (
@@ -89,7 +108,7 @@ function SettingsModal({ show, onClose, onSettingsUpdated }) {
 
                 <h6 className="mb-3">Conversations</h6>
 
-                <div className="form-check form-switch">
+                <div className="form-check form-switch mb-3">
                   <input
                     className="form-check-input"
                     type="checkbox"
@@ -105,6 +124,24 @@ function SettingsModal({ show, onClose, onSettingsUpdated }) {
                     When enabled, phone calls will appear in the conversation list alongside messages.
                   </div>
                 </div>
+
+                <div className="mb-3">
+                  <label htmlFor="messageLimitSelect" className="form-label">Messages to load</label>
+                  <select
+                    className="form-select"
+                    id="messageLimitSelect"
+                    value={settings.conversations.message_limit || 100000}
+                    onChange={handleMessageLimitChange}
+                    disabled={saving}
+                  >
+                    {MESSAGE_LIMIT_OPTIONS.map(opt => (
+                      <option key={opt.value} value={opt.value}>{opt.label}</option>
+                    ))}
+                  </select>
+                  <div className="form-text">
+                    Maximum number of messages shown when opening a conversation.
+                  </div>
+                </div>
               </>
             )}
           </div>
diff --git a/internal/handlers.go b/internal/handlers.go
index 8b39cad..bbc3e99 100644
--- a/internal/handlers.go
+++ b/internal/handlers.go
@@ -176,8 +176,26 @@ func HandleMessages(c echo.Context) error {
 
 	// If type is "conversation", return combined messages and calls
 	if convType == "conversation" {
-		// Parse limit and offset parameters
-		limit := 100000 // Default to 100k (effectively unlimited for most users)
+		// Get user ID from context to fetch settings
+		userID, ok := c.Get("user_id").(string)
+		if !ok {
+			return c.JSON(http.StatusUnauthorized, map[string]string{
+				"error": "User not authenticated",
+			})
+		}
+
+		// Fetch user settings
+		settings, err := GetUserSettings(userID)
+		if err != nil {
+			slog.Error("Error getting user settings", "error", err)
+			settings = GetDefaultSettings()
+		}
+
+		// Use user's configured limit as default, allow query param override
+		limit := settings.Conversations.MessageLimit
+		if limit <= 0 {
+			limit = 100000
+		}
 		offset := 0
 
 		if limitStr := c.QueryParam("limit"); limitStr != "" {
@@ -192,22 +210,6 @@ func HandleMessages(c echo.Context) error {
 			}
 		}
 
-		// Get user ID from context to fetch settings
-		userID, ok := c.Get("user_id").(string)
-		if !ok {
-			return c.JSON(http.StatusUnauthorized, map[string]string{
-				"error": "User not authenticated",
-			})
-		}
-
-		// Fetch user settings to check if calls should be shown
-		settings, err := GetUserSettings(userID)
-		if err != nil {
-			slog.Error("Error getting user settings", "error", err)
-			// If we can't get settings, default to showing calls
-			settings = GetDefaultSettings()
-		}
-
 		activities, err := GetActivityByAddress(userDB, address, startDate, endDate, limit, offset)
 		if err != nil {
 			slog.Error("Error getting activity", "error", err)
diff --git a/internal/settings.go b/internal/settings.go
index e76cf59..cae0770 100644
--- a/internal/settings.go
+++ b/internal/settings.go
@@ -16,14 +16,16 @@ type Settings struct {
 
 // ConversationSettings contains settings for the conversation view
 type ConversationSettings struct {
-	ShowCalls bool `json:"show_calls"`
+	ShowCalls    bool `json:"show_calls"`
+	MessageLimit int  `json:"message_limit"`
 }
 
 // GetDefaultSettings returns the default settings
 func GetDefaultSettings() Settings {
 	return Settings{
 		Conversations: ConversationSettings{
-			ShowCalls: true,
+			ShowCalls:    true,
+			MessageLimit: 100000,
 		},
 	}
 }