diff --git a/edb/pgsql/resolver/__init__.py b/edb/pgsql/resolver/__init__.py
index 2a15e457f6b..3008bc31bf2 100644
--- a/edb/pgsql/resolver/__init__.py
+++ b/edb/pgsql/resolver/__init__.py
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ def resolve(
     else:
         raise AssertionError()
 
+    if limit := ctx.options.implicit_limit:
+        resolved = apply_implicit_limit(resolved, limit, resolved_table, ctx)
+
     command.fini_external_params(ctx)
 
     if top_level_ctes:
@@ -179,3 +182,18 @@ def as_plain_select(
             for index, c in enumerate(table.columns)
         ],
     )
+
+
+def apply_implicit_limit(
+    expr: pgast.Base,
+    limit: int,
+    table: Optional[context.Table],
+    ctx: context.ResolverContextLevel,
+) -> pgast.Base:
+    e = as_plain_select(expr, table, ctx)
+    if not e:
+        return expr
+
+    if e.limit_count is None:
+        e.limit_count = pgast.NumericConstant(val=str(limit))
+    return e
diff --git a/edb/pgsql/resolver/context.py b/edb/pgsql/resolver/context.py
index 149c83c473a..4e823c77ef9 100644
--- a/edb/pgsql/resolver/context.py
+++ b/edb/pgsql/resolver/context.py
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ class Options:
     # DisableNormalization to recompile the query without normalization.
     normalized_params: List[int]
 
+    # Apply a limit to the number of rows in the top-level query
+    implicit_limit: Optional[int]
+
 
 @dataclass(kw_only=True)
 class Scope:
diff --git a/edb/server/compiler/compiler.py b/edb/server/compiler/compiler.py
index 56e2fd6da53..1206bbcba82 100644
--- a/edb/server/compiler/compiler.py
+++ b/edb/server/compiler/compiler.py
@@ -2665,6 +2665,7 @@ def compile_sql_as_unit_group(
         disambiguate_column_names=True,
         backend_runtime_params=ctx.backend_runtime_params,
         protocol_version=ctx.protocol_version,
+        implicit_limit=ctx.implicit_limit,
     )
 
     qug = dbstate.QueryUnitGroup(
diff --git a/edb/server/compiler/sql.py b/edb/server/compiler/sql.py
index 8787c8e87f0..3b265387234 100644
--- a/edb/server/compiler/sql.py
+++ b/edb/server/compiler/sql.py
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ def compile_sql(
     disambiguate_column_names: bool,
     backend_runtime_params: pg_params.BackendRuntimeParams,
     protocol_version: defines.ProtocolVersion,
+    implicit_limit: Optional[int] = None,
 ) -> List[dbstate.SQLQueryUnit]:
     def _try(
         q: str, normalized_params: List[int]
@@ -101,6 +102,7 @@ def _try(
             backend_runtime_params=backend_runtime_params,
             protocol_version=protocol_version,
             normalized_params=normalized_params,
+            implicit_limit=implicit_limit,
         )
 
     normalized_params = list(source.extra_type_oids())
@@ -207,6 +209,7 @@ def _compile_sql(
     backend_runtime_params: pg_params.BackendRuntimeParams,
     protocol_version: defines.ProtocolVersion,
     normalized_params: List[int],
+    implicit_limit: Optional[int] = None,
 ) -> List[dbstate.SQLQueryUnit]:
     opts = ResolverOptionsPartial(
         query_str=query_str,
@@ -219,6 +222,7 @@ def _compile_sql(
         ),
         disambiguate_column_names=disambiguate_column_names,
         normalized_params=normalized_params,
+        implicit_limit=implicit_limit,
     )
 
     # orig_stmts are the statements prior to constant extraction
@@ -557,6 +561,7 @@ class ResolverOptionsPartial:
     include_edgeql_io_format_alternative: Optional[bool]
     disambiguate_column_names: bool
     normalized_params: List[int]
+    implicit_limit: Optional[int]
 
 
 def resolve_query(
@@ -606,6 +611,7 @@ def resolve_query(
         ),
         disambiguate_column_names=opts.disambiguate_column_names,
         normalized_params=opts.normalized_params,
+        implicit_limit=opts.implicit_limit,
     )
     resolved = pg_resolver.resolve(stmt, schema, options)
     source = pg_codegen.generate(resolved.ast, with_source_map=True)
diff --git a/edb/testbase/server.py b/edb/testbase/server.py
index c62b1d7b9c1..7b07d070c48 100644
--- a/edb/testbase/server.py
+++ b/edb/testbase/server.py
@@ -1248,6 +1248,7 @@ async def assert_sql_query_result(
         query,
         exp_result,
         *,
+        implicit_limit=0,
         msg=None,
         sort=None,
         variables=None,
@@ -1263,6 +1264,7 @@ async def assert_sql_query_result(
             await self.assert_query_result(
                 query,
                 exp_result,
+                implicit_limit=implicit_limit,
                 msg=msg,
                 sort=sort,
                 variables=variables,
diff --git a/tests/test_sql_query.py b/tests/test_sql_query.py
index 9187cb4f897..26cc82765ae 100644
--- a/tests/test_sql_query.py
+++ b/tests/test_sql_query.py
@@ -2850,6 +2850,14 @@ async def test_sql_native_query_24(self):
                 'COPY "Genre" TO STDOUT', []
             )
 
+    async def test_sql_native_query_25(self):
+        # implict limit
+        await self.assert_sql_query_result(
+            'VALUES (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7)',
+            [{'column1': 1}, {'column1': 2}, {'column1': 3}],
+            implicit_limit=3,
+        )
+
 
 class TestSQLQueryNonTransactional(tb.SQLQueryTestCase):