diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index ddb9b89..1224abf 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ func init() {
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringVar(&config.TenantID, "tenant-id", config.TenantID, "Database tenant ID to isolate data")
 	rootCmd.Flags().IntVarP(&config.MaxMessages, "max", "m", config.MaxMessages, "Max number of messages to store")
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringVar(&config.MaxAge, "max-age", config.MaxAge, "Max age of messages in either (h)ours or (d)ays (eg: 3d)")
+	rootCmd.Flags().IntVar(&config.MaxMessageSize, "max-message-size", config.MaxMessageSize, "Maximum message size in MB (0 = unlimited)")
 	rootCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&config.UseMessageDates, "use-message-dates", config.UseMessageDates, "Use message dates as the received dates")
 	rootCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&config.IgnoreDuplicateIDs, "ignore-duplicate-ids", config.IgnoreDuplicateIDs, "Ignore duplicate messages (by Message-ID)")
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringVar(&logger.LogFile, "log-file", logger.LogFile, "Log output to file instead of stdout")
@@ -219,6 +220,9 @@ func initConfigFromEnv() {
 	if len(os.Getenv("MP_MAX_AGE")) > 0 {
 		config.MaxAge = os.Getenv("MP_MAX_AGE")
 	}
+	if len(os.Getenv("MP_MAX_MESSAGE_SIZE")) > 0 {
+		config.MaxMessageSize, _ = strconv.Atoi(os.Getenv("MP_MAX_MESSAGE_SIZE"))
+	}
 	if getEnabledFromEnv("MP_USE_MESSAGE_DATES") {
 		config.UseMessageDates = true
 	}
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index bc10097..3771d64 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -125,6 +125,11 @@ var (
 	// however some servers accept more.
 	SMTPMaxRecipients = 100
 
+	// MaxMessageSize is the maximum size of an inbound message, in megabytes (MiB).
+	// Applies to both SMTP DATA payloads and the HTTP /api/v1/send body.
+	// 0 disables the limit (not recommended on network-reachable listeners).
+	MaxMessageSize = 50
+
 	// IgnoreDuplicateIDs will skip messages with the same ID
 	IgnoreDuplicateIDs bool
 
@@ -325,6 +330,10 @@ func VerifyConfig() error {
 		return errors.New("[ui] HTTP bind should be in the format of <ip>:<port>")
 	}
 
+	if MaxMessageSize == 0 {
+		logger.Log().Warnf("[smtpd] no message limit set, this is not recommended for network-reachable listeners")
+	}
+
 	// Web UI & API
 	if UIAuthFile != "" {
 		UIAuthFile = filepath.Clean(UIAuthFile)
diff --git a/internal/smtpd/main.go b/internal/smtpd/main.go
index af3b4f3..036f991 100644
--- a/internal/smtpd/main.go
+++ b/internal/smtpd/main.go
@@ -247,6 +247,10 @@ func listenAndServe(addr string, handler MsgIDHandler, authHandler AuthHandler)
 		},
 	}
 
+	if config.MaxMessageSize > 0 {
+		srv.MaxSize = config.MaxMessageSize * 1024 * 1024
+	}
+
 	if config.Label != "" {
 		srv.AppName = fmt.Sprintf("Mailpit (%s)", config.Label)
 	}
diff --git a/server/apiv1/send.go b/server/apiv1/send.go
index 0d601a4..b3374c3 100644
--- a/server/apiv1/send.go
+++ b/server/apiv1/send.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net"
@@ -42,11 +43,19 @@ func SendMessageHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	if config.MaxMessageSize > 0 {
+		r.Body = http.MaxBytesReader(w, r.Body, int64(config.MaxMessageSize)*1024*1024)
+	}
+
 	decoder := json.NewDecoder(r.Body)
 
 	data := sendMessageParams{}
 
 	if err := decoder.Decode(&data.Body); err != nil {
+		var maxErr *http.MaxBytesError
+		if errors.As(err, &maxErr) {
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusRequestEntityTooLarge)
+		}
 		httpJSONError(w, err.Error())
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/server/server_test.go b/server/server_test.go
index 5d3b4e0..a17862d 100644
--- a/server/server_test.go
+++ b/server/server_test.go
@@ -328,6 +328,53 @@ func TestAPIv1Send(t *testing.T) {
 	assertEqual(t, `This is a plain text attachment`, string(attachmentBytes), "wrong Attachment content")
 }
 
+func TestAPIv1SendMaxMessageSize(t *testing.T) {
+	setup()
+	defer storage.Close()
+
+	r := apiRoutes()
+
+	ts := httptest.NewServer(r)
+	defer ts.Close()
+
+	original := config.MaxMessageSize
+	defer func() { config.MaxMessageSize = original }()
+
+	config.MaxMessageSize = 1 // 1 MiB cap for the test
+
+	bigText := strings.Repeat("X", 2*1024*1024)
+	oversized := fmt.Sprintf(`{
+		"From": {"Email": "a@example.com"},
+		"To": [{"Email": "b@example.com"}],
+		"Subject": "oversize",
+		"Text": %q
+	}`, bigText)
+
+	t.Log("Sending oversize message via HTTP API (expect 413)")
+	req, err := http.NewRequest("POST", ts.URL+"/api/v1/send", strings.NewReader(oversized))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	resp, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected transport error: %s", err)
+	}
+	_ = resp.Body.Close()
+	assertEqual(t, http.StatusRequestEntityTooLarge, resp.StatusCode, "expected 413 for oversize body")
+
+	t.Log("Sending normal-sized message via HTTP API (expect 200)")
+	jsonData, _ := json.Marshal(testSendMessage)
+	if _, err := clientPost(ts.URL+"/api/v1/send", string(jsonData)); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("expected success for in-bound payload, got: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	t.Log("Setting MaxMessageSize=0 (unlimited), oversize should now succeed")
+	config.MaxMessageSize = 0
+	if _, err := clientPost(ts.URL+"/api/v1/send", oversized); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("expected success when MaxMessageSize=0, got: %s", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestSendAPIAuthMiddleware(t *testing.T) {
 	setup()
 	defer storage.Close()