diff --git a/cmd/alertmanager/main.go b/cmd/alertmanager/main.go
index 0378fd3dc3..45aa497527 100644
--- a/cmd/alertmanager/main.go
+++ b/cmd/alertmanager/main.go
@@ -145,6 +145,8 @@ func run() int {
 		dataDir             = kingpin.Flag("storage.path", "Base path for data storage.").Default("data/").String()
 		retention           = kingpin.Flag("data.retention", "How long to keep data for.").Default("120h").Duration()
 		maintenanceInterval = kingpin.Flag("data.maintenance-interval", "Interval between garbage collection and snapshotting to disk of the silences and the notification logs.").Default("15m").Duration()
+		maxSilences         = kingpin.Flag("silences.max-silences", "Maximum number of active and pending silences, excluding expired silences. If negative or zero, no limit is set.").Default("0").Int()
+		maxPerSilenceBytes  = kingpin.Flag("silences.max-per-silence-bytes", "Maximum per silence size in bytes. If negative or zero, no limit is set.").Default("0").Int()
 		alertGCInterval     = kingpin.Flag("alerts.gc-interval", "Interval between alert GC.").Default("30m").Duration()
 
 		webConfig      = webflag.AddFlags(kingpin.CommandLine, ":9093")
@@ -258,8 +260,12 @@ func run() int {
 	silenceOpts := silence.Options{
 		SnapshotFile: filepath.Join(*dataDir, "silences"),
 		Retention:    *retention,
-		Logger:       log.With(logger, "component", "silences"),
-		Metrics:      prometheus.DefaultRegisterer,
+		Limits: silence.Limits{
+			MaxSilences:        *maxSilences,
+			MaxPerSilenceBytes: *maxPerSilenceBytes,
+		},
+		Logger:  log.With(logger, "component", "silences"),
+		Metrics: prometheus.DefaultRegisterer,
 	}
 
 	silences, err := silence.New(silenceOpts)
diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index fa9878399c..5bc0979543 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -22,6 +22,17 @@ is not well-formed, the changes will not be applied and an error is logged.
 A configuration reload is triggered by sending a `SIGHUP` to the process or
 sending an HTTP POST request to the `/-/reload` endpoint.
 
+## Limits
+
+Alertmanager supports a number of configurable limits via command-line flags.
+
+To limit the maximum number of active and pending silences, excluding expired ones,
+use the `--silences.max-silences` flag.
+You can limit the maximum size of individual silences with `--silences.max-per-silence-bytes`,
+where the unit is in bytes.
+
+Both limits are disabled by default.
+
 ## Configuration file introduction
 
 To specify which configuration file to load, use the `--config.file` flag.
diff --git a/silence/silence.go b/silence/silence.go
index 84507bc5be..ec063edd54 100644
--- a/silence/silence.go
+++ b/silence/silence.go
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ type Silences struct {
 	logger    log.Logger
 	metrics   *metrics
 	retention time.Duration
+	limits    Limits
 
 	mtx       sync.RWMutex
 	st        state
@@ -201,6 +202,16 @@ type Silences struct {
 	mc        matcherCache
 }
 
+// Limits contains the limits for silences.
+type Limits struct {
+	// MaxSilences limits the maximum number active and pending silences.
+	// It does not include expired silences.
+	MaxSilences int
+	// MaxPerSilenceBytes is the maximum size of an individual silence as
+	// stored on disk.
+	MaxPerSilenceBytes int
+}
+
 // MaintenanceFunc represents the function to run as part of the periodic maintenance for silences.
 // It returns the size of the snapshot taken or an error if it failed.
 type MaintenanceFunc func() (int64, error)
@@ -318,6 +329,7 @@ type Options struct {
 	// Retention time for newly created Silences. Silences may be
 	// garbage collected after the given duration after they ended.
 	Retention time.Duration
+	Limits    Limits
 
 	// A logger used by background processing.
 	Logger  log.Logger
@@ -342,6 +354,7 @@ func New(o Options) (*Silences, error) {
 		mc:        matcherCache{},
 		logger:    log.NewNopLogger(),
 		retention: o.Retention,
+		limits:    o.Limits,
 		broadcast: func([]byte) {},
 		st:        state{},
 	}
@@ -569,6 +582,13 @@ func (s *Silences) setSilence(sil *pb.Silence, now time.Time, skipValidate bool)
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// Check the limit unless the silence has been expired. This is to avoid
+	// situations where silences cannot be expired after the limit has been
+	// reduced.
+	if n := msil.Size(); s.limits.MaxPerSilenceBytes > 0 && n > s.limits.MaxPerSilenceBytes && sil.EndsAt.After(now) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("silence exceeded maximum size: %d bytes (limit: %d bytes)", n, s.limits.MaxPerSilenceBytes)
+	}
+
 	if s.st.merge(msil, now) {
 		s.version++
 	}
@@ -608,10 +628,10 @@ func (s *Silences) Set(sil *pb.Silence) (string, error) {
 func (s *Silences) set(sil *pb.Silence) (string, error) {
 	now := s.nowUTC()
 	prev, ok := s.getSilence(sil.Id)
-
 	if sil.Id != "" && !ok {
 		return "", ErrNotFound
 	}
+
 	if ok {
 		if canUpdate(prev, sil, now) {
 			return sil.Id, s.setSilence(sil, now, false)
@@ -623,7 +643,24 @@ func (s *Silences) set(sil *pb.Silence) (string, error) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
+
 	// If we got here it's either a new silence or a replacing one.
+	if s.limits.MaxSilences > 0 {
+		// Get the number of active and pending silences to enforce limits.
+		q := &query{}
+		err := QState(types.SilenceStateActive, types.SilenceStatePending)(q)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("unable to query silences while checking limits: %w", err)
+		}
+		sils, _, err := s.query(q, s.nowUTC())
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("unable to query silences while checking limits: %w", err)
+		}
+		if len(sils)+1 > s.limits.MaxSilences {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("exceeded maximum number of silences: %d (limit: %d)", len(sils), s.limits.MaxSilences)
+		}
+	}
+
 	uid, err := uuid.NewV4()
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("generate uuid: %w", err)
@@ -634,7 +671,11 @@ func (s *Silences) set(sil *pb.Silence) (string, error) {
 		sil.StartsAt = now
 	}
 
