diff --git a/crates/codecs/src/lib.rs b/crates/codecs/src/lib.rs
index 404646c8d..a20a47d14 100644
--- a/crates/codecs/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/codecs/src/lib.rs
@@ -339,14 +339,11 @@ pub fn decode_thumbnail_with(bytes: &[u8], opts: &ThumbnailOptions) -> Result<Th
     })
 }
 
-/// Cap on total decoded samples. Mirrors `lightcraft_raw::MAX_SAMPLES` (codecs does not depend on
-/// lightcraft-raw, so the value is restated here).
-const MAX_SAMPLES: u64 = 1 << 30;
-
-/// Checked sample-buffer length `width × height × ch`, in u64: `None` on overflow, a zero dimension,
-/// or a product past [`MAX_SAMPLES`].
+/// Checked sample-buffer length `width × height × ch`, in u64: `None` on overflow or a zero
+/// dimension. Image size is capped by `DecodeOptions::max_pixels` alone; once the buffer is known to
+/// hold this many samples, every later `usize` product is bounded by an allocation that exists.
 pub(crate) fn checked_sample_buf_len(width: usize, height: usize, ch: usize) -> Option<u64> {
-    (width as u64).checked_mul(height as u64).and_then(|n| n.checked_mul(ch as u64)).filter(|&n| n > 0 && n <= MAX_SAMPLES)
+    (width as u64).checked_mul(height as u64).and_then(|n| n.checked_mul(ch as u64)).filter(|&n| n > 0)
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
@@ -355,14 +352,15 @@ mod checked_arithmetic_tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn checked_sample_buf_len_wrap_inputs_rejected() {
-        // 2^30 px × 4 ch = 2^32 samples wraps on 32-bit usize and is past the 2^30-sample cap.
-        assert_eq!(checked_sample_buf_len(1 << 30, 1, 4), None);
-        assert_eq!(checked_sample_buf_len(u32::MAX as usize, 1, 2), None);
+        assert_eq!(checked_sample_buf_len(usize::MAX, usize::MAX, 4), None);
+        assert_eq!(checked_sample_buf_len(0, 1, 3), None);
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn checked_sample_buf_len_normal_accepted() {
         assert_eq!(checked_sample_buf_len(100, 1, 3), Some(300));
         assert_eq!(checked_sample_buf_len(1, 1, 1), Some(1));
+        // 300 Mpx RGBA is within the default pixel limit, so it must not be refused by sample count.
+        assert_eq!(checked_sample_buf_len(20_000, 15_000, 4), Some(1_200_000_000));
     }
 }