diff --git a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/settings-dialog.tsx b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/settings-dialog.tsx
index ca46c909..3efa566f 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/settings-dialog.tsx
+++ b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/settings-dialog.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import * as React from "react"
 import { useState, useEffect, useCallback, useMemo } from "react"
-import { Server, Key, Shield, Palette, Monitor, Sun, Moon, Loader2, CheckCircle2, Plus, X, Wrench, Search, ChevronRight, Link2, Tags, Mail, BookOpen, User, Plug, HelpCircle, MessageCircle, Terminal, AlertTriangle, RefreshCw, PanelRight, Bell, Smartphone } from "lucide-react"
+import { Server, Key, Shield, Palette, Monitor, Sun, Moon, Loader2, CheckCircle2, Plus, Minus, X, Wrench, Search, ChevronRight, Link2, Tags, Mail, BookOpen, User, Plug, HelpCircle, MessageCircle, Terminal, AlertTriangle, RefreshCw, PanelRight, Bell, Smartphone } from "lucide-react"
 
 import {
   Dialog,
@@ -2641,11 +2641,86 @@ function NotificationSettings({ dialogOpen }: { dialogOpen: boolean }) {
 // --- Advanced (runtime/cost controls) tab ---
 
 const MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MIN = 1
-const MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MAX = 100
+const MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MAX = 500
+
+function parseLimit(value: string): number | null {
+  const n = Number(value.trim())
+  if (!Number.isInteger(n) || n < MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MIN || n > MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MAX) return null
+  return n
+}
+
+/**
+ * Compact segmented − / value / + stepper. The native number-input spinners
+ * are replaced entirely: typing is free-form digits, stepping clamps to the
+ * range and commits immediately. An empty value steps from `fallback` (the
+ * chat field starts from the global limit).
+ */
+function LimitStepper({
+  value,
+  fallback,
+  placeholder,
+  onInput,
+  onCommit,
+}: {
+  value: string
+  fallback: number
+  placeholder?: string
+  /** Every keystroke (no save). */
+  onInput: (next: string) => void
+  /** A settled change: step click or blur. */
+  onCommit: (next: string) => void
+}) {
+  const current = parseLimit(value)
+
+  const step = (delta: number) => {
+    // From an empty/invalid field, the first step lands on the fallback so
+    // the override starts where the effective value already is.
+    const next = current === null
+      ? Math.min(MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MAX, Math.max(MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MIN, fallback))
+      : Math.min(MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MAX, Math.max(MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MIN, current + delta))
+    onCommit(String(next))
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <div className="flex h-8 items-center overflow-hidden rounded-md border border-input bg-background shadow-xs shrink-0">
+      <button
+        type="button"
+        aria-label="Decrease limit"
+        onClick={() => step(-1)}
+        disabled={current !== null && current <= MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MIN}
+        className="flex h-full w-7 items-center justify-center text-muted-foreground transition-colors hover:bg-muted hover:text-foreground disabled:pointer-events-none disabled:opacity-30"
+      >
+        <Minus className="size-3" />
+      </button>
+      <input
+        type="text"
+        inputMode="numeric"
+        value={value}
+        placeholder={placeholder}
+        onChange={(e) => onInput(e.target.value.replace(/[^0-9]/g, ""))}
+        onBlur={() => onCommit(value)}
+        className={cn(
+          "h-full border-x border-input bg-transparent text-center text-sm tabular-nums outline-none",
+          "placeholder:text-[11px] placeholder:text-muted-foreground/70",
+          placeholder ? "w-24" : "w-16",
+        )}
+      />
+      <button
+        type="button"
+        aria-label="Increase limit"
+        onClick={() => step(1)}
+        disabled={current !== null && current >= MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MAX}
+        className="flex h-full w-7 items-center justify-center text-muted-foreground transition-colors hover:bg-muted hover:text-foreground disabled:pointer-events-none disabled:opacity-30"
+      >
+        <Plus className="size-3" />
+      </button>
+    </div>
+  )
+}
 
 function AdvancedSettings({ dialogOpen }: { dialogOpen: boolean }) {
   // Inputs are kept as strings so the user can clear a field while typing;
-  // validation happens on save (blur).
+  // validation happens on commit (step click or blur).
   const [globalLimit, setGlobalLimit] = useState("")
   const [chatLimit, setChatLimit] = useState("")
   const [loaded, setLoaded] = useState(false)
@@ -2666,21 +2741,17 @@ function AdvancedSettings({ dialogOpen }: { dialogOpen: boolean }) {
     return () => { cancelled = true }
   }, [dialogOpen])
 
