diff --git a/doc/diffs.nvim.txt b/doc/diffs.nvim.txt
index b65e3a6..c0290d9 100644
--- a/doc/diffs.nvim.txt
+++ b/doc/diffs.nvim.txt
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ Configuration is done via `vim.g.diffs`. Set this before the plugin loads:
         background = true,
         gutter = true,
         blend_alpha = 0.6,
+        warn_max_lines = true,
         context = {
           enabled = true,
           lines = 25,
@@ -249,6 +250,14 @@ Configuration is done via `vim.g.diffs`. Set this before the plugin loads:
                              (inclusive). Higher values produce more vivid
                              backgrounds.
 
+        {warn_max_lines}     (boolean, default: true)
+                             Show a |vim.notify()| warning when a hunk's
+                             highlighted lines (`+`/`-`) exceed {max_lines}
+                             and syntax highlighting is skipped. The warning
+                             includes the 1-indexed hunk number and the
+                             line count vs. threshold so the user knows
+                             which hunk was affected and what to adjust.
+
         {context}            (table, default: see below)
                              Syntax parsing context options.
                              See |diffs.ContextConfig| for fields.
@@ -322,8 +331,10 @@ Configuration is done via `vim.g.diffs`. Set this before the plugin loads:
                              Apply treesitter syntax highlighting to code.
 
         {max_lines}          (integer, default: 500)
-                             Skip treesitter highlighting for hunks larger than
-                             this many lines. Prevents lag on massive diffs.
+                             Skip treesitter highlighting for hunks with more
+                             highlighted lines (`+`/`-`) than this threshold.
+                             Context lines are not counted. Prevents lag on
+                             massive diffs.
 
                                                           *diffs.VimConfig*
     Vim config fields: ~
@@ -338,9 +349,11 @@ Configuration is done via `vim.g.diffs`. Set this before the plugin loads:
                              parser installed (e.g., COBOL, Fortran).
 
         {max_lines}          (integer, default: 200)
-                             Skip vim syntax highlighting for hunks larger than
-                             this many lines. Lower than the treesitter default
-                             due to the per-character cost of |synID()|.
+                             Skip vim syntax highlighting for hunks with more
+                             highlighted lines (`+`/`-`) than this threshold.
+                             Context lines are not counted. Lower than the
+                             treesitter default due to the per-character cost
+                             of |synID()|.
 
                                                         *diffs.IntraConfig*
     Intra config fields: ~
@@ -359,8 +372,9 @@ Configuration is done via `vim.g.diffs`. Set this before the plugin loads:
                              (falls back to default if not available).
 
         {max_lines}          (integer, default: 500)
-                             Skip character-level highlighting for hunks larger
-                             than this many lines.
+                             Skip character-level highlighting for hunks with
+                             more highlighted lines (`+`/`-`) than this
+                             threshold. Context lines are not counted.
 
     Note: Header context (e.g., `@@ -10,3 +10,4 @@ func()`) is always
     highlighted with treesitter when a parser is available.
diff --git a/lua/diffs/highlight.lua b/lua/diffs/highlight.lua
index 434702d..5b6c1d7 100644
--- a/lua/diffs/highlight.lua
+++ b/lua/diffs/highlight.lua
@@ -310,16 +310,26 @@ function M.highlight_hunk(bufnr, ns, hunk, opts)
   local use_vim = not use_ts and hunk.ft and opts.highlights.vim.enabled
 
   local max_lines = use_ts and opts.highlights.treesitter.max_lines or opts.highlights.vim.max_lines
-  if (use_ts or use_vim) and #hunk.lines > max_lines then
-    dbg(
-      'skipping hunk %s:%d (%d lines > %d max)',
-      hunk.filename,
-      hunk.start_line,
-      #hunk.lines,
-      max_lines
-    )
-    use_ts = false
-    use_vim = false
+  if use_ts or use_vim then
+    local hl_count = 0
+    for _, line in ipairs(hunk.lines) do
+      local c = line:sub(1, 1)
+      if c == '+' or c == '-' then
+        hl_count = hl_count + 1
+      end
+    end
+    hunk._hl_line_count = hl_count
+    if hl_count > max_lines then
+      dbg(
+        'skipping hunk %s:%d (%d highlighted lines > %d max)',
+        hunk.filename,
+        hunk.start_line,
+        hl_count,
+        max_lines
+      )
+      use_ts = false
+      use_vim = false
+    end
   end
 
   if use_vim and opts.defer_vim_syntax then
@@ -456,7 +466,7 @@ function M.highlight_hunk(bufnr, ns, hunk, opts)
     and intra_cfg
     and intra_cfg.enabled
     and pw == 1
-    and #hunk.lines <= intra_cfg.max_lines
+    and (hunk._hl_line_count or #hunk.lines) <= intra_cfg.max_lines
   then
     dbg('computing intra for hunk %s:%d (%d lines)', hunk.filename, hunk.start_line, #hunk.lines)
     intra = diff.compute_intra_hunks(hunk.lines, intra_cfg.algorithm)
@@ -467,8 +477,8 @@ function M.highlight_hunk(bufnr, ns, hunk, opts)
     end
   elseif intra_cfg and not intra_cfg.enabled then
     dbg('intra disabled by config')
-  elseif intra_cfg and #hunk.lines > intra_cfg.max_lines then
-    dbg('intra skipped: %d lines > %d max', #hunk.lines, intra_cfg.max_lines)
+  elseif intra_cfg and (hunk._hl_line_count or #hunk.lines) > intra_cfg.max_lines then
+    dbg('intra skipped: %d highlighted lines > %d max', hunk._hl_line_count or #hunk.lines, intra_cfg.max_lines)
   end
 
