diff --git a/.scripts/todo-guard/guard.go b/.scripts/todo-guard/guard.go
index 36323e90..1023a971 100644
--- a/.scripts/todo-guard/guard.go
+++ b/.scripts/todo-guard/guard.go
@@ -184,6 +184,14 @@ func onlyQuery(q url.Values, keys ...string) bool {
 	return true
 }
 
+// maxAPIResponse bounds every JSON evidence body the guard buffers. maxDiffResponse bounds a diff
+// body instead: a push that regenerates large generated files (licence notices, lockfiles) yields a
+// diff far above the JSON bound, and refusing it fails the scan on every such push. A body above
+// either bound is still refused, so oversized evidence never reaches the scanner truncated.
+const maxAPIResponse int64 = 16 << 20
+
+var maxDiffResponse int64 = 256 << 20
+
 type response struct {
 	code   int
 	header http.Header
@@ -191,6 +199,12 @@ type response struct {
 }
 
 func (g *guard) fetch(r *http.Request, target *url.URL, body []byte) (response, error) {
+	return g.fetchBounded(r, target, body, maxAPIResponse)
+}
+
+// fetchBounded buffers at most limit bytes of the upstream body. Only the bound diff route passes
+// maxDiffResponse; every other route keeps the JSON bound whatever Accept header it sends.
+func (g *guard) fetchBounded(r *http.Request, target *url.URL, body []byte, limit int64) (response, error) {
 	u := *g.cfg.API
 	if target.IsAbs() {
 		if target.Scheme != u.Scheme || target.Host != u.Host || !strings.HasPrefix(target.Path, strings.TrimSuffix(u.Path, "/")+"/") {
@@ -215,8 +229,8 @@ func (g *guard) fetch(r *http.Request, target *url.URL, body []byte) (response,
 		return response{}, errors.New("API transport failed")
 	}
 	defer p.Body.Close()
-	b, e := io.ReadAll(io.LimitReader(p.Body, (16<<20)+1))
-	if e != nil || len(b) > 16<<20 {
+	b, e := io.ReadAll(io.LimitReader(p.Body, limit+1))
+	if e != nil || int64(len(b)) > limit {
 		return response{}, errors.New("API response incomplete")
 	}
 	return response{p.StatusCode, p.Header.Clone(), b}, nil
@@ -518,7 +532,7 @@ func (g *guard) diff(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, prefix string) {
 			return
 		}
 	}
-	p, e := g.fetch(r, r.URL, nil)
+	p, e := g.fetchBounded(r, r.URL, nil, maxDiffResponse)
 	if e != nil || p.code != 200 {
 		if strings.HasPrefix(r.URL.Path, compare) && !g.mutationStarted {
 			g.diffPending = true
diff --git a/.scripts/todo-guard/guard_test.go b/.scripts/todo-guard/guard_test.go
index 811822d3..ba20003e 100644
--- a/.scripts/todo-guard/guard_test.go
+++ b/.scripts/todo-guard/guard_test.go
@@ -470,3 +470,58 @@ func TestIntegerRequiresRepresentableIdentity(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// A push that regenerates large generated files (licence notices, lockfiles) yields a diff far
+// above the 16 MiB bound on JSON evidence: ksail#8182 produced a 54 MB compare diff. The production
+// diff bound must admit that with headroom, and must apply only on the bound diff route.
+func TestProductionDiffBoundAdmitsRegeneratedNotices(t *testing.T) {
+	if maxDiffResponse < 128<<20 || maxAPIResponse != 16<<20 {
+		t.Fatalf("bounds changed: diff=%d json=%d", maxDiffResponse, maxAPIResponse)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLargeDiffWithinDiffBoundIsServed(t *testing.T) {
+	saved := maxDiffResponse
+	t.Cleanup(func() { maxDiffResponse = saved })
+	diff := "diff --git a/n.txt b/n.txt\n" + strings.Repeat("+x\n", (17<<20)/3)
+	// Larger than the 54 MB diff that motivated the bound, read under the production bound.
+	notices := "diff --git a/n.txt b/n.txt\n" + strings.Repeat("+y\n", (60<<20)/3)
+	json := "[" + strings.Repeat(" ", 17<<20) + "]"
+	compare := "/repos/offline/fixture/compare/fixture-base...1111111111111111111111111111111111111111"
+	issues := "/repos/offline/fixture/issues?per_page=100&page=1&state=open"
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		name, path, accept, body string
+		bound                    int64
+		served                   bool
+	}{
+		{"diff above JSON bound", compare, "application/vnd.github.v3.diff", diff, 24 << 20, true},
+		{"60 MiB diff under the production bound", compare, "application/vnd.github.v3.diff", notices, saved, true},
+		{"diff above diff bound", compare, "application/vnd.github.v3.diff", diff, 16 << 20, false},
+		{"JSON above JSON bound", issues, "application/vnd.github+json", json, 24 << 20, false},
+		{"diff Accept on a JSON route", issues, "application/vnd.github.v3.diff", json, 24 << 20, false},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			maxDiffResponse = tc.bound
+			calls := 0
+			g := fixtureGuard(t, func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) { calls++; io.WriteString(w, tc.body) })
+			g.cfg.Before = "fixture-base"
+			r := httptest.NewRequest("GET", tc.path, nil)
+			r.Header.Set("Authorization", "token fixture-token")
+			r.Header.Set("Accept", tc.accept)
+			w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+			g.ServeHTTP(w, r)
+			if calls == 0 {
+				t.Fatal("request never reached the upstream read")
+			}
+			if tc.served {
+				if w.Code != 200 || g.verdict() != nil || w.Body.String() != tc.body {
+					t.Fatalf("large diff rejected: status=%d len=%d verdict=%v", w.Code, w.Body.Len(), g.verdict())
+				}
+				return
+			}
+			if w.Code == 200 || g.verdict() == nil {
+				t.Fatalf("oversized body accepted: status=%d verdict=%v", w.Code, g.verdict())
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}