-	return sil.Id, s.setSilence(sil, now, false)
+	if err = s.setSilence(sil, now, false); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	return sil.Id, nil
 }
 
 // canUpdate returns true if silence a can be updated to b without
@@ -778,6 +819,9 @@ func (s *Silences) QueryOne(params ...QueryParam) (*pb.Silence, error) {
 // Query for silences based on the given query parameters. It returns the
 // resulting silences and the state version the result is based on.
 func (s *Silences) Query(params ...QueryParam) ([]*pb.Silence, int, error) {
+	s.mtx.Lock()
+	defer s.mtx.Unlock()
+
 	s.metrics.queriesTotal.Inc()
 	defer prometheus.NewTimer(s.metrics.queryDuration).ObserveDuration()
 
@@ -817,9 +861,6 @@ func (s *Silences) query(q *query, now time.Time) ([]*pb.Silence, int, error) {
 	// the use of post-filter functions is the trivial solution for now.
 	var res []*pb.Silence
 
-	s.mtx.Lock()
-	defer s.mtx.Unlock()
-
 	if q.ids != nil {
 		for _, id := range q.ids {
 			if s, ok := s.st[id]; ok {
diff --git a/silence/silence_test.go b/silence/silence_test.go
index 864950eb5a..41f0861be8 100644
--- a/silence/silence_test.go
+++ b/silence/silence_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"runtime"
 	"sort"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -458,6 +459,74 @@ func TestSilenceSet(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, want, s.st, "unexpected state after silence creation")
 }
 
+func TestSilenceLimits(t *testing.T) {
+	s, err := New(Options{
+		Limits: Limits{
+			MaxSilences:        1,
+			MaxPerSilenceBytes: 2 << 11, // 4KB
+		},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Insert sil1 should succeed without error.
+	sil1 := &pb.Silence{
+		Matchers: []*pb.Matcher{{Name: "a", Pattern: "b"}},
+		StartsAt: time.Now(),
+		EndsAt:   time.Now().Add(5 * time.Minute),
+	}
+	id1, err := s.Set(sil1)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotEqual(t, "", id1)
+
+	// Insert sil2 should fail because maximum number of silences
+	// has been exceeded.
+	sil2 := &pb.Silence{
+		Matchers: []*pb.Matcher{{Name: "a", Pattern: "b"}},
+		StartsAt: time.Now(),
+		EndsAt:   time.Now().Add(5 * time.Minute),
+	}
+	id2, err := s.Set(sil2)
+	require.EqualError(t, err, "exceeded maximum number of silences: 1 (limit: 1)")
+	require.Equal(t, "", id2)
+
+	// Expire sil1. This should allow sil2 to be inserted.
+	require.NoError(t, s.Expire(id1))
+	id2, err = s.Set(sil2)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotEqual(t, "", id2)
+
+	// Should be able to update sil2 without hitting the limit.
+	_, err = s.Set(sil2)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Expire sil2.
+	require.NoError(t, s.Expire(id2))
+
+	// Insert sil3 should fail because it exceeds maximum size.
+	sil3 := &pb.Silence{
+		Matchers: []*pb.Matcher{
+			{
+				Name:    strings.Repeat("a", 2<<9),
+				Pattern: strings.Repeat("b", 2<<9),
+			},
+			{
+				Name:    strings.Repeat("c", 2<<9),
+				Pattern: strings.Repeat("d", 2<<9),
+			},
+		},
+		CreatedBy: strings.Repeat("e", 2<<9),
+		Comment:   strings.Repeat("f", 2<<9),
+		StartsAt:  time.Now(),
+		EndsAt:    time.Now().Add(5 * time.Minute),
+	}
+	id3, err := s.Set(sil3)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	// Do not check the exact size as it can change between consecutive runs
+	// due to padding.
+	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "silence exceeded maximum size")
+	require.Equal(t, "", id3)
+}
+
 func TestSilenceUpsert(t *testing.T) {
 	s, err := New(Options{
 		Retention: time.Hour,