diff --git a/src/claude_memory/api/app.py b/src/claude_memory/api/app.py
index df4e44f..d802313 100644
--- a/src/claude_memory/api/app.py
+++ b/src/claude_memory/api/app.py
@@ -190,6 +190,12 @@ async def store_memory(body: MemoryStore, user: AuthUser = Depends(get_current_u
     return MemoryResponse(id=row["id"], category=row["category"], importance=row["importance"])
 
 
+# OR-broadening fallback: when the precise AND-match is sparse we widen to an
+# OR-match to fill results, but only with rows whose relevance (ts_rank) clears
+# this floor. Below it a row merely contains one query word incidentally — noise.
+OR_BROADEN_MIN_RANK = 0.01
+
+
 @app.post("/api/memories/recall")
 async def recall_memories(body: MemoryRecall, user: AuthUser = Depends(get_current_user)) -> dict[str, Any]:
     pool = await get_pool()
@@ -251,8 +257,9 @@ async def recall_memories(body: MemoryRecall, user: AuthUser = Depends(get_curre
                     FROM memories, to_tsquery('english', $2) query
                     WHERE deleted_at IS NULL
                       AND search_vector @@ query
+                      AND ts_rank(search_vector, query) > {OR_BROADEN_MIN_RANK}
                       {or_cat_filter}
-                    ORDER BY {order_clause}
+                    ORDER BY ts_rank(search_vector, query) DESC
                     LIMIT $3
                     """,
                     *or_params,
@@ -896,7 +903,7 @@ async def memory_store(content: str, category: str = "facts", tags: str = "",
 @mcp_server.tool()
 async def memory_recall(context: str, expanded_query: str = "",
                         category: str | None = None, sort_by: str = "importance",
-                        limit: int = 10000) -> str:
+                        limit: int = 30) -> str:
     """Recall memories by semantic search."""
     pool = await get_pool()
     user_id = _current_user.get()
@@ -957,8 +964,9 @@ async def memory_recall(context: str, expanded_query: str = "",
                     FROM memories, to_tsquery('english', $2) query
                     WHERE deleted_at IS NULL
                       AND search_vector @@ query
+                      AND ts_rank(search_vector, query) > {OR_BROADEN_MIN_RANK}
                       {or_cat_filter}
-                    ORDER BY {order_clause}
+                    ORDER BY ts_rank(search_vector, query) DESC
                     LIMIT $3
                     """,
                     *or_params,
diff --git a/src/claude_memory/api/models.py b/src/claude_memory/api/models.py
index d9678d0..8e206f6 100644
--- a/src/claude_memory/api/models.py
+++ b/src/claude_memory/api/models.py
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ class MemoryRecall(BaseModel):
     expanded_query: str = ""
     category: Optional[str] = None
     sort_by: Literal["importance", "relevance", "recency"] = "importance"
-    limit: int = Field(default=10000, ge=1, le=10000)
+    # Default to a small top-N so recall returns the most relevant matches, not
+    # the whole store. Ceiling stays high for callers that explicitly want more.
+    limit: int = Field(default=30, ge=1, le=10000)
 
 
 class MemoryResponse(BaseModel):
diff --git a/tests/test_api.py b/tests/test_api.py
index d5e7765..1cb3117 100644
--- a/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/test_api.py
@@ -162,6 +162,56 @@ async def test_recall_returns_all_memories(client):
     assert results[0]["owner"] == "testuser"
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_recall_default_limit_is_capped(client):
+    """Default recall limit must be a small top-N (30), not the whole store.
+
+    Regression for the 'recall returns the entire ~1460-memory store' bug:
+    the default was 10000, so a default call returned everything.
+    """
+    ac, conn, app_mod = client
+    conn.fetch.return_value = [_make_memory_row(id=1)]
+
+    async with ac:
+        resp = await ac.post(
+            "/api/memories/recall",
+            json={"context": "singleword"},  # 1 word -> no OR-broadening
+            headers={"Authorization": "Bearer test-key"},
+        )
+
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    # fetch(sql, user_id, query_text, limit[, category]) -> limit is the 4th arg
+    first_args = conn.fetch.call_args_list[0].args
+    assert first_args[3] == 30, f"default recall limit should be 30, got {first_args[3]}"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_recall_or_broadening_is_relevance_bounded(client):
+    """When the precise AND-match is sparse, the OR-broadening fallback must
+    order by relevance (ts_rank) and apply a minimum-rank floor — not pad up to
+    `limit` ordered by the importance hybrid (which floods with high-importance
+    but irrelevant memories).
+    """
+    ac, conn, app_mod = client
+    conn.fetch.side_effect = [
+        [_make_memory_row(id=1)],  # AND-match: 1 row (< limit -> triggers OR)
+        [_make_memory_row(id=2)],  # OR-broadening result
+    ]
+
+    async with ac:
+        resp = await ac.post(
+            "/api/memories/recall",
+            json={"context": "two words"},  # >1 word -> OR-broadening fires
+            headers={"Authorization": "Bearer test-key"},
+        )
+
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    assert len(conn.fetch.call_args_list) == 2, "OR-broadening query should fire"
+    or_sql = conn.fetch.call_args_list[1].args[0]
+    assert "ts_rank(search_vector, query) DESC" in or_sql, "OR matches must be ordered by relevance"
+    assert "ts_rank(search_vector, query) >" in or_sql, "OR matches must have a minimum-rank floor"
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_recall_redacts_sensitive_memories(client):
     ac, conn, app_mod = client