diff --git a/changedetectionio/api/Watch.py b/changedetectionio/api/Watch.py
index 293a1c0d3..8874688d2 100644
--- a/changedetectionio/api/Watch.py
+++ b/changedetectionio/api/Watch.py
@@ -480,6 +480,16 @@ class CreateWatch(Resource):
 #            worker_handler.queue_item_async_safe(self.update_q, queuedWatchMetaData.PrioritizedItem(priority=1, item={'uuid': new_uuid}))
             return {'uuid': new_uuid}, 201
         else:
+            # Check if it was a limit issue
+            page_watch_limit = os.getenv('PAGE_WATCH_LIMIT')
+            if page_watch_limit:
+                try:
+                    page_watch_limit = int(page_watch_limit)
+                    current_watch_count = len(self.datastore.data['watching'])
+                    if current_watch_count >= page_watch_limit:
+                        return f"Watch limit reached ({current_watch_count}/{page_watch_limit} watches). Cannot add more watches.", 429
+                except ValueError:
+                    pass
             return "Invalid or unsupported URL", 400
 
     @auth.check_token
diff --git a/changedetectionio/store/__init__.py b/changedetectionio/store/__init__.py
index 70198a37f..d521df4e0 100644
--- a/changedetectionio/store/__init__.py
+++ b/changedetectionio/store/__init__.py
@@ -604,6 +604,19 @@ class ChangeDetectionStore(DatastoreUpdatesMixin, FileSavingDataStore):
 
             return None
 
+        # Check PAGE_WATCH_LIMIT if set
+        page_watch_limit = os.getenv('PAGE_WATCH_LIMIT')
+        if page_watch_limit:
+            try:
+                page_watch_limit = int(page_watch_limit)
+                current_watch_count = len(self.__data['watching'])
+                if current_watch_count >= page_watch_limit:
+                    logger.error(f"Watch limit reached: {current_watch_count}/{page_watch_limit} watches. Cannot add {url}")
+                    flash(gettext("Watch limit reached ({}/{} watches). Cannot add more watches.").format(current_watch_count, page_watch_limit), 'error')
+                    return None
+            except ValueError:
+                logger.warning(f"Invalid PAGE_WATCH_LIMIT value: {page_watch_limit}, ignoring limit check")
+
         if tag and type(tag) == str:
             # Then it's probably a string of the actual tag by name, split and add it
             for t in tag.split(','):