diff --git a/services/appraisal-api/README.md b/services/appraisal-api/README.md
index 9ad02d3..0385a6b 100644
--- a/services/appraisal-api/README.md
+++ b/services/appraisal-api/README.md
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ The other endpoints are free (used for healthchecks / discovery):
 | GET    | `/`        | Discovery: price, asset, network |
 | GET    | `/healthz` | Health check                     |
 
+A `POST /appraise` body larger than 8192 bytes is rejected with **HTTP 413**
+`{ "error": "payload_too_large", "limitBytes": 8192 }` before the bytes are
+parsed as JSON, so the request never receives a 402 payment quote.
+
 ## Schema fixtures
 
 The canonical request/response shapes and the per-failure-mode payloads live as
diff --git a/services/appraisal-api/package.json b/services/appraisal-api/package.json
index 62821cf..b796000 100644
--- a/services/appraisal-api/package.json
+++ b/services/appraisal-api/package.json
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "scripts": {
     "start": "node --import tsx src/run.ts",
-    "test": "node --import tsx --test src/appraisal.test.ts src/appraisal-fixtures.test.ts src/config.test.ts src/client.test.ts src/quote-guard.test.ts",
+    "test": "node --import tsx --test src/appraisal.test.ts src/appraisal-fixtures.test.ts src/config.test.ts src/client.test.ts src/quote-guard.test.ts src/body-limit.test.ts",
     "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit -p tsconfig.json"
   },
   "dependencies": {
diff --git a/services/appraisal-api/src/body-limit.test.ts b/services/appraisal-api/src/body-limit.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7fd4e1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/appraisal-api/src/body-limit.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2026 Sub Rosa contributors
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import http from "node:http";
+import type { IncomingMessage } from "node:http";
+import { once } from "node:events";
+import { PassThrough } from "node:stream";
+import { describe, test } from "node:test";
+
+import {
+  APPRAISAL_BODY_TOO_LARGE,
+  takeAppraisalRequestBody,
+} from "./body-limit.js";
+
+function listen(server: http.Server): Promise<number> {
+  server.listen(0, "127.0.0.1");
+  return once(server, "listening").then(() => {
+    const address = server.address();
+    if (address === null || typeof address === "string") {
+      throw new Error("expected a TCP port");
+    }
+    return address.port;
+  });
+}
+
+function fakeRequest(headers: http.IncomingHttpHeaders, body: Buffer): IncomingMessage {
+  const stream = new PassThrough();
+  const req = Object.assign(stream, { headers }) as IncomingMessage;
+  queueMicrotask(() => {
+    stream.end(body);
+  });
+  return req;
+}
+
+describe("appraisal request body cap", () => {
+  test("rejects a declared Content-Length above the cap before the body is parsed", async () => {
+    const req = fakeRequest({ "content-length": "8193" }, Buffer.from("{}"));
+    const taken = await takeAppraisalRequestBody(req, 8192);
+    assert.ok("status" in taken);
+    assert.equal(taken.status, 413);
+    assert.deepEqual(taken.body, {
+      error: APPRAISAL_BODY_TOO_LARGE,
+      limitBytes: 8192,
+    });
+  });
+
+  test("returns 413 for an oversized stream and still parses a small JSON body", async () => {
+    const server = http.createServer(async (req, res) => {
+      const taken = await takeAppraisalRequestBody(req, 32);
+      if ("status" in taken) {
+        res.writeHead(taken.status, { "content-type": "application/json" });
+        res.end(JSON.stringify(taken.body));
+        return;
+      }
+      JSON.parse(taken.raw.toString("utf8"));
+      res.writeHead(200, { "content-type": "application/json" });
+      res.end(JSON.stringify({ ok: true }));
+    });
+    const port = await listen(server);
+    try {
+      const oversized = await fetch(`http://127.0.0.1:${port}/appraise`, {
+        method: "POST",
+        headers: { "content-type": "application/json" },
+        body: "x".repeat(33),
+      });
+      assert.equal(oversized.status, 413);
+      assert.deepEqual(await oversized.json(), {
+        error: APPRAISAL_BODY_TOO_LARGE,
+        limitBytes: 32,
+      });
+
+      const allowed = await fetch(`http://127.0.0.1:${port}/appraise`, {
+        method: "POST",
+        headers: { "content-type": "application/json" },
+        body: JSON.stringify({ ok: true }),
+      });
+      assert.equal(allowed.status, 200);
+    } finally {
+      server.close();
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/services/appraisal-api/src/body-limit.ts b/services/appraisal-api/src/body-limit.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..80c1269
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/appraisal-api/src/body-limit.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2026 Sub Rosa contributors
+import type { IncomingMessage } from "node:http";
+
+/** Stable error code for an appraisal body above the configured byte cap. */
+export const APPRAISAL_BODY_TOO_LARGE = "payload_too_large";
+
+export class AppraisalBodyTooLargeError extends Error {
+  readonly name = "AppraisalBodyTooLargeError";
+  readonly status = 413 as const;
+
+  constructor(readonly limitBytes: number) {
+    super("appraisal request body exceeds limit");
+  }
+}
+
+export function appraisalBodyTooLargeBody(limitBytes: number): {
+  error: typeof APPRAISAL_BODY_TOO_LARGE;
+  limitBytes: number;
+} {
+  return { error: APPRAISAL_BODY_TOO_LARGE, limitBytes };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Read a request body without buffering past `maxBytes` and without parsing JSON.
+ * An over-limit `Content-Length` fails before any chunk is kept. A chunked body
+ * fails on the chunk that crosses the cap. The socket is left open so the caller
+ * can still write the 413 response.
+ */
+export function readCappedBody(req: IncomingMessage, maxBytes: number): Promise<Buffer> {
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    let settled = false;
+    const fail = () => {
+      if (settled) return;
+      settled = true;
+      req.pause();
+      req.removeAllListeners("data");
+      reject(new AppraisalBodyTooLargeError(maxBytes));
+    };
+
+    const declared = req.headers["content-length"];
+    if (declared !== undefined) {
+      const raw = Array.isArray(declared) ? declared[0] : declared;
+      const length = Number(raw);
+      if (!Number.isFinite(length) || length < 0 || length > maxBytes) {
+        fail();
+        return;
+      }
+    }
+
+    const chunks: Buffer[] = [];
+    let received = 0;
+    req.on("data", (chunk: Buffer | string) => {
+      if (settled) return;
+      const buf = Buffer.isBuffer(chunk) ? chunk : Buffer.from(chunk);
+      received += buf.length;
+      if (received > maxBytes) {
+        fail();
+        return;
+      }
+      chunks.push(buf);
+    });
+    req.on("end", () => {
+      if (settled) return;
+      settled = true;
+      resolve(Buffer.concat(chunks));
+    });
+    req.on("error", (err: Error) => {
+      if (settled) return;
+      settled = true;
+      reject(err);
+    });
+  });
+}
+
+/** Cap result for `POST /appraise`. Oversized bodies never reach `JSON.parse`. */
+export async function takeAppraisalRequestBody(
+  req: IncomingMessage,
+  maxBytes: number,
+): Promise<
+  | { raw: Buffer }
+  | { status: 413; body: ReturnType<typeof appraisalBodyTooLargeBody> }
+> {
+  try {
+    const raw = await readCappedBody(req, maxBytes);
+    return { raw };
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (err instanceof AppraisalBodyTooLargeError) {
+      return { status: 413, body: appraisalBodyTooLargeBody(err.limitBytes) };
+    }
+    throw err;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/services/appraisal-api/src/server.ts b/services/appraisal-api/src/server.ts
index aacf444..504f59e 100644
--- a/services/appraisal-api/src/server.ts
+++ b/services/appraisal-api/src/server.ts
@@ -38,19 +38,11 @@ import { ExactStellarScheme as FacilitatorStellarScheme } from "@x402/stellar/ex
 import { ExactStellarScheme as ServerStellarScheme } from "@x402/stellar/exact/server";
 
