diff --git a/plugins/chat/lib/chat/channel_fetcher.rb b/plugins/chat/lib/chat/channel_fetcher.rb
index 3cf836e028b..5bab77b5d07 100644
--- a/plugins/chat/lib/chat/channel_fetcher.rb
+++ b/plugins/chat/lib/chat/channel_fetcher.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ module Chat
   class ChannelFetcher
     MAX_PUBLIC_CHANNEL_RESULTS = 50
 
+    # NOTE: this should always be > than `DIRECT_MESSAGE_CHANNELS_LIMIT` in `chat-channel-manager.js`
+    MAX_DM_CHANNEL_RESULTS = 75
+
     def self.structured(guardian, include_threads: false)
       memberships = Chat::ChannelMembershipManager.all_for_user(guardian.user)
       public_channels = secured_public_channels(guardian, status: :open, following: true)
@@ -232,16 +235,19 @@ module Chat
       end
 
       query =
-        query.order("last_message.created_at DESC NULLS LAST").group(
-          "chat_channels.id",
-          "last_message.id",
-        )
+        query
+          .limit(MAX_DM_CHANNEL_RESULTS)
+          .order("last_message.created_at DESC NULLS LAST")
+          .group("chat_channels.id", "last_message.id")
 
       channels = query.to_a
+
       preload_fields =
         User.allowed_user_custom_fields(guardian) +
           UserField.all.pluck(:id).map { |fid| "#{User::USER_FIELD_PREFIX}#{fid}" }
-      User.preload_custom_fields(channels.map { |c| c.chatable.users }.flatten, preload_fields)
+
+      User.preload_custom_fields(channels.flat_map { _1.chatable.users }, preload_fields)
+
       channels
     end
 
diff --git a/plugins/chat/spec/lib/chat/channel_fetcher_spec.rb b/plugins/chat/spec/lib/chat/channel_fetcher_spec.rb
index c509305a88f..f6805d11ee0 100644
--- a/plugins/chat/spec/lib/chat/channel_fetcher_spec.rb
+++ b/plugins/chat/spec/lib/chat/channel_fetcher_spec.rb
@@ -279,12 +279,14 @@ describe Chat::ChannelFetcher do
     end
 
     it "ensures limit has a max value" do
-      over_limit = Chat::ChannelFetcher::MAX_PUBLIC_CHANNEL_RESULTS + 1
-      over_limit.times { Fabricate(:category_channel) }
+      stub_const(Chat::ChannelFetcher, "MAX_PUBLIC_CHANNEL_RESULTS", 5) do
+        limit = Chat::ChannelFetcher::MAX_PUBLIC_CHANNEL_RESULTS + 1
+        limit.times { Fabricate(:category_channel) }
 
-      expect(described_class.secured_public_channels(guardian, limit: over_limit).length).to eq(
-        Chat::ChannelFetcher::MAX_PUBLIC_CHANNEL_RESULTS,
-      )
+        expect(described_class.secured_public_channels(guardian, limit:).size).to eq(
+          Chat::ChannelFetcher::MAX_PUBLIC_CHANNEL_RESULTS,
+        )
+      end
     end
 
     it "does not show the user category channels they cannot access" do
@@ -412,6 +414,26 @@ describe Chat::ChannelFetcher do
       result = described_class.tracking_state([direct_message_channel1.id], guardian)
       expect(result.channel_tracking[target_membership.chat_channel_id][:unread_count]).to eq(0)
     end
+
+    it "limits the number of results returned" do
+      stub_const(Chat::ChannelFetcher, "MAX_DM_CHANNEL_RESULTS", 5) do
+        (Chat::ChannelFetcher::MAX_DM_CHANNEL_RESULTS + 1).times do
+          chat_channel = Fabricate(:direct_message_channel)
+          Fabricate(
+            :user_chat_channel_membership_for_dm,
+            chat_channel:,
+            user: user1,
+            following: true,
+          )
+          Chat::DirectMessageUser.create!(direct_message: chat_channel.chatable, user: user1)
+          Fabricate(:chat_message, chat_channel:, user: user2)
+        end
+
+        expect(described_class.secured_direct_message_channels(user1.id, guardian).size).to eq(
+          Chat::ChannelFetcher::MAX_DM_CHANNEL_RESULTS,
+        )
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   describe ".unreads_total" do