diff --git a/src/mcp_server/item.rs b/src/mcp_server/item.rs
index 2c363bb0..8c6f9bbc 100644
--- a/src/mcp_server/item.rs
+++ b/src/mcp_server/item.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,13 @@ const MAX_GROOM_LIMIT: i64 = 200;
 /// holding the backend DB lock.
 const MAX_WINDOW_WEEKS: i64 = 52;
 
+/// Default/max page size for `list` — omitting `limit` used to return every
+/// matching item unbounded, which can blow past the MCP response token cap
+/// on large projects (155 items / 52k chars observed). Mirrors the
+/// `unwrap_or`+`clamp` pattern already used by `search`/`groom` below.
+const DEFAULT_LIST_LIMIT: i64 = 50;
+const MAX_LIST_LIMIT: i64 = 500;
+
 fn priority_rank(p: &str) -> u8 {
     match p {
         "urgent" => 5,
@@ -258,14 +265,15 @@ impl AgentflareMcp {
                 });
             }
 
+            let total = items.len();
             let offset = req.offset.unwrap_or(0) as usize;
-            let items = items.into_iter().skip(offset);
-            let items: Vec<_> = match req.limit {
-                Some(limit) => items.take(limit as usize).collect(),
-                None => items.collect(),
-            };
+            let limit = req
+                .limit
+                .unwrap_or(DEFAULT_LIST_LIMIT)
+                .clamp(0, MAX_LIST_LIMIT) as usize;
+            let page: Vec<_> = items.into_iter().skip(offset).take(limit).collect();
 
-            let summaries: Vec<ItemSummary> = items
+            let summaries: Vec<ItemSummary> = page
                 .into_iter()
                 .map(|i| {
                     let state = state_by_id.get(i.state_id.as_str());
@@ -282,7 +290,21 @@ impl AgentflareMcp {
                     }
                 })
                 .collect();
-            Ok(serde_json::to_string_pretty(&summaries).unwrap_or_default())
+
+            let next_offset = (offset.saturating_add(summaries.len()) < total && limit > 0)
+                .then_some(offset.saturating_add(limit));
+            let prev_offset = (limit > 0 && offset > 0 && total > 0)
+                .then_some(offset.min(total).saturating_sub(limit));
+
+            let page = ItemListPage {
+                items: summaries,
+                total,
+                offset,
+                limit,
+                next_offset,
+                prev_offset,
+            };
+            Ok(serde_json::to_string_pretty(&page).unwrap_or_default())
         })?
     }
 
diff --git a/src/mcp_server/tests/item_tests.rs b/src/mcp_server/tests/item_tests.rs
index 56e2b09f..848f4833 100644
--- a/src/mcp_server/tests/item_tests.rs
+++ b/src/mcp_server/tests/item_tests.rs
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ fn item_list_filters_by_assignee_or_unassigned_and_sorts_open_first() {
         .unwrap(),
     )
     .unwrap();
-    let names: Vec<&str> = listed
+    let names: Vec<&str> = listed["items"]
         .as_array()
         .unwrap()
         .iter()
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ fn item_list_defaults_assignee_filter_to_server_identity() {
         .unwrap(),
     )
     .unwrap();
-    let mut names: Vec<&str> = defaulted
+    let mut names: Vec<&str> = defaulted["items"]
         .as_array()
         .unwrap()
         .iter()
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ fn item_list_defaults_assignee_filter_to_server_identity() {
         .unwrap(),
     )
     .unwrap();
-    let mut names2: Vec<&str> = explicit
+    let mut names2: Vec<&str> = explicit["items"]
         .as_array()
         .unwrap()
         .iter()
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ fn item_list_state_group_filter_accepts_comma_separated_groups() {
         .unwrap(),
     )
     .unwrap();
-    let names: Vec<&str> = listed
+    let names: Vec<&str> = listed["items"]
         .as_array()
         .unwrap()
         .iter()
@@ -1206,7 +1206,7 @@ fn item_groom_benchmark() {
         .unwrap(),
     )
     .unwrap();
-    let shortlist_ids: Vec<String> = listed
+    let shortlist_ids: Vec<String> = listed["items"]
         .as_array()
         .unwrap()
         .iter()
@@ -1247,13 +1247,54 @@ fn item_list_respects_limit_and_offset() {
         .unwrap(),
     )
     .unwrap();
-    let names: Vec<&str> = listed
+    let names: Vec<&str> = listed["items"]
         .as_array()
         .unwrap()
         .iter()
         .map(|i| i["name"].as_str().unwrap())
         .collect();
     assert_eq!(names, vec!["B"]);
+    assert_eq!(listed["total"], 3);
+    assert_eq!(listed["offset"], 1);
+    assert_eq!(listed["limit"], 1);
+    assert_eq!(listed["next_offset"], 2);
+    assert_eq!(listed["prev_offset"], 0);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn item_list_pagination_edges_out_of_range_offset_and_zero_limit() {
+    let (_tmp, s) = harness();
+    for name in ["A", "B", "C"] {
+        s.item(Parameters(empty_item_create(name))).unwrap();
+    }
+
+    let past_end: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(
+        &s.item(Parameters(ItemRequest {
+            action: "list".into(),
+            limit: Some(1),
+            offset: Some(100),
+            ..Default::default()
+        }))
+        .unwrap(),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(past_end["items"].as_array().unwrap().len(), 0);
+    assert_eq!(past_end["next_offset"], serde_json::Value::Null);
+    assert_eq!(past_end["prev_offset"], 2);
+
+    let zero_limit: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(
+        &s.item(Parameters(ItemRequest {
+            action: "list".into(),
+            limit: Some(0),
+            offset: Some(1),
+            ..Default::default()
+        }))
+        .unwrap(),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(zero_limit["items"].as_array().unwrap().len(), 0);
+    assert_eq!(zero_limit["next_offset"], serde_json::Value::Null);
+    assert_eq!(zero_limit["prev_offset"], serde_json::Value::Null);
 }
 
