diff --git a/crates/doc/src/lib.rs b/crates/doc/src/lib.rs
index c7a8cff3..1b9e1085 100644
--- a/crates/doc/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/doc/src/lib.rs
@@ -1007,39 +1007,46 @@ impl Document {
 
     /// Check structural invariants (used by tests and after loading untrusted files).
     pub fn validate(&self) -> Vec<String> {
+        // Hostile files can break an invariant per child; keep only the first few reports.
+        const MAX_ISSUES: usize = 100;
+        fn note(issues: &mut Vec<String>, msg: impl FnOnce() -> String) {
+            if issues.len() < MAX_ISSUES {
+                issues.push(msg());
+            }
+        }
         let mut issues = Vec::new();
         for (id, n) in self.nodes.iter() {
             if n.id != *id {
-                issues.push(format!("node key {id} has id {}", n.id));
+                note(&mut issues, || format!("node key {id} has id {}", n.id));
             }
             let mut seen = std::collections::BTreeSet::new();
             for c in &n.children {
                 if !seen.insert(*c) {
-                    issues.push(format!("child {c} listed twice in {id}"));
+                    note(&mut issues, || format!("child {c} listed twice in {id}"));
                 }
                 match self.node(*c) {
                     Some(cn) if cn.parent == Some(*id) => {}
-                    Some(_) => issues.push(format!("child {c} of {id} has another parent")),
-                    None => issues.push(format!("child {c} of {id} missing")),
+                    Some(_) => note(&mut issues, || format!("child {c} of {id} has another parent")),
+                    None => note(&mut issues, || format!("child {c} of {id} missing")),
                 }
             }
             if let Some(p) = n.parent
                 && !self.node(p).is_some_and(|pn| pn.children.contains(id))
             {
-                issues.push(format!("{id} not listed in parent {p}"));
+                note(&mut issues, || format!("{id} not listed in parent {p}"));
             }
             // The library store's root is a page that is never listed.
             let listed = self.pages.contains(id) || (n.is_page() && self.libraries.store == Some(*id));
             if n.is_page() != listed {
-                issues.push(format!("page list mismatch for {id}"));
+                note(&mut issues, || format!("page list mismatch for {id}"));
             }
             if n.is_page() && n.parent.is_some() {
-                issues.push(format!("page {id} has a parent"));
+                note(&mut issues, || format!("page {id} has a parent"));
             }
         }
         let reachable = self.reachable();
         for id in self.nodes.keys().filter(|k| !reachable.contains(*k)) {
-            issues.push(format!("{id} is not under a page (cycle or detached)"));
+            note(&mut issues, || format!("{id} is not under a page (cycle or detached)"));
         }
         issues
     }
diff --git a/crates/doc/src/tests.rs b/crates/doc/src/tests.rs
index 0ec0b0f2..183aeb0a 100644
--- a/crates/doc/src/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/doc/src/tests.rs
@@ -326,6 +326,20 @@ fn repair_drops_cycles_and_repeated_children() {
     assert_eq!(bad.subtree(p), vec![p, r]);
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn validate_caps_the_issue_list() {
+    let mut d = Document::new("x");
+    let p = page(&d);
+    let f = d.create(p, NodeKind::Frame, "F", 0.0, 0.0, 100.0, 100.0).unwrap();
+    let g = d.create(f, NodeKind::Frame, "G", 0.0, 0.0, 10.0, 10.0).unwrap();
+    let mut v = serde_json::to_value(&d).unwrap();
+    v["nodes"][f.to_string()]["children"] = serde_json::json!(vec![g; 5000]);
+    let bad: Document = serde_json::from_value(v).unwrap();
+    let issues = bad.validate();
+    assert!(!issues.is_empty());
+    assert!(issues.len() <= 100, "{}", issues.len());
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn auto_layout_loads_files_without_grid_tracks() {
     // Saved before grid tracks, cells and spans existed.