diff --git a/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/ops/OItem.scala b/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/ops/OItem.scala
index c62cc064..fdc68c9d 100644
--- a/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/ops/OItem.scala
+++ b/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/ops/OItem.scala
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import OItem.{
   AttachmentArchiveData,
   AttachmentData,
   AttachmentSourceData,
+  Batch,
   ItemData,
   ListItem,
   Query
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ trait OItem[F[_]] {
 
   def findItem(id: Ident, collective: Ident): F[Option[ItemData]]
 
-  def findItems(q: Query, maxResults: Int): F[Vector[ListItem]]
+  def findItems(q: Query, batch: Batch): F[Vector[ListItem]]
 
   def findAttachment(id: Ident, collective: Ident): F[Option[AttachmentData[F]]]
 
@@ -84,6 +85,9 @@ object OItem {
   type Query = QItem.Query
   val Query = QItem.Query
 
+  type Batch = QItem.Batch
+  val Batch = QItem.Batch
+
   type ListItem = QItem.ListItem
   val ListItem = QItem.ListItem
 
@@ -138,8 +142,11 @@ object OItem {
           .transact(QItem.findItem(id))
           .map(opt => opt.flatMap(_.filterCollective(collective)))
 
-      def findItems(q: Query, maxResults: Int): F[Vector[ListItem]] =
-        store.transact(QItem.findItems(q).take(maxResults.toLong)).compile.toVector
+      def findItems(q: Query, batch: Batch): F[Vector[ListItem]] =
+        store
+          .transact(QItem.findItems(q, batch).take(batch.limit.toLong))
+          .compile
+          .toVector
 
       def findAttachment(id: Ident, collective: Ident): F[Option[AttachmentData[F]]] =
         store
diff --git a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/NotifyDueItemsTask.scala b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/NotifyDueItemsTask.scala
index 2b789ff1..055d0d90 100644
--- a/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/NotifyDueItemsTask.scala
+++ b/modules/joex/src/main/scala/docspell/joex/notify/NotifyDueItemsTask.scala
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import emil.markdown._
 import emil.javamail.syntax._
 
 import docspell.common._
+import docspell.backend.ops.OItem.Batch
 import docspell.store.records._
 import docspell.store.queries.QItem
 import docspell.joex.scheduler.{Context, Task}
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@ import cats.data.OptionT
 import docspell.joex.mail.EmilHeader
 
 object NotifyDueItemsTask {
-  val maxItems: Long = 7
+  val maxItems: Int = 7
   type Args = NotifyDueItemsArgs
 
   def apply[F[_]: Sync](cfg: MailSendConfig, emil: Emil[F]): Task[F, Args, Unit] =
@@ -78,7 +79,11 @@ object NotifyDueItemsTask {
             dueDateTo = Some(now + Duration.days(ctx.args.remindDays.toLong)),
             orderAsc = Some(_.dueDate)
           )
-      res <- ctx.store.transact(QItem.findItems(q).take(maxItems)).compile.toVector
+      res <-
+        ctx.store
+          .transact(QItem.findItems(q, Batch.limit(maxItems)).take(maxItems.toLong))
+          .compile
+          .toVector
     } yield res
 