 #[test]
@@ -1268,11 +1309,13 @@ fn item_list_returns_lean_projection_with_readable_state() {
         .unwrap(),
     )
     .unwrap();
-    let first = &listed.as_array().unwrap()[0];
+    let first = &listed["items"].as_array().unwrap()[0];
     assert_eq!(first["state"], "Backlog");
     assert_eq!(first["state_group"], "backlog");
     assert!(first.get("description").is_none());
     assert!(first.get("metadata").is_none());
+    assert_eq!(listed["next_offset"], serde_json::Value::Null);
+    assert_eq!(listed["prev_offset"], serde_json::Value::Null);
 }
 
 #[test]
diff --git a/src/mcp_server/types.rs b/src/mcp_server/types.rs
index 34477a8f..3d111ab7 100644
--- a/src/mcp_server/types.rs
+++ b/src/mcp_server/types.rs
@@ -727,11 +727,13 @@ pub(crate) struct ItemRequest {
     #[serde(default)]
     pub(crate) state_group: Option<String>,
     #[schemars(
-        description = "Max items to return (list: omit for no limit; search: omit for 20, capped at 1000; groom: omit for 15, capped at 200)"
+        description = "Max items to return (list: omit for 50, capped at 500; search: omit for 20, capped at 1000; groom: omit for 15, capped at 200)"
     )]
     #[serde(default)]
     pub(crate) limit: Option<i64>,
-    #[schemars(description = "Items to skip before applying limit (list); default 0")]
+    #[schemars(
+        description = "Items to skip before applying limit (list); default 0. `list`'s response includes `next_offset`/`prev_offset` — pass those back here to page forward/backward"
+    )]
     #[serde(default)]
     pub(crate) offset: Option<i64>,
     #[schemars(description = "FTS5 search query (search)")]
@@ -773,6 +775,22 @@ pub(crate) struct ItemSummary {
     pub(crate) updated_at: i64,
 }
 
+/// `item(list)`'s response envelope — carries `next_offset`/`prev_offset` so
+/// a caller paging through a large project can navigate by re-sending the
+/// given offset as-is, rather than re-deriving it from `total`/`limit`.
+#[derive(Debug, serde::Serialize)]
+pub(crate) struct ItemListPage {
+    pub(crate) items: Vec<ItemSummary>,
+    /// Count matching the filters, before this page's offset/limit were applied.
+    pub(crate) total: usize,
+    pub(crate) offset: usize,
+    pub(crate) limit: usize,
+    /// Pass as `offset` on the next call for the next page; `null` on the last page.
+    pub(crate) next_offset: Option<usize>,
+    /// Pass as `offset` on the next call for the previous page; `null` on the first page.
+    pub(crate) prev_offset: Option<usize>,
+}
+
 /// One shortlisted item plus the decision-support signals `groom` computes
 /// server-side (staleness, blocking, fan-in, near-duplicates) so the caller
 /// doesn't have to re-derive them by eyeballing timestamps and free text.