diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index b37b98cad717e789ad16237b3ca250a2f1555ba9..ff948b874ea1613ca126053547dcf9b7d4cc3297 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ type Completions struct {
 }
 
 func (c Completions) Limits() (depth, items int) {
-	return ptrValOr(c.MaxDepth, -1), ptrValOr(c.MaxItems, -1)
+	return ptrValOr(c.MaxDepth, 0), ptrValOr(c.MaxItems, 0)
 }
 
 type Permissions struct {
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ type ToolLs struct {
 }
 
 func (t ToolLs) Limits() (depth, items int) {
-	return ptrValOr(t.MaxDepth, -1), ptrValOr(t.MaxItems, -1)
+	return ptrValOr(t.MaxDepth, 0), ptrValOr(t.MaxItems, 0)
 }
 
 // Config holds the configuration for crush.
diff --git a/internal/llm/tools/ls.go b/internal/llm/tools/ls.go
index 305f7f10249594ff06ac008a8bf81145d7d834de..af25259dd8c69ff8d52d467e20532612681b51b1 100644
--- a/internal/llm/tools/ls.go
+++ b/internal/llm/tools/ls.go
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ func ListDirectoryTree(searchPath string, params LSParams) (string, LSResponseMe
 
 	ls := config.Get().Tools.Ls
 	depth, limit := ls.Limits()
-	maxFiles := min(limit, maxLSFiles)
+	maxFiles := cmp.Or(limit, maxLSFiles)
 	files, truncated, err := fsext.ListDirectory(
 		searchPath,
 		params.Ignore,