diff --git a/modules/background_tasks/background_tasks/settings.py b/modules/background_tasks/background_tasks/settings.py
index 966bad4bd..6efd9f3eb 100644
--- a/modules/background_tasks/background_tasks/settings.py
+++ b/modules/background_tasks/background_tasks/settings.py
@@ -124,8 +124,9 @@ class BackgroundTasksSettings(BaseSettings):
         default=None, ge=1, json_schema_extra=_CELERY_RESTART
     )
     task_reject_on_worker_lost: bool | None = Field(default=None, json_schema_extra=_CELERY_RESTART)
-    task_soft_time_limit: int | None = Field(default=None, ge=1, json_schema_extra=_CELERY_RESTART)
+    # Hard limit first: the soft-limit validator reads it from ``info.data``.
     task_time_limit: int | None = Field(default=None, ge=1, json_schema_extra=_CELERY_RESTART)
+    task_soft_time_limit: int | None = Field(default=None, ge=1, json_schema_extra=_CELERY_RESTART)
     worker_concurrency: int | None = Field(default=None, ge=1, json_schema_extra=_CELERY_RESTART)
     # Raw Celery conf (``SM_BG_TASKS_CELERY_OVERRIDES``, JSON) is deliberately NOT
     # a field here: every field is stored in and hydrated from the database, and
@@ -160,6 +161,22 @@ def _vet_task_routes(cls, value: object) -> object:
         # sanitises, as a defence for values stored before this check.
         return parse_task_routes(value)
 
+    @field_validator("task_soft_time_limit")
+    @classmethod
+    def _soft_limit_below_hard(cls, soft: int | None, info: ValidationInfo) -> int | None:
+        """A soft limit at or above the hard one can never fire.
+
+        A field validator, not a model one, so the error carries a ``loc``:
+        when the soft limit is a DB row, lenient hydration drops that row —
+        keeping the hard kill — instead of failing boot.
+        """
+        hard = info.data.get("task_time_limit")
+        if soft is not None and hard is not None and soft >= hard:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"task_soft_time_limit ({soft}) must be below task_time_limit ({hard})"
+            )
+        return soft
+
     # ── Cross-process cache invalidation (GH #318) ──────────
     # This module owns the Redis connection, so it installs the transport that
     # carries the framework InvalidationBus between workers. Off means every
diff --git a/modules/background_tasks/tests/test_background_tasks_settings.py b/modules/background_tasks/tests/test_background_tasks_settings.py
index d488fa410..2c3d1b1a8 100644
--- a/modules/background_tasks/tests/test_background_tasks_settings.py
+++ b/modules/background_tasks/tests/test_background_tasks_settings.py
@@ -25,3 +25,19 @@ def test_max_retries_accepts_supported_boundaries(max_retries: int) -> None:
 def test_max_retries_rejects_values_outside_supported_range(max_retries: int) -> None:
     with pytest.raises(ValidationError):
         BackgroundTasksSettings(max_retries=max_retries)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(("soft", "hard"), [(30, 60), (None, 60), (100, None), (None, None)])
+def test_time_limits_accept_a_soft_limit_below_the_hard_one(
+    soft: int | None, hard: int | None
+) -> None:
+    cfg = BackgroundTasksSettings(task_soft_time_limit=soft, task_time_limit=hard)
+    assert (cfg.task_soft_time_limit, cfg.task_time_limit) == (soft, hard)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(("soft", "hard"), [(100, 50), (60, 60)])
+def test_time_limits_reject_a_soft_limit_that_could_never_fire(soft: int, hard: int) -> None:
+    with pytest.raises(ValidationError) as exc:
+        BackgroundTasksSettings(task_soft_time_limit=soft, task_time_limit=hard)
+    # Located on the soft field, so lenient hydration drops that row and keeps the hard kill.
+    assert [e["loc"] for e in exc.value.errors()] == [("task_soft_time_limit",)]
diff --git a/modules/file_storage/file_storage/settings.py b/modules/file_storage/file_storage/settings.py
index e85b7535f..c256f9479 100644
--- a/modules/file_storage/file_storage/settings.py
+++ b/modules/file_storage/file_storage/settings.py
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ class FileStorageSettings(DbBackedSettings):
     # bounded by ``max_file_size_bytes`` alone as before.
     quota_bytes: int | None = Field(
         default=None,
+        gt=0,
         description="Total storage the browse screen measures usage against. None = unmeasured.",
     )
 
diff --git a/modules/file_storage/tests/test_file_storage_settings_bounds.py b/modules/file_storage/tests/test_file_storage_settings_bounds.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a6333aefc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/file_storage/tests/test_file_storage_settings_bounds.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+"""``quota_bytes`` is either unset (unmeasured) or a positive total (GH #548)."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import pytest
+from file_storage.settings import FileStorageSettings
+from pydantic import ValidationError
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("quota", [None, 1, 5 * 1024**3])
+def test_quota_bytes_accepts_unset_or_positive(quota: int | None) -> None:
+    assert FileStorageSettings(quota_bytes=quota).quota_bytes == quota
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("quota", [0, -1])
+def test_quota_bytes_rejects_non_positive(quota: int) -> None:
+    with pytest.raises(ValidationError) as exc:
+        FileStorageSettings(quota_bytes=quota)
+    assert [e["loc"] for e in exc.value.errors()] == [("quota_bytes",)]