diff --git a/src/coremods/core_mode.rs b/src/coremods/core_mode.rs
index 4b30e9f..fb1a552 100644
--- a/src/coremods/core_mode.rs
+++ b/src/coremods/core_mode.rs
@@ -119,11 +119,20 @@ pub fn apply_mode(s: &mut Server, uid: Uid, params: &[String]) -> CmdResult {
     let mut echoed: Vec<String> = Vec::new();
     // (sign, letter, displayed-param) per applied change — for hidemode filtering
     let mut changes: Vec<(char, char, Option<String>)> = Vec::new();
+    // Cap mode changes per command (advertised as MODES=, default 20 like InspIRCd):
+    // otherwise `MODE #c +bbbb…` in one line dispatches hundreds of handlers, each
+    // fanning out to the whole channel and every link — a cheap amplification flood.
+    let max_modes = s.conf_num("modes", 20usize).max(1);
+    let mut processed = 0usize;
     for c in modestring.chars() {
         if c == '+' || c == '-' {
             sign = c;
             continue;
         }
+        if processed >= max_modes {
+            break;
+        }
+        processed += 1;
         let adding = sign == '+';
         let Some(handler) = chan_mode(c) else {
             s.numeric(
diff --git a/src/server.rs b/src/server.rs
index 158de95..e220738 100644
--- a/src/server.rs
+++ b/src/server.rs
@@ -771,12 +771,13 @@ impl Server {
         let chathist = crate::modules::chathistory::limit(self);
         let maxnick = self.conf_num("maxnick", 30usize);
         let maxchan = self.conf_num("maxchannel", 50usize);
+        let maxmodes = self.conf_num("modes", 20usize).max(1);
         // operprefix/ojoin add the server oper prefix `y` above owner; sigils are
         // config-overridable (see modules::customprefix)
         let include_oper = self.conf_bool("operprefix", false) || self.conf_bool("ojoin", false);
         let prefix = crate::modules::customprefix::isupport(include_oper);
         let mut tokens: Vec<String> = format!(
-            "CHANTYPES=# PREFIX={prefix} CHANMODES=beIgXw,k,lfjFLHBJdK,ACDGMNOPQRSTUcimnprstuz EXTBAN=,aGbcgjmnrsy ACCOUNTEXTBAN=a BOT=B WATCH={maxwatch} MONITOR={maxmon} SILENCE={maxsil} CALLERID=g WHOX CHATHISTORY={chathist} MSGREFTYPES=timestamp,msgid UTF8ONLY CASEMAPPING=ascii NICKLEN={maxnick} CHANNELLEN={maxchan} NETWORK={}",
+            "CHANTYPES=# PREFIX={prefix} CHANMODES=beIgXw,k,lfjFLHBJdK,ACDGMNOPQRSTUcimnprstuz EXTBAN=,aGbcgjmnrsy ACCOUNTEXTBAN=a BOT=B WATCH={maxwatch} MONITOR={maxmon} SILENCE={maxsil} CALLERID=g WHOX CHATHISTORY={chathist} MSGREFTYPES=timestamp,msgid UTF8ONLY CASEMAPPING=ascii NICKLEN={maxnick} CHANNELLEN={maxchan} MODES={maxmodes} NETWORK={}",
             self.network
         )
         .split(' ')