diff --git a/include/collection.h b/include/collection.h
index 66bade45..2246a033 100644
--- a/include/collection.h
+++ b/include/collection.h
@@ -373,7 +373,8 @@ public:
                           const size_t group_limit = 0,
                           const std::string& highlight_start_tag="<mark>",
                           const std::string& highlight_end_tag="</mark>",
-                          std::vector<size_t> query_by_weights={});
+                          std::vector<size_t> query_by_weights={},
+                          size_t limit_hits=UINT32_MAX);
 
     Option<bool> get_filter_ids(const std::string & simple_filter_query,
                                 std::vector<std::pair<size_t, uint32_t*>>& index_ids);
diff --git a/src/collection.cpp b/src/collection.cpp
index b16a2649..41329ba7 100644
--- a/src/collection.cpp
+++ b/src/collection.cpp
@@ -512,7 +512,8 @@ Option<nlohmann::json> Collection::search(const std::string & query, const std::
                                   const size_t group_limit,
                                   const std::string& highlight_start_tag,
                                   const std::string& highlight_end_tag,
-                                  std::vector<size_t> query_by_weights) {
+                                  std::vector<size_t> query_by_weights,
+                                  size_t limit_hits) {
 
     if(query != "*" && search_fields.empty()) {
         return Option<nlohmann::json>(400, "No search fields specified for the query.");
@@ -743,6 +744,11 @@ Option<nlohmann::json> Collection::search(const std::string & query, const std::
         return Option<nlohmann::json>(422, message);
     }
 
+    if((page * per_page) > limit_hits) {
+        std::string message = "Only upto " + std::to_string(limit_hits) + " hits can be fetched.";
+        return Option<nlohmann::json>(422, message);
+    }
+
     size_t max_hits;
 
     // ensure that `max_hits` never exceeds number of documents in collection
diff --git a/src/core_api.cpp b/src/core_api.cpp
index ae97670e..04209ef9 100644
--- a/src/core_api.cpp
+++ b/src/core_api.cpp
@@ -277,6 +277,7 @@ bool get_search(http_req & req, http_res & res) {
     const char *GROUP_BY = "group_by";
     const char *GROUP_LIMIT = "group_limit";
 
+    const char *LIMIT_HITS = "limit_hits";
     const char *PER_PAGE = "per_page";
     const char *PAGE = "page";
     const char *CALLBACK = "callback";
@@ -328,6 +329,10 @@ bool get_search(http_req & req, http_res & res) {
         req.params[FACET_QUERY] = "";
     }
 
+    if(req.params.count(LIMIT_HITS) == 0) {
+        req.params[LIMIT_HITS] = std::to_string(UINT32_MAX);
+    }
+
     if(req.params.count(SNIPPET_THRESHOLD) == 0) {
         req.params[SNIPPET_THRESHOLD] = "30";
     }
@@ -427,6 +432,11 @@ bool get_search(http_req & req, http_res & res) {
         return false;
     }
 
+    if(!StringUtils::is_uint32_t(req.params[LIMIT_HITS])) {
+        res.set_400("Parameter `" + std::string(LIMIT_HITS) + "` must be an unsigned integer.");
+        return false;
+    }
+
     if(!StringUtils::is_uint32_t(req.params[SNIPPET_THRESHOLD])) {
         res.set_400("Parameter `" + std::string(SNIPPET_THRESHOLD) + "` must be an unsigned integer.");
         return false;
@@ -531,7 +541,8 @@ bool get_search(http_req & req, http_res & res) {
                                                           static_cast<size_t>(std::stol(req.params[GROUP_LIMIT])),
                                                           req.params[HIGHLIGHT_START_TAG],
                                                           req.params[HIGHLIGHT_END_TAG],
-                                                          query_by_weights
+                                                          query_by_weights,
+                                                          static_cast<size_t>(std::stol(req.params[LIMIT_HITS]))
                                                           );
 
     uint64_t timeMillis = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::milliseconds>(
diff --git a/test/collection_test.cpp b/test/collection_test.cpp
index ff6040d0..c20f1d44 100644
--- a/test/collection_test.cpp
+++ b/test/collection_test.cpp
@@ -2566,6 +2566,16 @@ TEST_F(CollectionTest, WildcardQueryReturnsResultsBasedOnPerPageParam) {
 
     ASSERT_EQ(5, results["hits"].size());
     ASSERT_EQ(25, results["found"].get<int>());
+
+    // enforce limit_hits
+    res_op = collection->search("*", query_fields, "", facets, sort_fields, 0, 10, 3,
+                                 FREQUENCY, false, 1000,
+                                 spp::sparse_hash_set<std::string>(),
+                                 spp::sparse_hash_set<std::string>(), 10, "", 30, 4, "", 40, {}, {}, {}, 0,
+                                 "<mark>", "</mark>", {1}, 20);
+
+    ASSERT_FALSE(res_op.ok());
+    ASSERT_STREQ("Only upto 20 hits can be fetched.", res_op.error().c_str());
 }
 
 TEST_F(CollectionTest, RemoveIfFound) {