diff --git a/src/cockpit/channels/pcp.py b/src/cockpit/channels/pcp.py
index 4ec4028a5cfd..1521dea8f2e2 100644
--- a/src/cockpit/channels/pcp.py
+++ b/src/cockpit/channels/pcp.py
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ def parse_options(self, options: JsonObject):
         # if self.omit_instances and self.instances:
         #     raise ChannelError('protocol-error', message='')
 
-    def sample(self, archive):
+    def sample(self, archive, total_fetched):
         context = archive.context
 
         # HACK: this is some utter sillyness, maybe we can construct our own pcp.pmapi.c_uint_Array_1
@@ -253,10 +253,16 @@ def sample(self, archive):
             fetched = []
             try:
                 for _ in range(self.archive_batch):
+                    if total_fetched == self.limit:
+                        self.send_updates(archive, fetched)
+                        logger.debug('Reached limit, stopping')
+                        return total_fetched
+                    # Consider using the fetchGroup API https://pcp.readthedocs.io/en/latest/PG/PMAPI.html#fetchgroup-operation
                     # HACK: This is some pcp weirdness where it only accepts a PCP type list and not a Python list
                     # PMIDS <pcp.pmapi.c_uint_Array_1 object at 0x7ab92eaddb50>
                     results = context.pmFetch(pmids)
                     fetched.append(self.parse_fetched_results(context, results, descs))
+                    total_fetched += 1
 
                 self.send_updates(archive, fetched)
                 fetched.clear()
@@ -270,6 +276,8 @@ def sample(self, archive):
 
                 break
 
+        return total_fetched
+
     def parse_fetched_results(self, context: 'pmapi.pmContext', results: Any, descs: Any) -> Sample:
         metrics = list(self.metrics)
         samples: dict[str, float | list[float]] = {}
@@ -414,6 +422,7 @@ def send_updates(self, archive, samples: Sequence[Sample]) -> None:
         self.send_data(json.dumps(data).encode())
 
     def sample_archives(self, archives):
+        total_fetched = 0
         for i, archive in enumerate(archives):
             timestamp = self.start_timestamp
 
@@ -435,7 +444,9 @@ def sample_archives(self, archives):
             except pmapi.pmErr as exc:
                 raise ChannelError('internal-error', message=str(exc)) from None
 
-            self.sample(archive)
+            total_fetched = self.sample(archive, total_fetched)
+            if total_fetched == self.limit:
+                return True
         else:
             return True
 
@@ -475,6 +486,8 @@ async def run(self, options: JsonObject) -> None:
 
         self.sample_archives(archives)
 
+        self.done()
+
         # while True:
         #
         #     if all_read:
diff --git a/test/pytest/test_pcp.py b/test/pytest/test_pcp.py
index a76910168219..fa80b32cf0b4 100644
--- a/test/pytest/test_pcp.py
+++ b/test/pytest/test_pcp.py
@@ -51,6 +51,21 @@ def test_broken_archive(tmpdir_factory):
     return pcp_dir
 
 
+@pytest.fixture
+def big_archive(tmpdir_factory):
+    pcp_dir = tmpdir_factory.mktemp('big-archive')
+    archive_1 = pmi.pmiLogImport(f"{pcp_dir}/0")
+    archive_1.pmiAddMetric("mock.value", PM_ID_NULL, PM_TYPE_U32, PM_INDOM_NULL,
+                           PM_SEM_INSTANT, archive_1.pmiUnits(0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0))
+    for i in range(1000):
+        archive_1.pmiPutValue("mock.value", None, str(i))
+        archive_1.pmiWrite(i, 0)
+
+    archive_1.pmiEnd()
+
+    return pcp_dir
+
+
 @pytest.fixture
 def test_archive(tmpdir_factory):
     pcp_dir = tmpdir_factory.mktemp('mock-archives')
@@ -102,8 +117,8 @@ async def test_pcp_open_error(transport, test_archive):
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_pcp_open(transport, test_archive):
-    _ = await transport.check_open('metrics1', source=str(test_archive),
-                                   metrics=[{"name": "mock.value"}])
+    ch = await transport.check_open('metrics1', source=str(test_archive),
+                                    metrics=[{"name": "mock.value"}])
 
     _, data = await transport.next_frame()
     # first message is always the meta message
@@ -136,6 +151,55 @@ async def test_pcp_open(transport, test_archive):
     data = json.loads(data)
     assert data == [[13], [14], [15]]
 
+    transport.check_close(channel=ch)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_pcp_big_archive(transport, big_archive):
+    _ = await transport.check_open('metrics1', source=str(big_archive),
+                                   metrics=[{"name": "mock.value"}])
+
+    _, data = await transport.next_frame()
+    # first message is always the meta message
+    meta = json.loads(data)
+
+    # TODO: assert helper function?
+    assert meta['timestamp'] == 0
+    assert meta['interval'] == 1000  # default interval
+    assert meta['source'] == str(big_archive)
+
+    metrics = meta['metrics']
+    assert len(metrics) == 1
+
+    metric = metrics[0]
+    assert metric['name'] == 'mock.value'
+    assert 'derive' not in metric
+    assert metric['semantic'] == 'instant'
+
+    _, data = await transport.next_frame()
+    data = json.loads(data)
+    # archives batch size is hardcoded to 60
+    # TODO import?
+    assert data == [[i] for i in range(60)]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_pcp_limit_archive(transport, big_archive):
+
+    ch = await transport.check_open('metrics1', source=str(big_archive),
+                                    limit=30,
+                                    metrics=[{"name": "mock.value"}])
+
+    # first message is always the meta message
+    _, data = await transport.next_frame()
+    # TODO: verify
+
+    _, data = await transport.next_frame()
+    data = json.loads(data)
+    assert data == [[i] for i in range(30)]
+
+    transport.check_close(channel=ch)
+
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_pcp_broken_archive(transport, test_broken_archive):