diff --git a/lib/mu-contacts-cache.cc b/lib/mu-contacts-cache.cc
index 8d68af13..fc3a22ed 100644
--- a/lib/mu-contacts-cache.cc
+++ b/lib/mu-contacts-cache.cc
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ using ContactSet = std::set<std::reference_wrapper<const Contact>,
 			    ContactLessThan>;
 
 void
-ContactsCache::for_each(const EachContactFunc& each_contact) const
+ContactsCache::for_each(const EachContactFunc& each_contact, size_t max_num) const
 {
 	std::lock_guard<std::mutex> l_{priv_->mtx_};
 
@@ -316,8 +316,13 @@ ContactsCache::for_each(const EachContactFunc& each_contact) const
 	for (const auto& item : priv_->contacts_)
 		sorted.emplace(item.second);
 
-	for (const auto& ci : sorted)
+	// sadly, there's no set::resize
+	size_t n{};
+	for (const auto& ci : sorted) {
+		if (max_num > 0 && n++ >= max_num)
+			break;
 		each_contact(ci);
+	}
 }
 
 bool
diff --git a/lib/mu-contacts-cache.hh b/lib/mu-contacts-cache.hh
index a80260c8..5b2e2b49 100644
--- a/lib/mu-contacts-cache.hh
+++ b/lib/mu-contacts-cache.hh
@@ -142,9 +142,10 @@ public:
 	/**
 	 * Invoke some callable for each contact, in order of rank.
 	 *
-	 * @param each_contact
+	 * @param each_contact function invoked for each contact
+	 * @param max_num stop after at most so many contacts, or 0 for no limit
 	 */
-	void for_each(const EachContactFunc& each_contact) const;
+	void for_each(const EachContactFunc& each_contact, size_t max_num=0) const;
 
 private:
 	struct Private;
diff --git a/lib/mu-server.cc b/lib/mu-server.cc
index f5d196a0..9c3db9f6 100644
--- a/lib/mu-server.cc
+++ b/lib/mu-server.cc
@@ -228,7 +228,8 @@ Server::Private::make_command_map()
 		ArgMap{{":personal", ArgInfo{Type::Symbol, false, "only personal contacts"}},
 		       {":after",
 			ArgInfo{Type::String, false, "only contacts seen after time_t string"}},
-		       {":tstamp", ArgInfo{Type::String, false, "return changes since tstamp"}}},
+		       {":tstamp", ArgInfo{Type::String, false, "return changes since tstamp"}},
+		       {":maxnum", ArgInfo{Type::Number, false, "max number of contacts to return"}}},
 		"get contact information",
 		[&](const auto& params) { contacts_handler(params); }});
 	cmap.emplace(
diff --git a/mu4e/mu4e-contacts.el b/mu4e/mu4e-contacts.el
index beac895b..a7698033 100644
--- a/mu4e/mu4e-contacts.el
+++ b/mu4e/mu4e-contacts.el
@@ -56,6 +56,17 @@ time-based restriction."
   :type 'string
   :group 'mu4e-compose)
 
+(defcustom mu4e-compose-complete-max 2000
+  "Consider only the top-n contacts.
+After considering the other
+constraints (`mu4e-compose-complete-addresses' and
+`mu4e-compose-complete-only-after'), pick only the highest-ranked n.
+
+This reduce start-up time and memory usage. Set to nil for no
+limits."
+  :type 'string
+  :group 'mu4e-compose)
+
 ;; names and mail-addresses can be mapped onto their canonical
 ;; counterpart.  use the customizeable function
 ;; mu4e-canonical-contact-function to do that.  below the identity
@@ -293,6 +304,7 @@ nothing."
     (mu4e--server-contacts
      mu4e-compose-complete-only-personal
      mu4e-compose-complete-only-after
+     mu4e-compose-complete-max
      mu4e--contacts-tstamp)))
 
 (provide 'mu4e-contacts)
diff --git a/mu4e/mu4e-server.el b/mu4e/mu4e-server.el
index bf6942f6..9f0f6d11 100644
--- a/mu4e/mu4e-server.el
+++ b/mu4e/mu4e-server.el
@@ -441,17 +441,21 @@ The result is delivered to the function registered as
      :decrypt ,(and decrypt t)
      :docid   ,docid)))
 
-(defun mu4e--server-contacts (personal after tstamp)
-  "Ask for contacts with PERSONAL AFTER TSTAMP.
-S-expression (:contacts (<list>) :tstamp \"<tstamp>\") is expected in
-response. If PERSONAL is non-nil, only get personal contacts, if
-AFTER is non-nil, get only contacts seen AFTER (the time_t
-value)."
+(defun mu4e--server-contacts (personal after maxnum tstamp)
+  "Ask for contacts with PERSONAL AFTER MAXNUM TSTAMP.
+
+S-expression (:contacts (<list>) :tstamp \"<tstamp>\")
+is expected in response.
+
+If PERSONAL is non-nil, only get personal contacts, if AFTER is
+non-nil, get only contacts seen AFTER (the time_t value). If MAX is non-nil,
+get at most MAX contacts."
   (mu4e--server-call-mu
    `(contacts
      :personal ,(and personal t)
      :after    ,(or after nil)
-     :tstamp   ,(or tstamp nil))))
+     :tstamp   ,(or tstamp nil)
+     :maxnum   ,(or maxnum nil))))
 
 (defun mu4e--server-find (query threads sortfield sortdir maxnum skip-dups
 				include-related)