diff --git a/quickwit/quickwit-config/src/node_config/mod.rs b/quickwit/quickwit-config/src/node_config/mod.rs
index 31e19bce09c..0d70d0a2b77 100644
--- a/quickwit/quickwit-config/src/node_config/mod.rs
+++ b/quickwit/quickwit-config/src/node_config/mod.rs
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ pub struct RestConfig {
 pub struct GrpcConfig {
     #[serde(default = "GrpcConfig::default_max_message_size")]
     pub max_message_size: ByteSize,
+    /// Search server responses can be larger when returning many hits.
+    #[serde(default = "GrpcConfig::default_max_search_message_size")]
+    pub max_search_message_size: ByteSize,
     #[serde(default)]
     pub tls: Option<TlsConfig>,
     // If set, keeps idle connection alive by periodically perform a
@@ -104,6 +107,10 @@ impl GrpcConfig {
         ByteSize::mib(20)
     }
 
+    fn default_max_search_message_size() -> ByteSize {
+        ByteSize::mib(60)
+    }
+
     pub fn validate(&self) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         ensure!(
             self.max_message_size >= ByteSize::mb(1),
@@ -118,6 +125,7 @@ impl Default for GrpcConfig {
     fn default() -> Self {
         Self {
             max_message_size: Self::default_max_message_size(),
+            max_search_message_size: Self::default_max_search_message_size(),
             tls: None,
             keep_alive: None,
         }
@@ -846,6 +854,7 @@ mod tests {
     fn test_grpc_config_validate() {
         let grpc_config = GrpcConfig {
             max_message_size: ByteSize::mb(1),
+            max_search_message_size: ByteSize::mb(1),
             tls: None,
             keep_alive: None,
         };
@@ -853,6 +862,7 @@ mod tests {
 
         let grpc_config = GrpcConfig {
             max_message_size: ByteSize::kb(1),
+            max_search_message_size: ByteSize::kb(1),
             tls: None,
             keep_alive: None,
         };
diff --git a/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/grpc.rs b/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/grpc.rs
index 27d370c38aa..351341af895 100644
--- a/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/grpc.rs
+++ b/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/grpc.rs
@@ -188,10 +188,11 @@ pub(crate) async fn start_grpc_server(
 
         let search_service = services.search_service.clone();
         let grpc_search_service = GrpcSearchAdapter::from(search_service);
+        let max_message_size_bytes = grpc_config.max_search_message_size.0 as usize;
         Some(
             SearchServiceServer::new(grpc_search_service)
-                .max_decoding_message_size(grpc_config.max_message_size.0 as usize)
-                .max_encoding_message_size(grpc_config.max_message_size.0 as usize),
+                .max_decoding_message_size(max_message_size_bytes)
+                .max_encoding_message_size(max_message_size_bytes),
         )
     } else {
         None
diff --git a/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/lib.rs b/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/lib.rs
index d18ec916f51..71fc69b0ad9 100644
--- a/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/lib.rs
+++ b/quickwit/quickwit-serve/src/lib.rs
@@ -1026,7 +1026,7 @@ async fn setup_searcher(
     )
     .await?;
     let search_service_clone = search_service.clone();
-    let max_message_size = node_config.grpc_config.max_message_size;
+    let max_message_size = node_config.grpc_config.max_search_message_size;
     let searcher_change_stream = cluster_change_stream.filter_map(move |cluster_change| {
         let search_service_clone = search_service_clone.clone();
         Box::pin(async move {