   ---@type table<integer, diffs.CharSpan[]>
diff --git a/lua/diffs/init.lua b/lua/diffs/init.lua
index 1f41725..0cbbb18 100644
--- a/lua/diffs/init.lua
+++ b/lua/diffs/init.lua
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 ---@field gutter boolean
 ---@field blend_alpha? number
 ---@field overrides? table<string, table>
+---@field warn_max_lines boolean
 ---@field context diffs.ContextConfig
 ---@field treesitter diffs.TreesitterConfig
 ---@field vim diffs.VimConfig
@@ -132,6 +133,7 @@ local default_config = {
   highlights = {
     background = true,
     gutter = true,
+    warn_max_lines = true,
     context = {
       enabled = true,
       lines = 25,
@@ -203,6 +205,7 @@ local diff_windows = {}
 ---@field tick integer
 ---@field highlighted table<integer, true>
 ---@field pending_clear boolean
+---@field warned_max_lines boolean
 ---@field line_count integer
 ---@field byte_count integer
 
@@ -423,6 +426,7 @@ local function ensure_cache(bufnr)
     tick = tick,
     highlighted = carried or {},
     pending_clear = not carried,
+    warned_max_lines = false,
     line_count = lc,
     byte_count = bc,
   }
@@ -703,6 +707,7 @@ local function init()
     vim.validate('highlights.gutter', opts.highlights.gutter, 'boolean', true)
     vim.validate('highlights.blend_alpha', opts.highlights.blend_alpha, 'number', true)
     vim.validate('highlights.overrides', opts.highlights.overrides, 'table', true)
+    vim.validate('highlights.warn_max_lines', opts.highlights.warn_max_lines, 'boolean', true)
     vim.validate('highlights.context', opts.highlights.context, 'table', true)
     vim.validate('highlights.treesitter', opts.highlights.treesitter, 'table', true)
     vim.validate('highlights.vim', opts.highlights.vim, 'table', true)
@@ -890,6 +895,7 @@ local function init()
       if entry and entry.pending_clear then
         vim.api.nvim_buf_clear_namespace(bufnr, ns, 0, -1)
         entry.highlighted = {}
+        entry.warned_max_lines = {}
         entry.pending_clear = false
       end
       if t0 then
@@ -910,6 +916,7 @@ local function init()
       end
       local t0 = config.debug and vim.uv.hrtime() or nil
       local deferred_syntax = {}
+      local skipped_warnings = {}
       local count = 0
       for i = first, last do
         if not entry.highlighted[i] then
@@ -926,10 +933,30 @@ local function init()
           local has_syntax = hunk.lang and config.highlights.treesitter.enabled
           local needs_vim = not hunk.lang and hunk.ft and config.highlights.vim.enabled
           if has_syntax or needs_vim then
+            local max_lines = has_syntax and config.highlights.treesitter.max_lines
+              or config.highlights.vim.max_lines
+            local hl_count = hunk._hl_line_count or #hunk.lines
+            if hl_count > max_lines then
+              table.insert(skipped_warnings, { idx = i, hl_count = hl_count, max_lines = max_lines })
+            end
             table.insert(deferred_syntax, hunk)
           end
         end
       end
+      if not entry.warned_max_lines and #skipped_warnings > 0 and config.highlights.warn_max_lines then
+        entry.warned_max_lines = true
+        vim.schedule(function()
+          for _, info in ipairs(skipped_warnings) do
+            vim.notify(
+              ('[diffs.nvim]: skipping hunk %d - too many lines (%d > %d).'
+                .. ' increase `vim.g.diffs.highlights.{vim,treesitter}.max_lines`'
+                .. ' or set `vim.g.diffs.highlights.warn_max_lines = false`'
+                .. ' to disable this warning'):format(info.idx, info.hl_count, info.max_lines),
+              vim.log.levels.WARN
+            )
+          end
+        end)
+      end
       if #deferred_syntax > 0 then
         local tick = entry.tick
         dbg('deferred syntax scheduled: %d hunks tick=%d', #deferred_syntax, tick)
@@ -1108,6 +1135,7 @@ local function process_pending_clear(bufnr)
   if entry and entry.pending_clear then
     vim.api.nvim_buf_clear_namespace(bufnr, ns, 0, -1)
     entry.highlighted = {}
+    entry.warned_max_lines = {}
     entry.pending_clear = false
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/highlight_spec.lua b/spec/highlight_spec.lua
index 34101ea..22b884c 100644
--- a/spec/highlight_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/highlight_spec.lua
@@ -135,8 +135,8 @@ describe('highlight', function()
       local lines = { '@@ -1,100 +1,101 @@' }
       local hunk_lines = {}
       for i = 1, 600 do
-        table.insert(lines, ' line ' .. i)
-        table.insert(hunk_lines, ' line ' .. i)
+        table.insert(lines, '+line ' .. i)
+        table.insert(hunk_lines, '+line ' .. i)
       end
 
       local bufnr = create_buffer(lines)