diff --git a/backend/src/routes/gallery.js b/backend/src/routes/gallery.js
index 444712fc..31bd918b 100644
--- a/backend/src/routes/gallery.js
+++ b/backend/src/routes/gallery.js
@@ -1627,7 +1627,7 @@ router.post('/:eventId/upload', verifyGalleryAccess, async (req, res) => {
 
     // Import multer and photo processing
     const multer = require('multer');
-    const { getAllowedMimeTypes } = require('../services/uploadSettings');
+    const { getAllowedMimeTypes, getMaxFilesPerUpload } = require('../services/uploadSettings');
     const { validateFileType } = require('../utils/fileSecurityUtils');
 
     // Resolve allowed MIME types from settings
@@ -1638,11 +1638,26 @@ router.post('/:eventId/upload', verifyGalleryAccess, async (req, res) => {
       allowedMimeTypes = ['image/jpeg', 'image/png', 'image/webp'];
     }
 
+    // #613 — per-batch file count was hardcoded to 10 here, so the admin's
+    // Settings → General → "Max Files per Upload" value silently didn't
+    // apply to guest uploads (only admin uploads honoured it via
+    // adminPhotos.js:131). Zszywany reported uploading 16 files succeeded
+    // even with the limit set to 10. Mirror the admin path: resolve from
+    // settings (cached for 60s in the service) and feed multer both
+    // `limits.files` and the `.array(...)` cap. Fall back to the service's
+    // default if the read fails.
+    let maxFilesPerUpload;
+    try {
+      maxFilesPerUpload = await getMaxFilesPerUpload();
+    } catch {
+      maxFilesPerUpload = 500;
+    }
+
     const upload = multer({
       dest: tempUploadDir,
       limits: {
-        fileSize: 50 * 1024 * 1024, // 50MB
-        files: 10 // Max 10 files at once
+        fileSize: 50 * 1024 * 1024, // 50MB per file (separate concern from #613)
+        files: maxFilesPerUpload
       },
       fileFilter: (req, file, cb) => {
         if (validateFileType(file.originalname, file.mimetype, allowedMimeTypes)) {
@@ -1651,7 +1666,7 @@ router.post('/:eventId/upload', verifyGalleryAccess, async (req, res) => {
           cb(new Error('Invalid file type'));
         }
       }
-    }).array('photos', 10);
+    }).array('photos', maxFilesPerUpload);
     
     // Handle upload
     upload(req, res, async (err) => {
diff --git a/backend/src/routes/publicSettings.js b/backend/src/routes/publicSettings.js
index 050adc9e..9137807e 100644
--- a/backend/src/routes/publicSettings.js
+++ b/backend/src/routes/publicSettings.js
@@ -18,7 +18,15 @@ router.get('/', async (req, res) => {
               'event_default_require_password',
               'event_default_feedback_enabled',
               'gallery_show_filter_bar',
-              'event_phone_field_enabled'
+              'event_phone_field_enabled',
+              // #613 — guest upload UI needs to know the per-batch file
+              // count limit so it can render a real number in the
+              // "fileRequirements" hint (`{{limit}}` was showing literal)
+              // and short-circuit before posting too many files. The
+              // backend route also enforces it via getMaxFilesPerUpload,
+              // but a client-side guard saves a 4MB+ round-trip when the
+              // limit is small.
+              'general_max_files_per_upload'
             ]);
         })
         .select('setting_key', 'setting_value');
@@ -145,6 +153,17 @@ router.get('/', async (req, res) => {
       gallery_show_filter_bar: settingsObject.gallery_show_filter_bar !== false,
       // Upload settings (safe to expose - needed for client-side validation)
       allowed_file_types: settingsObject.general_allowed_file_types || 'jpg,jpeg,png,webp',
+      // #613 — per-batch file count limit. The guest UserPhotoUpload modal
+      // reads this both to render the "{{limit}} files per upload" hint
+      // (showed `{{limit}}` literal before this) and to refuse a batch
+      // before posting it. Backend route enforces the same value via
+      // getMaxFilesPerUpload(), so the client-side check is purely a UX
+      // optimisation. Default mirrors uploadSettings.js
+      // DEFAULT_MAX_FILES_PER_UPLOAD so the UI shows a sensible number
+      // even on installs that have never explicitly set the value.
+      general_max_files_per_upload: Number.isFinite(Number(settingsObject.general_max_files_per_upload))
+        ? Number(settingsObject.general_max_files_per_upload)
+        : 500,
       // SEO meta tag flags (safe to expose - these are intended for crawlers)
       seo_meta_noindex: settingsObject.seo_meta_noindex === true,
       seo_meta_nofollow: settingsObject.seo_meta_nofollow === true,
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/gallery/UserPhotoUpload.tsx b/frontend/src/components/gallery/UserPhotoUpload.tsx
index 791aa624..955f3b18 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/gallery/UserPhotoUpload.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/gallery/UserPhotoUpload.tsx
@@ -32,6 +32,17 @@ export const UserPhotoUpload: React.FC<UserPhotoUploadProps> = ({
 
