diff --git a/upub/cli/src/lib.rs b/upub/cli/src/lib.rs
index d96c29a..beedc10 100644
--- a/upub/cli/src/lib.rs
+++ b/upub/cli/src/lib.rs
@@ -65,11 +65,15 @@ pub enum CliCommand {
 		replies: bool,
 	},
 
-	/// update remote users
+	/// update remote actors
 	Update {
-		#[arg(long, short, default_value_t = 7)]
-		/// number of days after which users should get updated
+		#[arg(long, short, default_value_t = 10)]
+		/// number of days after which actors should get updated
 		days: i64,
+
+		#[arg(long)]
+		/// stop after updating this many actors
+		limit: Option<u64>,
 	},
 
 	/// register a new local user
@@ -141,8 +145,8 @@ pub async fn run(ctx: upub::Context, command: CliCommand) -> Result<(), Box<dyn
 			Ok(relay(ctx, action).await?),
 		CliCommand::Fix { likes, shares, replies } =>
 			Ok(fix(ctx, likes, shares, replies).await?),
-		CliCommand::Update { days } =>
-			Ok(update_users(ctx, days).await?),
+		CliCommand::Update { days, limit } =>
+			Ok(update_users(ctx, days, limit).await?),
 		CliCommand::Register { username, password, display_name, summary, avatar_url, banner_url } =>
 			Ok(register(ctx, username, password, display_name, summary, avatar_url, banner_url).await?),
 		CliCommand::Nuke { for_real, delete_objects } =>
diff --git a/upub/cli/src/update.rs b/upub/cli/src/update.rs
index 0ead0d0..6f63d51 100644
--- a/upub/cli/src/update.rs
+++ b/upub/cli/src/update.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use futures::TryStreamExt;
 use sea_orm::{ActiveModelTrait, ActiveValue::Set, ColumnTrait, EntityTrait, QueryFilter};
 use upub::traits::Fetcher;
 
-pub async fn update_users(ctx: upub::Context, days: i64) -> Result<(), sea_orm::DbErr> {
+pub async fn update_users(ctx: upub::Context, days: i64, limit: Option<u64>) -> Result<(), sea_orm::DbErr> {
 	let mut count = 0;
 	let mut stream = upub::model::actor::Entity::find()
 		.filter(upub::model::actor::Column::Updated.lt(chrono::Utc::now() - chrono::Duration::days(days)))
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ pub async fn update_users(ctx: upub::Context, days: i64) -> Result<(), sea_orm::
 
 	while let Some(user) = stream.try_next().await? {
 		if ctx.is_local(&user.id) { continue }
+		if let Some(limit) = limit {
+			if count >= limit { break }
+		}
 		match ctx.pull(&user.id).await.map(|x| x.actor()) {
 			Err(e) => tracing::warn!("could not update user {}: {e}", user.id),
 			Ok(Err(e)) => tracing::warn!("could not update user {}: {e}", user.id),