diff --git a/src/component/event.ts b/src/component/event.ts
index a002316c..779b2d56 100644
--- a/src/component/event.ts
+++ b/src/component/event.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { vResultValidator } from "@convex-dev/workpool";
 import type { Doc, Id } from "./_generated/dataModel.js";
 import { assert } from "convex-helpers";
 import { enqueueWorkflow, getWorkpool, workpoolOptions } from "./pool.js";
+import { checkForOversizedResult } from "./oversizedValues.js";
 
 export async function awaitEvent(
   ctx: MutationCtx,
@@ -40,7 +41,11 @@ export async function awaitEvent(
           stepId: entry._id,
         },
       });
-      entry.step.runResult = event.state.result;
+      entry.step.runResult = await checkForOversizedResult(
+        ctx,
+        event.state.result,
+        { stepId: entry._id },
+      );
       entry.step.inProgress = false;
       entry.step.completedAt = Date.now();
       break;
@@ -146,7 +151,11 @@ export const send = mutation({
         );
         assert(step.step.kind === "event", "Step is not an event");
         step.step.eventId = event._id;
-        step.step.runResult = args.result;
+        step.step.runResult = await checkForOversizedResult(
+          ctx,
+          args.result,
+          { stepId: step._id },
+        );
         step.step.inProgress = false;
         step.step.completedAt = Date.now();
         await ctx.db.replace(step._id, step);
diff --git a/src/component/oversizedValues.ts b/src/component/oversizedValues.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d2728b06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/component/oversizedValues.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import { type Value, convexToJson, getConvexSize } from "convex/values";
+import type { RunResult } from "@convex-dev/workpool";
+import type { MutationCtx } from "./_generated/server.js";
+import type { Id } from "./_generated/dataModel.js";
+
+export const MAX_RETURN_VALUE_SIZE = 800 << 10; // 800 KiB
+const PREVIEW_SIZE = 128 << 10; // 128 KB
+
+function truncatedPreview(returnValue: unknown): string {
+  const json = JSON.stringify(convexToJson(returnValue as Value));
+  if (json.length <= PREVIEW_SIZE * 2) {
+    return json;
+  }
+  return json.slice(0, PREVIEW_SIZE) + "..." + json.slice(-PREVIEW_SIZE);
+}
+
+export function checkReturnValueSize(returnValue: unknown): string | null {
+  const size = getConvexSize(returnValue as Value | undefined);
+  if (size > MAX_RETURN_VALUE_SIZE) {
+    return `Step return value too large (${size} bytes). Maximum is ${MAX_RETURN_VALUE_SIZE} bytes. Preview: ${truncatedPreview(returnValue)}`;
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
+export async function checkForOversizedResult(
+  _ctx: MutationCtx,
+  result: RunResult,
+  _opts: {
+    stepId: Id<"steps">;
+  },
+): Promise<RunResult> {
+  if (result.kind !== "success") {
+    return result;
+  }
+  const sizeError = checkReturnValueSize(result.returnValue);
+  if (!sizeError) {
+    return result;
+  }
+  return { kind: "failed", error: sizeError };
+}
diff --git a/src/component/pool.ts b/src/component/pool.ts
index cdaf82fb..862452cb 100644
--- a/src/component/pool.ts
+++ b/src/component/pool.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import { getDefaultLogger } from "./utils.js";
 import { completeHandler } from "./workflow.js";
 import type { Doc } from "./_generated/dataModel.js";
 import { vWorkflowId, type WorkflowId } from "../types.js";
+import { checkForOversizedResult } from "./oversizedValues.js";
 
 export const workpoolOptions = v.object({
   logLevel: v.optional(logLevel),
@@ -147,25 +148,11 @@ async function onCompleteHandler(
   }
   journalEntry.step.inProgress = false;
   journalEntry.step.completedAt = Date.now();
-  switch (args.result.kind) {
-    case "success":
-      journalEntry.step.runResult = {
-        kind: "success",
-        returnValue: args.result.returnValue,
-      };
-      break;
-    case "failed":
-      journalEntry.step.runResult = {
-        kind: "failed",
-        error: args.result.error,
-      };
-      break;
-    case "canceled":
-      journalEntry.step.runResult = {
-        kind: "canceled",
-      };
-      break;
-  }
+  journalEntry.step.runResult = await checkForOversizedResult(
+    ctx,
+    args.result,
+    { stepId },
+  );
   await ctx.db.replace(journalEntry._id, journalEntry);
   console.debug(`Completed execution of ${stepId}`, journalEntry);