diff --git a/src/action/main.ts b/src/action/main.ts
index 3da3a301..141fd43d 100644
--- a/src/action/main.ts
+++ b/src/action/main.ts
@@ -318,6 +318,7 @@ async function runScheduledAnalysis(
       const report = await runSkill(skill, context, {
         apiKey: inputs.anthropicApiKey,
         model: resolved.model,
+        maxTurns: trigger.maxTurns ?? config.defaults?.maxTurns,
         pathToClaudeCodeExecutable: claudePath,
       });
       console.log(`Found ${report.findings.length} findings`);
@@ -518,6 +519,7 @@ async function run(): Promise<void> {
       const report = await runSkill(skill, context, {
         apiKey: inputs.anthropicApiKey,
         model: trigger.model,
+        maxTurns: trigger.maxTurns ?? config.defaults?.maxTurns,
         pathToClaudeCodeExecutable: claudePath,
       });
       console.log(`Found ${report.findings.length} findings`);
diff --git a/src/cli/main.ts b/src/cli/main.ts
index 099e965d..7b32cfd6 100644
--- a/src/cli/main.ts
+++ b/src/cli/main.ts
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ async function runSkills(
   let repoPath: string | undefined;
   let skillsConfig: SkillDefinition[] | undefined;
   let defaultsModel: string | undefined;
+  let defaultsMaxTurns: number | undefined;
 
   try {
     repoPath = getRepoRoot(cwd);
@@ -114,6 +115,7 @@ async function runSkills(
       const config = loadWardenConfig(dirname(configPath));
       skillsConfig = config.skills;
       defaultsModel = config.defaults?.model;
+      defaultsMaxTurns = config.defaults?.maxTurns;
     }
   } catch {
     // Not in a git repo or no config - that's fine
@@ -122,7 +124,7 @@ async function runSkills(
   // Build skill tasks
   // Model precedence: defaults.model > CLI flag > WARDEN_MODEL env var > SDK default
   const model = defaultsModel ?? options.model ?? process.env['WARDEN_MODEL'];
-  const runnerOptions: SkillRunnerOptions = { apiKey, model, abortController };
+  const runnerOptions: SkillRunnerOptions = { apiKey, model, abortController, maxTurns: defaultsMaxTurns };
   const tasks: SkillTaskOptions[] = skillNames.map((skillName) => ({
     name: skillName,
     failOn: options.failOn,
@@ -432,7 +434,12 @@ async function runConfigMode(options: CLIOptions, reporter: Reporter): Promise<n
     failOn: trigger.output.failOn ?? options.failOn,
     resolveSkill: () => resolveSkillAsync(trigger.skill, repoPath, config.skills),
     context,
-    runnerOptions: { apiKey, model: trigger.model, abortController },
+    runnerOptions: {
+      apiKey,
+      model: trigger.model,
+      abortController,
+      maxTurns: trigger.maxTurns ?? config.defaults?.maxTurns,
+    },
   }));
 
   // Run triggers with listr2
diff --git a/src/config/loader.test.ts b/src/config/loader.test.ts
index 80b1b30e..d8071e20 100644
--- a/src/config/loader.test.ts
+++ b/src/config/loader.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
 import { resolveTrigger } from './loader.js';
-import type { Trigger, WardenConfig } from './schema.js';
+import { WardenConfigSchema, type Trigger, type WardenConfig } from './schema.js';
 
 describe('resolveTrigger', () => {
   const baseTrigger: Trigger = {
@@ -194,3 +194,64 @@ describe('resolveTrigger', () => {
     });
   });
 });
+
+describe('maxTurns config', () => {
+  it('accepts maxTurns in defaults', () => {
+    const config = {
+      version: 1,
+      defaults: {
+        maxTurns: 25,
+      },
+      triggers: [],
+    };
+
+    const result = WardenConfigSchema.safeParse(config);
+    expect(result.success).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.data?.defaults?.maxTurns).toBe(25);
+  });
+
+  it('accepts maxTurns in trigger', () => {
+    const config = {
+      version: 1,
+      triggers: [
+        {
+          name: 'test',
+          event: 'pull_request',
+          actions: ['opened'],
+          skill: 'security-review',
+          maxTurns: 30,
+        },
+      ],
+    };
+
+    const result = WardenConfigSchema.safeParse(config);
+    expect(result.success).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.data?.triggers[0]?.maxTurns).toBe(30);
+  });
+
+  it('rejects non-positive maxTurns', () => {
+    const config = {
+      version: 1,
+      defaults: {
+        maxTurns: 0,
+      },
+      triggers: [],
+    };
+
+    const result = WardenConfigSchema.safeParse(config);
+    expect(result.success).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('rejects non-integer maxTurns', () => {
+    const config = {
+      version: 1,
+      defaults: {
+        maxTurns: 10.5,
+      },
+      triggers: [],
+    };
+
+    const result = WardenConfigSchema.safeParse(config);
+    expect(result.success).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/config/schema.ts b/src/config/schema.ts
index 92a6a1ca..c4f61607 100644
--- a/src/config/schema.ts
+++ b/src/config/schema.ts
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ export const TriggerSchema = z.object({
   output: OutputConfigSchema.optional(),
   /** Model to use for this trigger (e.g., 'claude-sonnet-4-20250514'). Uses SDK default if not specified. */
   model: z.string().optional(),
+  /** Maximum agentic turns (API round-trips) per hunk analysis. Overrides defaults.maxTurns. */
+  maxTurns: z.number().int().positive().optional(),
   /** Schedule-specific configuration. Only used when event is 'schedule'. */
   schedule: ScheduleConfigSchema.optional(),
 }).refine(
@@ -114,6 +116,8 @@ export const DefaultsSchema = z.object({
   output: OutputConfigSchema.optional(),
   /** Default model for all triggers (e.g., 'claude-sonnet-4-20250514') */
   model: z.string().optional(),
+  /** Maximum agentic turns (API round-trips) per hunk analysis. Default: 50 */
+  maxTurns: z.number().int().positive().optional(),
 });
 export type Defaults = z.infer<typeof DefaultsSchema>;
 
diff --git a/src/sdk/runner.ts b/src/sdk/runner.ts
index af6d9ec8..2f9ef81f 100644
--- a/src/sdk/runner.ts
+++ b/src/sdk/runner.ts
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ async function analyzeHunk(
   repoPath: string,
   options: SkillRunnerOptions
 ): Promise<HunkAnalysisResult> {
-  const { maxTurns = 5, model, abortController, pathToClaudeCodeExecutable } = options;
+  const { maxTurns = 50, model, abortController, pathToClaudeCodeExecutable } = options;
 
   const systemPrompt = buildHunkSystemPrompt(skill);
   const userPrompt = buildHunkUserPrompt(hunkCtx);