diff --git a/include/dwarfs/reader/filesystem_v2.h b/include/dwarfs/reader/filesystem_v2.h
index cb401985..cd996ea7 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/reader/filesystem_v2.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/reader/filesystem_v2.h
@@ -320,6 +320,10 @@ class filesystem_v2 {
     return impl_->get_inode_info(entry);
   }
 
+  nlohmann::json get_inode_info(inode_view entry, size_t max_chunks) const {
+    return impl_->get_inode_info(entry, max_chunks);
+  }
+
   std::vector<std::string> get_all_block_categories() const {
     return impl_->get_all_block_categories();
   }
@@ -426,6 +430,8 @@ class filesystem_v2 {
     virtual bool has_symlinks() const = 0;
     virtual history const& get_history() const = 0;
     virtual nlohmann::json get_inode_info(inode_view entry) const = 0;
+    virtual nlohmann::json
+    get_inode_info(inode_view entry, size_t max_chunks) const = 0;
     virtual std::vector<std::string> get_all_block_categories() const = 0;
     virtual std::vector<file_stat::uid_type> get_all_uids() const = 0;
     virtual std::vector<file_stat::gid_type> get_all_gids() const = 0;
diff --git a/include/dwarfs/reader/internal/metadata_v2.h b/include/dwarfs/reader/internal/metadata_v2.h
index 9635149e..370d5f2d 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/reader/internal/metadata_v2.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/reader/internal/metadata_v2.h
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ class metadata_v2 {
 
   bool has_symlinks() const { return impl_->has_symlinks(); }
 
-  nlohmann::json get_inode_info(inode_view iv) const {
-    return impl_->get_inode_info(iv);
+  nlohmann::json get_inode_info(inode_view iv, size_t max_chunks) const {
+    return impl_->get_inode_info(iv, max_chunks);
   }
 
   std::optional<std::string> get_block_category(size_t block_number) const {
@@ -229,7 +229,8 @@ class metadata_v2 {
 
     virtual bool has_symlinks() const = 0;
 
-    virtual nlohmann::json get_inode_info(inode_view iv) const = 0;
+    virtual nlohmann::json
+    get_inode_info(inode_view iv, size_t max_chunks) const = 0;
 
     virtual std::optional<std::string>
     get_block_category(size_t block_number) const = 0;
diff --git a/src/reader/filesystem_v2.cpp b/src/reader/filesystem_v2.cpp
index ae816b94..e90c62aa 100644
--- a/src/reader/filesystem_v2.cpp
+++ b/src/reader/filesystem_v2.cpp
@@ -290,7 +290,11 @@ class filesystem_ final : public filesystem_v2::impl {
   bool has_symlinks() const override { return meta_.has_symlinks(); }
   history const& get_history() const override { return history_; }
   nlohmann::json get_inode_info(inode_view entry) const override {
-    return meta_.get_inode_info(entry);
+    return meta_.get_inode_info(entry, std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max());
+  }
+  nlohmann::json
+  get_inode_info(inode_view entry, size_t max_chunks) const override {
+    return meta_.get_inode_info(entry, max_chunks);
   }
   std::vector<std::string> get_all_block_categories() const override {
     return meta_.get_all_block_categories();
diff --git a/src/reader/internal/metadata_v2.cpp b/src/reader/internal/metadata_v2.cpp
index ed05bf09..235a8621 100644
--- a/src/reader/internal/metadata_v2.cpp
+++ b/src/reader/internal/metadata_v2.cpp
@@ -529,7 +529,8 @@ class metadata_ final : public metadata_v2::impl {
 
   bool has_symlinks() const override { return !meta_.symlink_table().empty(); }
 
-  nlohmann::json get_inode_info(inode_view iv) const override;
+  nlohmann::json
+  get_inode_info(inode_view iv, size_t max_chunks) const override;
 
   std::optional<std::string>
   get_block_category(size_t block_number) const override;
@@ -1844,7 +1845,9 @@ metadata_<LoggerPolicy>::get_chunks(int inode, std::error_code& ec) const {
 }
 
 template <typename LoggerPolicy>
-nlohmann::json metadata_<LoggerPolicy>::get_inode_info(inode_view iv) const {
+nlohmann::json
+metadata_<LoggerPolicy>::get_inode_info(inode_view iv,
+                                        size_t max_chunks) const {
   nlohmann::json obj;
 
   if (iv.is_regular_file()) {
@@ -1854,16 +1857,20 @@ nlohmann::json metadata_<LoggerPolicy>::get_inode_info(inode_view iv) const {
     DWARFS_CHECK(!ec, fmt::format("get_chunk_range({}): {}", iv.inode_num(),
                                   ec.message()));
 
-    for (auto const& chunk : chunk_range) {
-      nlohmann::json& chk = obj["chunks"].emplace_back();
+    if (chunk_range.size() <= max_chunks) {
+      for (auto const& chunk : chunk_range) {
+        nlohmann::json& chk = obj["chunks"].emplace_back();
 
-      chk["block"] = chunk.block();
-      chk["offset"] = chunk.offset();
-      chk["size"] = chunk.size();
+        chk["block"] = chunk.block();
+        chk["offset"] = chunk.offset();
+        chk["size"] = chunk.size();
 
-      if (auto catname = get_block_category(chunk.block())) {
-        chk["category"] = catname.value();
+        if (auto catname = get_block_category(chunk.block())) {
+          chk["category"] = catname.value();
+        }
       }
+    } else {
+      obj["chunks"] = fmt::format("too many chunks ({})", chunk_range.size());
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/tools/src/dwarfs_main.cpp b/tools/src/dwarfs_main.cpp
index 9bc07b50..01ab0c4d 100644
--- a/tools/src/dwarfs_main.cpp
+++ b/tools/src/dwarfs_main.cpp
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ namespace {
 
 constexpr size_t const kDefaultBlockSize{static_cast<size_t>(512) << 10};
 constexpr size_t const kDefaultSeqDetectorThreshold{4};
+constexpr size_t const kMaxInodeInfoChunks{8};
 
 struct options {
   // std::string isn't standard-layout on MSVC
@@ -952,7 +953,7 @@ int op_getxattr_common(LogProxy& log_, dwarfs_userdata& userdata,
     }
 
     if (name == inodeinfo_xattr) {
-      oss << userdata.fs.get_inode_info(*entry) << "\n";
+      oss << userdata.fs.get_inode_info(*entry, kMaxInodeInfoChunks) << "\n";
     }
 
     value = oss.str();