diff --git a/cmd/stbak/cmd/inventory_list.go b/cmd/stbak/cmd/inventory_list.go
index 58cfc2f..c499248 100644
--- a/cmd/stbak/cmd/inventory_list.go
+++ b/cmd/stbak/cmd/inventory_list.go
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 )
 
+const (
+	limitFlag = "limit"
+)
+
 var inventoryListCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:     "list",
 	Aliases: []string{"lis", "l", "t", "ls"},
@@ -29,6 +33,7 @@ var inventoryListCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			},
 
 			viper.GetString(nameFlag),
+			viper.GetInt(limitFlag),
 
 			logging.NewLogger().PrintHeader,
 		); err != nil {
@@ -41,6 +46,7 @@ var inventoryListCmd = &cobra.Command{
 
 func init() {
 	inventoryListCmd.PersistentFlags().StringP(nameFlag, "n", "", "Directory to list the contents of")
+	inventoryListCmd.PersistentFlags().IntP(limitFlag, "l", -1, "Maximum amount of files to list (-1 lists all)")
 
 	viper.AutomaticEnv()
 
diff --git a/internal/fs/file.go b/internal/fs/file.go
index d03cdaa..f87b6db 100644
--- a/internal/fs/file.go
+++ b/internal/fs/file.go
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ func (f *File) Readdir(count int) ([]os.FileInfo, error) {
 		f.metadata,
 
 		f.path,
+		count,
 
 		f.onHeader,
 	)
@@ -89,7 +90,6 @@ func (f *File) Readdir(count int) ([]os.FileInfo, error) {
 
 	fileInfos := []os.FileInfo{}
 	for _, hdr := range hdrs {
-		// TODO: Handle count; only return all if count = -1
 		fileInfos = append(fileInfos, NewFileInfo(hdr))
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/persisters/metadata.go b/internal/persisters/metadata.go
index dbb5b52..6ee97eb 100644
--- a/internal/persisters/metadata.go
+++ b/internal/persisters/metadata.go
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ func (p *MetadataPersister) GetHeaderChildren(ctx context.Context, name string)
 	return outhdrs, nil
 }
 
-func (p *MetadataPersister) GetHeaderDirectChildren(ctx context.Context, name string) (models.HeaderSlice, error) {
+func (p *MetadataPersister) GetHeaderDirectChildren(ctx context.Context, name string, limit int) (models.HeaderSlice, error) {
 	prefix := strings.TrimSuffix(name, "/") + "/"
 	rootDepth := 0
 	headers := models.HeaderSlice{}
@@ -217,9 +217,8 @@ func (p *MetadataPersister) GetHeaderDirectChildren(ctx context.Context, name st
 	}
 
 	getHeaders := func(prefix string) (models.HeaderSlice, error) {
-		if err := queries.Raw(
-			fmt.Sprintf(
-				`select %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v,
+		query := fmt.Sprintf(
+			`select %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v, %v,
     length(replace(%v, ?, '')) - length(replace(replace(%v, ?, ''), '/', '')) as depth
 from %v
 where %v like ?
@@ -232,35 +231,56 @@ where %v like ?
     )
 	and %v != 1
     and not %v in ('', '.', '/', './')`,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Record,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Lastknownrecord,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Block,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Lastknownblock,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Deleted,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Typeflag,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Name,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Linkname,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Size,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Mode,
-				models.HeaderColumns.UID,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Gid,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Uname,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Gname,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Modtime,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Accesstime,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Changetime,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Devmajor,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Devminor,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Paxrecords,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Format,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Name,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Name,
-				models.TableNames.Headers,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Name,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Name,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Deleted,
-				models.HeaderColumns.Name,
-			),
+			models.HeaderColumns.Record,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Lastknownrecord,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Block,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Lastknownblock,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Deleted,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Typeflag,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Name,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Linkname,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Size,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Mode,
+			models.HeaderColumns.UID,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Gid,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Uname,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Gname,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Modtime,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Accesstime,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Changetime,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Devmajor,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Devminor,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Paxrecords,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Format,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Name,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Name,
+			models.TableNames.Headers,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Name,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Name,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Deleted,
+			models.HeaderColumns.Name,
+		)
+
+		if limit < 0 {
+			if err := queries.Raw(
+				query+`limit ?`,
+				prefix,
+				prefix,
+				prefix+"%",
+				rootDepth,
+				rootDepth+1,
+				limit+1, // +1 to accomodate the parent directory if it exists
+			).Bind(ctx, p.db, &headers); err != nil {
+				if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
+					return headers, nil
+				}
+
+				return nil, err
+			}
+		}
+
+		if err := queries.Raw(
+			query,
 			prefix,
 			prefix,
 			prefix+"%",
@@ -297,7 +317,11 @@ where %v like ?
 		}
 	}
 
-	return outhdrs, nil
+	if limit < 0 || len(outhdrs) < limit {
+		return outhdrs, nil
+	}
+
+	return outhdrs[:limit-1], nil
 }
 
 func (p *MetadataPersister) DeleteHeader(ctx context.Context, name string, lastknownrecord, lastknownblock int64) (*models.Header, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/inventory/list.go b/pkg/inventory/list.go
index 627f9ef..5f6b279 100644
--- a/pkg/inventory/list.go
+++ b/pkg/inventory/list.go
@@ -13,10 +13,11 @@ func List(
 	metadata config.MetadataConfig,
 
 	name string,
+	limit int,
 
 	onHeader func(hdr *models.Header),
 ) ([]*tar.Header, error) {
-	dbHdrs, err := metadata.Metadata.GetHeaderDirectChildren(context.Background(), name)
+	dbHdrs, err := metadata.Metadata.GetHeaderDirectChildren(context.Background(), name, limit)
 	if err != nil {
 		return []*tar.Header{}, err
 	}