 import { appraise, AppraisalInputError, buildAppraisalQuote, MAX_APPRAISAL_BODY_BYTES, parseAppraisalRequest } from "./appraisal.js";
+import { takeAppraisalRequestBody } from "./body-limit.js";
 import type { AppraisalServerConfig } from "./config.js";
 
 const APPRAISE_ROUTE = "POST /appraise";
 
-function readBody(req: http.IncomingMessage): Promise<Buffer> {
-  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-    const chunks: Buffer[] = [];
-    req.on("data", (c) => chunks.push(c as Buffer));
-    req.on("end", () => resolve(Buffer.concat(chunks)));
-    req.on("error", reject);
-  });
-}
-
 /** Minimal HTTPAdapter over a Node request + already-read body. */
 function makeAdapter(
   req: http.IncomingMessage,
@@ -165,14 +157,16 @@ export async function buildAppraisalServer(
         });
       }
 
-      const rawBody = await readBody(req);
+      const taken = await takeAppraisalRequestBody(req, MAX_APPRAISAL_BODY_BYTES);
+      if ("status" in taken) {
+        // Fail closed before JSON parsing and before any payment offer.
+        send(res, taken.status, {}, taken.body);
+        res.on("finish", () => req.destroy());
+        return;
+      }
+      const rawBody = taken.raw;
       let parsedBody: unknown = undefined;
       if (rawBody.length > 0) {
-        // Fail closed before any payment offer: oversized bodies never get a
-        // 402 quote and paid retries with unsafe bodies never settle.
-        if (rawBody.length > MAX_APPRAISAL_BODY_BYTES) {
-          return send(res, 400, {}, { error: "Invalid appraisal request" });
-        }
         try {
           parsedBody = JSON.parse(rawBody.toString("utf8"));
         } catch {