   const { data: publicSettings } = usePublicSettings();
 
+  // #613 — guest upload UI was hardcoded to behave as if the limit was
+  // unlimited (no client-side guard) and the fileRequirements hint
+  // rendered `{{limit}}` literally because t() was called with no
+  // interpolation argument. publicSettings now surfaces
+  // general_max_files_per_upload (default 500 from publicSettings.js)
+  // so we can render a real number and refuse oversized batches before
+  // they hit the backend. Backend route enforces the same value too.
+  const maxFilesPerUpload = Number.isFinite(Number(publicSettings?.general_max_files_per_upload))
+    ? Number(publicSettings?.general_max_files_per_upload)
+    : 500;
+
   const allowedMimeTypes = useMemo(
     () => extensionsToMimeTypes(publicSettings?.allowed_file_types),
     [publicSettings?.allowed_file_types]
@@ -57,6 +68,20 @@ export const UserPhotoUpload: React.FC<UserPhotoUploadProps> = ({
       return true;
     });
     if (validFiles.length === 0) return;
+
+    // #613 — per-batch file count guard. Mirrors what the admin's
+    // PhotoUpload component does. Backend also enforces, so this is
+    // purely UX (saves a multi-MB POST when the user clearly went over).
+    const remaining = Math.max(0, maxFilesPerUpload - files.length);
+    if (remaining === 0) {
+      toast.error(t('upload.limitReached', { limit: maxFilesPerUpload }));
+      return;
+    }
+    if (validFiles.length > remaining) {
+      toast.warning(t('upload.someFilesSkipped', { allowed: remaining, limit: maxFilesPerUpload }));
+      setFiles((prev) => [...prev, ...validFiles.slice(0, remaining)]);
+      return;
+    }
     setFiles((prev) => [...prev, ...validFiles]);
   };
 
@@ -200,7 +225,10 @@ export const UserPhotoUpload: React.FC<UserPhotoUploadProps> = ({
                     {t('upload.clickToUpload')}
                   </p>
                   <p className="text-xs text-muted-theme">
-                    {t('upload.fileRequirements')}
+                    {/* #613 — pass { limit } so `{{limit}}` interpolates
+                        with the real number from settings instead of
+                        rendering literally. */}
+                    {t('upload.fileRequirements', { limit: maxFilesPerUpload })}
                   </p>
                   <input
                     type="file"
diff --git a/frontend/src/services/publicSettings.service.ts b/frontend/src/services/publicSettings.service.ts
index c5016775..af5be656 100644
--- a/frontend/src/services/publicSettings.service.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/services/publicSettings.service.ts
@@ -70,6 +70,10 @@ export interface PublicSettings {
   umami_share_url: string | null;
   // Upload settings
   allowed_file_types?: string;
+  // #613 — per-batch file count limit, surfaced so the guest UserPhotoUpload
+  // modal can render the real number in `upload.fileRequirements` and refuse
+  // oversized batches client-side. Backend enforces the same value too.
+  general_max_files_per_upload?: number;
   // Event field requirements
   event_require_customer_name?: boolean;
   event_require_customer_email?: boolean;