diff --git a/packages/dash-platform-queries/src/documents/document_query.rs b/packages/dash-platform-queries/src/documents/document_query.rs
index 523a1364de..113e6e1e47 100644
--- a/packages/dash-platform-queries/src/documents/document_query.rs
+++ b/packages/dash-platform-queries/src/documents/document_query.rs
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ use dpp::{
     prelude::{DataContract, Identifier},
     InvalidVectorSizeError, ProtocolError,
 };
+use drive::config::DEFAULT_QUERY_LIMIT;
 use drive::query::drive_document_ranked_query::mode_detection::ranked_order_key;
 use drive::query::{
     DriveDocumentQuery, HavingAggregate, HavingAggregateFunction, HavingClause, HavingOperator,
@@ -788,10 +789,28 @@ impl<'a> TryFrom<&'a DocumentQuery> for DriveDocumentQuery<'a> {
         )
         .map_err(Error::Drive)?;
 
-        let limit = if request.limit != 0 {
-            Some(request.limit as u16)
-        } else {
-            None
+        // Mirror the limit contract of the server's
+        // `DriveDocumentQuery::from_typed_clauses` exactly: `0` (this
+        // struct's "unset" sentinel — V0's `limit: 0`, V1's
+        // `limit: None`) falls back to the server default, and anything
+        // above `DEFAULT_QUERY_LIMIT` (the `config.default_query_limit`
+        // every deployed server runs with) is refused with the server's
+        // own `QuerySyntaxError::InvalidLimit` rather than truncated or
+        // passed through. A `u16::try_from` alone would not do: limits
+        // 101..=65535 fit a `u16` but the server refuses them, so a raw
+        // `DriveDocumentQuery` carrying one would verify a proof no
+        // honest server could have produced.
+        let limit = match request.limit {
+            0 => Some(DEFAULT_QUERY_LIMIT),
+            limit if limit > u32::from(DEFAULT_QUERY_LIMIT) => {
+                return Err(Error::Drive(drive::error::Error::Query(
+                    drive::error::query::QuerySyntaxError::InvalidLimit(format!(
+                        "limit {} greater than max limit {}",
+                        limit, DEFAULT_QUERY_LIMIT
+                    )),
+                )));
+            }
+            limit => Some(limit as u16),
         };
 
         let (start_at, start_at_included) = match request.start.as_ref() {
diff --git a/packages/dash-platform-queries/tests/document_limit_lowering.rs b/packages/dash-platform-queries/tests/document_limit_lowering.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9f027c7c57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/dash-platform-queries/tests/document_limit_lowering.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+//! The `DocumentQuery` → `DriveDocumentQuery` lowering must reproduce
+//! the server's limit contract exactly: `SizedQuery::limit` is
+//! proof-sensitive, so any divergence lets an untrusted transport pair
+//! a request the server would refuse (or answer differently) with a
+//! genuine proof produced for another query.
+
+use std::sync::Arc;
+
+use dash_platform_queries::documents::document_query::DocumentQuery;
+use dash_platform_queries::Error;
+use dpp::prelude::DataContract;
+use dpp::tests::fixtures::get_data_contract_fixture;
+use dpp::version::PlatformVersion;
+use drive::query::DriveDocumentQuery;
+
+fn test_contract() -> Arc<DataContract> {
+    let platform_version = PlatformVersion::latest();
+    Arc::new(
+        get_data_contract_fixture(None, 0, platform_version.protocol_version).data_contract_owned(),
+    )
+}
+
+/// The lowering mirrors `DriveDocumentQuery::from_typed_clauses`'
+/// limit contract exactly: `0` = unset → the concrete server default
+/// (`Some(DEFAULT_QUERY_LIMIT)`, never `None` — `None` is unbounded in
+/// `SizedQuery`, which no honest server produces),
+/// `1..=DEFAULT_QUERY_LIMIT` passes through, and anything above the
+/// cap — including 101..=65535, which fits a `u16` but is
+/// server-invalid, and 65537, which the old `as u16` cast silently
+/// truncated to 1 — is refused with the server's `InvalidLimit`.
+#[test]
+fn limit_cap_mirrors_the_server() {
+    let contract = test_contract();
+    let query = |limit: u32| {
+        DocumentQuery::new(Arc::clone(&contract), "niceDocument")
+            .expect("document type exists")
+            .with_limit(limit)
+    };
+
+    let unset_query = query(0);
+    let unset = DriveDocumentQuery::try_from(&unset_query).expect("limit 0 is the unset sentinel");
+    assert_eq!(
+        unset.limit,
+        Some(100),
+        "0 must lower to the concrete server default, not unbounded"
+    );
+
+    let at_cap_query = query(100);
+    let at_cap =
+        DriveDocumentQuery::try_from(&at_cap_query).expect("the server serves limits up to 100");
+    assert_eq!(at_cap.limit, Some(100));
+
+    for limit in [101u32, 65_535, 65_537, u32::MAX] {
+        let error = DriveDocumentQuery::try_from(&query(limit))
+            .expect_err("a limit the server refuses must not reach a DriveDocumentQuery");
+        assert!(
+            matches!(
+                &error,
+                Error::Drive(drive::error::Error::Query(
+                    drive::error::query::QuerySyntaxError::InvalidLimit(message)
+                )) if message.contains("greater than max limit 100")
+            ),
+            "expected the server's InvalidLimit for limit {limit}: {error}"
+        );
+    }
+}