diff --git a/crates/engineioxide/src/config.rs b/crates/engineioxide/src/config.rs
index 2cd9f603..e4ea59fc 100644
--- a/crates/engineioxide/src/config.rs
+++ b/crates/engineioxide/src/config.rs
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ pub struct EngineIoConfig {
     /// Defaults to 128 packets
     pub max_buffer_size: usize,
 
-    /// The maximum number of bytes that can be received per http request.
+    /// The maximum number of bytes that can be received per http request
+    /// (polling) or per websocket frame/message.
     /// Defaults to 100KB.
     pub max_payload: u64,
 
diff --git a/crates/engineioxide/src/transport/ws.rs b/crates/engineioxide/src/transport/ws.rs
index ea7ad418..8403c6a5 100644
--- a/crates/engineioxide/src/transport/ws.rs
+++ b/crates/engineioxide/src/transport/ws.rs
@@ -117,7 +117,14 @@ pub async fn on_init<H: EngineIoHandler, S>(
 where
     S: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite + Unpin + Send + 'static,
 {
-    let ws_config = WebSocketConfig::default().read_buffer_size(engine.config.ws_read_buffer_size);
+    // Apply the configured `max_payload` ceiling to inbound websocket
+    // frames/messages, matching the polling transport. Without this,
+    // tungstenite's defaults (~64 MiB message / 16 MiB frame) apply and
+    // `max_payload` is silently unenforced for websocket clients.
+    let ws_config = WebSocketConfig::default()
+        .read_buffer_size(engine.config.ws_read_buffer_size)
+        .max_message_size(Some(engine.config.max_payload as usize))
+        .max_frame_size(Some(engine.config.max_payload as usize));
     let ws_init = move || WebSocketStream::from_raw_socket(conn, Role::Server, Some(ws_config));
     let (socket, ws) = if let Some(sid) = sid {
         match engine.get_socket(sid) {
diff --git a/crates/engineioxide/tests/ws_max_payload.rs b/crates/engineioxide/tests/ws_max_payload.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..36b791ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/engineioxide/tests/ws_max_payload.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+//! Tests ensuring the configured `max_payload` is enforced on the websocket
+//! transport: an inbound message larger than the limit must close the
+//! connection instead of riding tungstenite's ~64 MiB defaults, while
+//! messages within the limit keep flowing.
+
+use std::{sync::Arc, time::Duration};
+
+use bytes::Bytes;
+use engineioxide::{
+    Str,
+    config::EngineIoConfig,
+    handler::EngineIoHandler,
+    service::EngineIoService,
+    socket::{DisconnectReason, Socket},
+};
+use futures_util::{SinkExt, StreamExt};
+use tokio::sync::mpsc;
+use tokio_tungstenite::tungstenite::Message;
+
+mod fixture;
+
+use fixture::create_ws_connection;
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+struct MyHandler {
+    message_tx: mpsc::UnboundedSender<Str>,
+    disconnect_tx: mpsc::UnboundedSender<DisconnectReason>,
+}
+
+impl EngineIoHandler for MyHandler {
+    type Data = ();
+
+    fn on_connect(self: Arc<Self>, _socket: Arc<Socket<()>>) {}
+    fn on_disconnect(&self, _socket: Arc<Socket<()>>, reason: DisconnectReason) {
+        self.disconnect_tx.send(reason).unwrap();
+    }
+    fn on_message(self: &Arc<Self>, msg: Str, _socket: Arc<Socket<()>>) {
+        self.message_tx.send(msg).unwrap();
+    }
+    fn on_binary(self: &Arc<Self>, _data: Bytes, _socket: Arc<Socket<()>>) {}
+}
+
+/// Build a service with a small `max_payload` and heartbeat timings large
+/// enough not to interfere.
+fn create_max_payload_server(
+    max_payload: u64,
+) -> (
+    EngineIoService<MyHandler>,
+    mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<Str>,
+    mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<DisconnectReason>,
+) {
+    let (message_tx, message_rx) = mpsc::unbounded_channel();
+    let (disconnect_tx, disconnect_rx) = mpsc::unbounded_channel();
+    let config = EngineIoConfig::builder()
+        .ping_interval(Duration::from_secs(60))
+        .ping_timeout(Duration::from_secs(60))
+        .max_payload(max_payload)
+        .build();
+    let svc = EngineIoService::with_config(
+        Arc::new(MyHandler {
+            message_tx,
+            disconnect_tx,
+        }),
+        config,
+    );
+    (svc, message_rx, disconnect_rx)
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn ws_message_within_max_payload_is_delivered() {
+    let (mut svc, mut messages, _disconnects) = create_max_payload_server(1024);
+    let mut ws = create_ws_connection(&mut svc).await;
+    let open = ws.next().await.unwrap().unwrap();
+    assert!(open.into_text().unwrap().starts_with('0'));
+
+    ws.send(Message::Text("4hello".into())).await.unwrap();
+
+    let msg = tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(1), messages.recv())
+        .await
+        .expect("message within max_payload must be delivered")
+        .unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(&*msg, "hello");
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn ws_message_exceeding_max_payload_closes_the_connection() {
+    let (mut svc, mut messages, mut disconnects) = create_max_payload_server(1024);
+    let mut ws = create_ws_connection(&mut svc).await;
+    let open = ws.next().await.unwrap().unwrap();
+    assert!(open.into_text().unwrap().starts_with('0'));
+
+    let oversized = format!("4{}", "x".repeat(2048));
+    ws.send(Message::Text(oversized.into())).await.unwrap();
+
+    let reason = tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(1), disconnects.recv())
+        .await
+        .expect("an oversized message must disconnect the socket")
+        .unwrap();
+    assert!(
+        matches!(reason, DisconnectReason::TransportError),
+        "expected a transport error, got: {reason:?}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        messages.try_recv().is_err(),
+        "the oversized message must not reach the handler"
+    );
+}