diff --git a/config/default.js b/config/default.js
index 503eedf..fade308 100644
--- a/config/default.js
+++ b/config/default.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ module.exports = {
   PORT: process.env.PORT || 3000,
   API_VERSION: process.env.API_VERSION || 'v5',
   DEFAULT_PAGE_SIZE: process.env.DEFAULT_PAGE_SIZE || 1000,
+  MAX_ELASTIC_SEARCH_RECORDS_SIZE: process.env.MAX_ELASTIC_SEARCH_RECORDS_SIZE || 10000,
   // used to properly set the header response to api calls for services behind a load balancer
   API_BASE_URL: process.env.API_BASE_URL || `http://localhost:3000`,
 
diff --git a/src/services/ResourceService.js b/src/services/ResourceService.js
index 4016d99..199fde7 100644
--- a/src/services/ResourceService.js
+++ b/src/services/ResourceService.js
@@ -446,7 +446,23 @@ async function listChallengesByMember (memberId, criteria) {
     }
   })
 
-  const docs = await searchES(mustQuery, perPage, page)
+  let docs = {
+    hits: {
+      total: 0,
+      hits: []
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (perPage * page <= config.MAX_ELASTIC_SEARCH_RECORDS_SIZE) {
+    docs = await searchES(mustQuery, perPage, page)
+  } else {
+    throw new errors.BadRequestError(`
+      ES pagination params:
+      page ${page},
+      perPage: ${perPage}
+      exceeds the max search window:${config.MAX_ELASTIC_SEARCH_RECORDS_SIZE}`
+    )
+  }
 
   // Extract data from hits
   let result = _.map(docs.hits.hits, item => item._source)