   def makeMail[F[_]: Sync](
diff --git a/modules/restapi/src/main/resources/docspell-openapi.yml b/modules/restapi/src/main/resources/docspell-openapi.yml
index e8591141..11c9ba49 100644
--- a/modules/restapi/src/main/resources/docspell-openapi.yml
+++ b/modules/restapi/src/main/resources/docspell-openapi.yml
@@ -3121,6 +3121,8 @@ components:
         - tagsInclude
         - tagsExclude
         - inbox
+        - offset
+        - limit
       properties:
         tagsInclude:
           type: array
@@ -3134,6 +3136,16 @@ components:
             format: ident
         inbox:
           type: boolean
+        offset:
+          type: integer
+          format: int32
+        limit:
+          type: integer
+          format: int32
+          description: |
+            The maximum number of results to return. Note that this
+            limit is a soft limit, there is some hard limit on the
+            server, too.
         direction:
           type: string
           format: direction
diff --git a/modules/restserver/src/main/scala/docspell/restserver/routes/ItemRoutes.scala b/modules/restserver/src/main/scala/docspell/restserver/routes/ItemRoutes.scala
index c22d7bca..e49e4178 100644
--- a/modules/restserver/src/main/scala/docspell/restserver/routes/ItemRoutes.scala
+++ b/modules/restserver/src/main/scala/docspell/restserver/routes/ItemRoutes.scala
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import cats.effect._
 import cats.implicits._
 import docspell.backend.BackendApp
 import docspell.backend.auth.AuthToken
+import docspell.backend.ops.OItem.Batch
 import docspell.common.{Ident, ItemState}
 import org.http4s.HttpRoutes
 import org.http4s.dsl.Http4sDsl
@@ -27,9 +28,12 @@ object ItemRoutes {
           mask <- req.as[ItemSearch]
           _    <- logger.ftrace(s"Got search mask: $mask")
           query = Conversions.mkQuery(mask, user.account.collective)
-          _     <- logger.ftrace(s"Running query: $query")
-          items <- backend.item.findItems(query, 100)
-          resp  <- Ok(Conversions.mkItemList(items))
+          _ <- logger.ftrace(s"Running query: $query")
+          items <- backend.item.findItems(
+            query,
+            Batch(mask.offset, mask.limit).restrictLimitTo(500)
+          )
+          resp <- Ok(Conversions.mkItemList(items))
         } yield resp
 
       case GET -> Root / Ident(id) =>
diff --git a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala
index 5abb2c92..4ce8b7f0 100644
--- a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala
+++ b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala
@@ -187,7 +187,22 @@ object QItem {
       )
   }
 
-  def findItems(q: Query): Stream[ConnectionIO, ListItem] = {
+  case class Batch(offset: Int, limit: Int) {
+    def restrictLimitTo(n: Int): Batch =
+      Batch(offset, math.min(n, limit))
+  }
+
+  object Batch {
+    val all: Batch = Batch(0, Int.MaxValue)
+
+    def page(n: Int, size: Int): Batch =
+      Batch(n * size, size)
+
+    def limit(c: Int): Batch =
+      Batch(0, c)
+  }
+
+  def findItems(q: Query, batch: Batch): Stream[ConnectionIO, ListItem] = {
     val IC         = RItem.Columns
     val AC         = RAttachment.Columns
     val PC         = RPerson.Columns
@@ -202,7 +217,7 @@ object QItem {
       IC.id.prefix("i").f,
       IC.name.prefix("i").f,
       IC.state.prefix("i").f,
-      coalesce(IC.itemDate.prefix("i").f, IC.created.prefix("i").f),
+      coalesce(IC.itemDate.prefix("i").f, IC.created.prefix("i").f) ++ fr"i_date",
       IC.dueDate.prefix("i").f,
       IC.source.prefix("i").f,
       IC.incoming.prefix("i").f,
@@ -310,11 +325,12 @@ object QItem {
       case Some(co) =>
         orderBy(coalesce(co(IC).prefix("i").f, IC.created.prefix("i").f) ++ fr"ASC")
       case None =>
-        orderBy(
-          coalesce(IC.itemDate.prefix("i").f, IC.created.prefix("i").f) ++ fr"DESC"
-        )
+        orderBy(fr"i_date DESC")
     }
-    val frag = query ++ fr"WHERE" ++ cond ++ order
+    val frag =
+      query ++ fr"WHERE" ++ cond ++ order ++ (if (batch == Batch.all) Fragment.empty
+                                              else
+                                                fr"OFFSET ${batch.offset} LIMIT ${batch.limit}")
     logger.trace(s"List items: $frag")
     frag.query[ListItem].stream
   }
diff --git a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/Home/Update.elm b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/Home/Update.elm
index b3e1e327..05c8d850 100644
--- a/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/Home/Update.elm
+++ b/modules/webapp/src/main/elm/Page/Home/Update.elm
@@ -77,8 +77,11 @@ update key flags msg model =
 doSearch : Flags -> Model -> ( Model, Cmd Msg )
 doSearch flags model =
     let
-        mask =
+        smask =
             Comp.SearchMenu.getItemSearch model.searchMenuModel
+
+        mask =
+            { smask | limit = 100 }
     in
     ( { model | searchInProgress = True, viewMode = Listing }
     , Api.itemSearch flags mask ItemSearchResp