diff --git a/modelaudit/scanners/pickle_scanner.py b/modelaudit/scanners/pickle_scanner.py
index 108f37ff..7e21e46b 100644
--- a/modelaudit/scanners/pickle_scanner.py
+++ b/modelaudit/scanners/pickle_scanner.py
@@ -6882,14 +6882,31 @@ def extract_metadata(self, file_path: str) -> dict[str, Any]:
         metadata = super().extract_metadata(file_path)
 
         allow_deserialization = bool(self.config.get("allow_metadata_deserialization"))
+        max_metadata_read_size = int(self.config.get("max_metadata_pickle_read_size", 10 * 1024 * 1024))
 
         try:
             import pickle
             import pickletools
             from io import BytesIO
 
+            if max_metadata_read_size <= 0:
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"Invalid pickle metadata read limit: {max_metadata_read_size} (must be greater than 0)"
+                )
+
+            file_size = self.get_file_size(file_path)
+            if file_size > max_metadata_read_size:
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"Pickle metadata read limit exceeded: {file_size} bytes (max: {max_metadata_read_size})"
+                )
+
             with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
-                pickle_data = f.read()
+                pickle_data = f.read(max_metadata_read_size + 1)
+
+            if len(pickle_data) > max_metadata_read_size:
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"Pickle metadata read limit exceeded: {len(pickle_data)} bytes (max: {max_metadata_read_size})"
+                )
 
             # Analyze pickle structure
             metadata.update(
diff --git a/tests/test_metadata_extractor.py b/tests/test_metadata_extractor.py
index 6ca38ddb..5a98843d 100644
--- a/tests/test_metadata_extractor.py
+++ b/tests/test_metadata_extractor.py
@@ -466,6 +466,27 @@ def __reduce__(self):
         assert "REDUCE" in metadata.get("dangerous_opcodes", [])
         assert metadata.get("has_dangerous_opcodes") is True
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        ("limit", "expected_error"),
+        [
+            (64, "read limit exceeded"),
+            (0, "must be greater than 0"),
+            (-1, "must be greater than 0"),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_pickle_metadata_enforces_read_limit(self, tmp_path: Path, limit: int, expected_error: str) -> None:
+        """Ensure pickle metadata extraction rejects oversized and invalid read limits."""
+        from modelaudit.scanners.pickle_scanner import PickleScanner
+
+        pkl_file = tmp_path / "oversized.pkl"
+        pkl_file.write_bytes(b"x" * 128)
+
+        scanner = PickleScanner({"max_metadata_pickle_read_size": limit})
+        metadata = scanner.extract_metadata(str(pkl_file))
+
+        assert "extraction_error" in metadata
+        assert expected_error in metadata["extraction_error"]
+
     def test_pickle_safe_data_no_dangerous_opcodes(self, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
         """Ensure simple data structures don't trigger dangerous opcode detection."""
         from modelaudit.scanners.pickle_scanner import PickleScanner