diff --git a/patchwork/migrations/0049_patch_patch_covering_idx_default.py b/patchwork/migrations/0049_patch_patch_covering_idx_default.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..272ca5efe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/patchwork/migrations/0049_patch_patch_covering_idx_default.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# Generated by Django 6.0.6 on 2026-08-13 00:14
+
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+    dependencies = [
+        ('patchwork', '0048_series_dependencies'),
+        migrations.swappable_dependency(settings.AUTH_USER_MODEL),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AddIndex(
+            model_name='patch',
+            index=models.Index(
+                fields=[
+                    'project',
+                    'archived',
+                    'state',
+                    '-date',
+                    'delegate',
+                    'submitter',
+                ],
+                name='patch_covering_idx_default',
+            ),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/patchwork/models.py b/patchwork/models.py
index d5cb31de9..77ca6aaa3 100644
--- a/patchwork/models.py
+++ b/patchwork/models.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
 from django.core.validators import validate_unicode_slug
+from django.core.validators import MaxValueValidator
 from django.db import models
 from django.urls import reverse
 from django.utils.functional import cached_property
@@ -172,6 +173,7 @@ class UserProfile(models.Model):
         null=False,
         blank=False,
         help_text='Number of items to display per page',
+        validators=[MaxValueValidator(settings.MAX_ITEMS_PER_PAGE)],
     )
     show_ids = models.BooleanField(
         default=False,
@@ -208,6 +210,9 @@ def token(self):
         except Token.DoesNotExist:
             return
 
+    def get_items_per_page(self):
+        return min(self.items_per_page, settings.MAX_ITEMS_PER_PAGE)
+
     def todo_patches(self, project=None):
         # filter on project, if necessary
         if project:
@@ -735,6 +740,17 @@ class Meta:
                 ],
                 name='patch_covering_idx',
             ),
+            models.Index(
+                fields=[
+                    'project',
+                    'archived',
+                    'state',
+                    '-date',
+                    'delegate',
+                    'submitter',
+                ],
+                name='patch_covering_idx_default',
+            ),
         ]
 
 
diff --git a/patchwork/paginator.py b/patchwork/paginator.py
index 1b7bd9145..c79b493ae 100644
--- a/patchwork/paginator.py
+++ b/patchwork/paginator.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def __init__(self, request, objects):
         items_per_page = settings.DEFAULT_ITEMS_PER_PAGE
 
         if request.user.is_authenticated:
-            items_per_page = request.user.profile.items_per_page
+            items_per_page = request.user.profile.get_items_per_page()
 
         super().__init__(objects, items_per_page)
 
@@ -90,7 +90,3 @@ def __init__(self, request, objects):
             # prevent e.g. 1 2 ... 5 6 7 ... 8 9
             if self.trailing_set[0] != self.adjacent_set[-1] + 1:
                 self.show_trailing_ellipsis = True
-
-        self.long_page = (
-            len(self.current_page.object_list) >= LONG_PAGE_THRESHOLD
-        )
diff --git a/patchwork/settings/base.py b/patchwork/settings/base.py
index 2b557fc1c..d5dd82c41 100644
--- a/patchwork/settings/base.py
+++ b/patchwork/settings/base.py
@@ -266,6 +266,8 @@
 REST_RESULTS_PER_PAGE = 30
 MAX_REST_RESULTS_PER_PAGE = 250
 
+MAX_ITEMS_PER_PAGE = 1000
+
 # Set to True to enable redirections or URLs from previous versions
 # of patchwork
 COMPAT_REDIR = True
diff --git a/patchwork/templates/patchwork/partials/patch-list.html b/patchwork/templates/patchwork/partials/patch-list.html
index 981ceee58..b9bb62d21 100644
--- a/patchwork/templates/patchwork/partials/patch-list.html
+++ b/patchwork/templates/patchwork/partials/patch-list.html
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@
     </thead>
 
     <tbody>
-{% for patch in page.object_list %}
+{% for patch in patches %}
       <tr id="patch-row:{{patch.id}}" data-patch-id="{{patch.id}}">
 {% if user.is_authenticated %}
         <td id="select-patch:{{patch.id}}" style="text-align: center;">
diff --git a/patchwork/views/__init__.py b/patchwork/views/__init__.py
index 92adbbccd..e8621301d 100644
--- a/patchwork/views/__init__.py
+++ b/patchwork/views/__init__.py
@@ -280,13 +280,26 @@ def generic_list(
         else:
             context['filters'].set_status(filterclass, setting)
 
+    # Filtering
+
     if patches is None:
         patches = Patch.objects.filter(project=project)
 
-    # annotate with tag counts
-    patches = patches.with_tag_counts(project)
+    patch_ids = patches
+
+    patch_ids = patch_ids.only('id')
+    patch_ids = context['filters'].apply(patch_ids)
+    if not editable_order:
+        patch_ids = order.apply(patch_ids)
 
-    patches = context['filters'].apply(patches)
+    paginator = Paginator(request, patch_ids)
+    patch_ids = list(
+        paginator.current_page.object_list.values_list('id', flat=True)
+    )
+
+    # Aggregation
+
+    patches = patches.filter(id__in=patch_ids)
     if not editable_order:
         patches = order.apply(patches)
 
@@ -321,11 +334,13 @@ def generic_list(
         )
     )
 
-    paginator = Paginator(request, patches)
+    # annotate with tag counts
+    patches = patches.with_tag_counts(project)
 
     context.update(
         {
             'page': paginator.current_page,
+            'patches': patches,
             'patch_form': properties_form,
             'create_bundle_form': create_bundle_form,
             'project': project,