-  const parseLimit = (value: string): number | null => {
-    const n = Number(value.trim())
-    if (!Number.isInteger(n) || n < MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MIN || n > MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MAX) return null
-    return n
-  }
-
-  const handleSave = useCallback(async () => {
-    const global = parseLimit(globalLimit)
+  // Saves silently on success (a toast per stepper click would be noisy,
+  // matching the notification toggles); errors still surface.
+  const saveLimits = useCallback(async (globalStr: string, chatStr: string) => {
+    const global = parseLimit(globalStr)
     if (global === null) {
       toast.error(`Model-call limit must be a whole number between ${MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MIN} and ${MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MAX}`)
       return
     }
     let chat: number | undefined
-    if (chatLimit.trim() !== "") {
-      const parsed = parseLimit(chatLimit)
+    if (chatStr.trim() !== "") {
+      const parsed = parseLimit(chatStr)
       if (parsed === null) {
         toast.error(`Chat limit must be empty or a whole number between ${MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MIN} and ${MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MAX}`)
         return
@@ -2692,11 +2763,10 @@ function AdvancedSettings({ dialogOpen }: { dialogOpen: boolean }) {
         maxModelCalls: global,
         ...(chat === undefined ? {} : { chatMaxModelCalls: chat }),
       })
-      toast.success("Model-call limits saved. Applies to new turns.")
     } catch {
       toast.error("Failed to save model-call limits")
     }
-  }, [globalLimit, chatLimit])
+  }, [])
 
   if (!loaded) {
     return (
@@ -2723,14 +2793,14 @@ function AdvancedSettings({ dialogOpen }: { dialogOpen: boolean }) {
               knowledge work, scheduled agents, and sub-agents (it also caps sub-agent budgets).
             </div>
           </div>
-          <Input
-            type="number"
-            min={MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MIN}
-            max={MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MAX}
+          <LimitStepper
             value={globalLimit}
-            onChange={(e) => setGlobalLimit(e.target.value)}
-            onBlur={handleSave}
-            className="w-24 shrink-0"
+            fallback={20}
+            onInput={setGlobalLimit}
+            onCommit={(next) => {
+              setGlobalLimit(next)
+              void saveLimits(next, chatLimit)
+            }}
           />
         </div>
 
@@ -2742,16 +2812,34 @@ function AdvancedSettings({ dialogOpen }: { dialogOpen: boolean }) {
               model-call limit above.
             </div>
           </div>
-          <Input
-            type="number"
-            min={MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MIN}
-            max={MODEL_CALL_LIMIT_MAX}
-            value={chatLimit}
-            onChange={(e) => setChatLimit(e.target.value)}
-            onBlur={handleSave}
-            placeholder="Same as above"
-            className="w-32 shrink-0"
-          />
+          <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5 shrink-0">
+            {chatLimit.trim() !== "" && (
+              <button
+                type="button"
+                aria-label="Use the global limit"
+                title="Use the global limit"
+                onClick={() => {
+                  setChatLimit("")
+                  void saveLimits(globalLimit, "")
+                }}
+                className="flex size-5 items-center justify-center rounded-sm text-muted-foreground transition-colors hover:bg-muted hover:text-foreground"
+              >
+                <X className="size-3.5" />
+              </button>
+            )}
+            <LimitStepper
+              value={chatLimit}
+              fallback={parseLimit(globalLimit) ?? 20}
+              placeholder="Same as above"
+              onInput={setChatLimit}
+              onCommit={(next) => {
+                setChatLimit(next)
+                // An emptied chat field on blur means "use the global
+                // limit" — persist the override removal.
+                void saveLimits(globalLimit, next)
+              }}
+            />
+          </div>
         </div>
       </div>
     </div>
diff --git a/apps/x/packages/core/src/config/turn_limits.test.ts b/apps/x/packages/core/src/config/turn_limits.test.ts
index b9748615..bb7c3576 100644
--- a/apps/x/packages/core/src/config/turn_limits.test.ts
+++ b/apps/x/packages/core/src/config/turn_limits.test.ts
@@ -92,9 +92,9 @@ describe("saveTurnLimitsSettings", () => {
   it("rejects out-of-range values", async () => {
     const { saveTurnLimitsSettings } = await loadTurnLimits();
     expect(() => saveTurnLimitsSettings({ maxModelCalls: 0 })).toThrow();
-    expect(() => saveTurnLimitsSettings({ maxModelCalls: 101 })).toThrow();
+    expect(() => saveTurnLimitsSettings({ maxModelCalls: 501 })).toThrow();
     expect(() =>
-      saveTurnLimitsSettings({ maxModelCalls: 20, chatMaxModelCalls: 500 }),
+      saveTurnLimitsSettings({ maxModelCalls: 20, chatMaxModelCalls: 501 }),
     ).toThrow();
   });
 });
diff --git a/apps/x/packages/shared/src/turn-limits.ts b/apps/x/packages/shared/src/turn-limits.ts
index 6d390c1e..347a1a76 100644
--- a/apps/x/packages/shared/src/turn-limits.ts
+++ b/apps/x/packages/shared/src/turn-limits.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import { DEFAULT_MAX_MODEL_CALLS } from './turns.js';
  * resolved limit in turn_created.config.maxModelCalls.
  */
 export const MIN_MODEL_CALL_LIMIT = 1;
-export const MAX_MODEL_CALL_LIMIT = 100;
+export const MAX_MODEL_CALL_LIMIT = 500;
 
 const limit = z
   .number()