diff --git a/client_options.go b/client_options.go
index 084a72b..b38f1a5 100644
--- a/client_options.go
+++ b/client_options.go
@@ -12,18 +12,19 @@ import (
 )
 
 type clientOptions struct {
-	baseURL      string
-	timeout      time.Duration
-	transport    http.RoundTripper
-	logger       *slog.Logger
-	errorMapper  ErrorMapper
-	middlewares  []middleware.Middleware
-	retryOpts    []retry.Option
-	enableRetry  bool
-	cbOpts       []circuitbreaker.Option
-	enableCB     bool
-	endpoints    []balancer.Endpoint
-	balancerOpts []balancer.Option
+	baseURL         string
+	timeout         time.Duration
+	transport       http.RoundTripper
+	logger          *slog.Logger
+	errorMapper     ErrorMapper
+	middlewares     []middleware.Middleware
+	retryOpts       []retry.Option
+	enableRetry     bool
+	cbOpts          []circuitbreaker.Option
+	enableCB        bool
+	endpoints       []balancer.Endpoint
+	balancerOpts    []balancer.Option
+	maxResponseBody int64
 }
 
 // Option configures a Client.
@@ -85,3 +86,11 @@ func WithEndpoints(eps ...balancer.Endpoint) Option {
 func WithBalancer(opts ...balancer.Option) Option {
 	return func(o *clientOptions) { o.balancerOpts = opts }
 }
+
+// WithMaxResponseBody limits the number of bytes read from response bodies
+// by Response.Bytes (and by extension String, JSON, XML). If the response
+// body exceeds n bytes, reading stops and returns an error.
+// A value of 0 means no limit (the default).
+func WithMaxResponseBody(n int64) Option {
+	return func(o *clientOptions) { o.maxResponseBody = n }
+}
diff --git a/response.go b/response.go
index 3068cfe..af37eeb 100644
--- a/response.go
+++ b/response.go
@@ -97,3 +97,18 @@ func (r *Response) BodyReader() io.Reader {
 	}
 	return r.Body
 }
+
+// limitedReadCloser wraps an io.LimitedReader with a separate Closer
+// so the original body can be closed.
+type limitedReadCloser struct {
+	R io.LimitedReader
+	C io.Closer
+}
+
+func (l *limitedReadCloser) Read(p []byte) (int, error) {
+	return l.R.Read(p)
+}
+
+func (l *limitedReadCloser) Close() error {
+	return l.C.Close()
+}
diff --git a/response_limit_test.go b/response_limit_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..caca2aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/response_limit_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+package httpx_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"git.codelab.vc/pkg/httpx"
+)
+
+func TestClient_MaxResponseBody(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("allows response within limit", func(t *testing.T) {
+		srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
+			fmt.Fprint(w, "hello")
+		}))
+		defer srv.Close()
+
+		client := httpx.New(httpx.WithMaxResponseBody(1024))
+		resp, err := client.Get(context.Background(), srv.URL+"/")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		body, err := resp.String()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("reading body: %v", err)
+		}
+		if body != "hello" {
+			t.Fatalf("body = %q, want %q", body, "hello")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("truncates response exceeding limit", func(t *testing.T) {
+		largeBody := strings.Repeat("x", 1000)
+		srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
+			fmt.Fprint(w, largeBody)
+		}))
+		defer srv.Close()
+
+		client := httpx.New(httpx.WithMaxResponseBody(100))
+		resp, err := client.Get(context.Background(), srv.URL+"/")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		b, err := resp.Bytes()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("reading body: %v", err)
+		}
+		if len(b) != 100 {
+			t.Fatalf("body length = %d, want %d", len(b), 100)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("no limit when zero", func(t *testing.T) {
+		largeBody := strings.Repeat("x", 10000)
+		srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
+			fmt.Fprint(w, largeBody)
+		}))
+		defer srv.Close()
+
+		client := httpx.New()
+		resp, err := client.Get(context.Background(), srv.URL+"/")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+		}
+		b, err := resp.Bytes()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("reading body: %v", err)
+		}
+		if len(b) != 10000 {
+			t.Fatalf("body length = %d, want %d", len(b), 10000)
+		}
+	})
+}