diff --git a/ingestion/internal/watcher/watcher.go b/ingestion/internal/watcher/watcher.go
index d7cadb3..14c6280 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/watcher/watcher.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/watcher/watcher.go
@@ -27,12 +27,24 @@ type Config struct {
 	Interval time.Duration
 	Pipeline pipeline.Config
 
+	// MaxNoteBytes refuses a note larger than this before anything is read into
+	// memory (hyperguild#198). 0 means defaultMaxNoteBytes.
+	MaxNoteBytes int64
+
 	// Resolver, when set, decides each note's wing (hyperguild#205): explicit
 	// subfolder/frontmatter, else classifier + scorer. A note it cannot place
 	// is parked in raw/needs-review/ for a human. Nil keeps the retired layout.
 	Resolver *wing.Resolver
 }
 
+// defaultMaxNoteBytes bounds a single note: extraction and the archive copy both
+// hold it in memory.
+const defaultMaxNoteBytes = 64 << 20
+
+// errTooLarge marks a note refused for its size; like a refused write it is
+// reported once and not retried until the note changes.
+var errTooLarge = errors.New("note too large")
+
 // Start launches the watcher in a background goroutine.
 // It returns immediately. The watcher stops when ctx is cancelled.
 func Start(ctx context.Context, cfg Config) {
@@ -137,7 +149,7 @@ func processDir(ctx context.Context, cfg Config, date string) []error {
 		}
 
 		if err := processFile(ctx, cfg, root, rawDir, path, date); err != nil {
-			if ierr == nil && errors.Is(err, brainfs.ErrNotRegular) {
+			if ierr == nil && (errors.Is(err, brainfs.ErrNotRegular) || errors.Is(err, errTooLarge)) {
 				rememberRefused(path, info)
 				slog.Error("watcher: note refused; not retried until it changes", "file", filepath.Base(path), "error", err)
 			}
@@ -169,6 +181,13 @@ func processFile(ctx context.Context, cfg Config, root *os.Root, rawDir, path, d
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("stat before ingest: %w", err)
 	}
+	limit := cfg.MaxNoteBytes
+	if limit <= 0 {
+		limit = defaultMaxNoteBytes
+	}
+	if before.Size() > limit {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%s is %d bytes, over the %d byte cap: %w", filename, before.Size(), limit, errTooLarge)
+	}
 	content, err := extract.TextIn(root, rel)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("extract text: %w", err)
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/watcher/watcher_test.go b/ingestion/internal/watcher/watcher_test.go
index f76d562..179d70c 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/watcher/watcher_test.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/watcher/watcher_test.go
@@ -475,3 +475,60 @@ func TestProcessDir_KeepsANoteThatChangedWhileItWasBeingIngested(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err, "a note that changed during ingest must stay in raw/")
 	assert.Equal(t, "newer and longer content", string(got))
 }
+
+// hyperguild#198: an oversized note must not be read into memory. It is left in
+// raw/ (visible, not lost), reported once, and not retried until it changes.
+func TestProcessDir_ANoteOverTheSizeCapIsRefusedOnceAndKept(t *testing.T) {
+	brainDir := setupBrainDir(t)
+	big := filepath.Join(brainDir, "raw", "big.md")
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(big, []byte(strings.Repeat("x", 2048)), 0o644))
+	var calls atomic.Int32
+	cfg := Config{
+		BrainDir:     brainDir,
+		MaxNoteBytes: 1024,
+		Pipeline: pipeline.Config{
+			Complete: func(ctx context.Context, s, u string) (string, error) {
+				calls.Add(1)
+				return successComplete(pipeline.RawPage{Title: "Big", Type: "source", Content: "x\n"})(ctx, s, u)
+			},
+			Schema: "# Schema",
+		},
+	}
+
+	first := processDir(context.Background(), cfg, "2026-10-20")
+	require.NotEmpty(t, first, "the refusal is reported")
+	assert.Contains(t, first[0].Error(), "too large")
+	second := processDir(context.Background(), cfg, "2026-10-20")
+	assert.Empty(t, second, "and reported once, not every poll")
+
+	assert.Zero(t, calls.Load(), "no extraction")
+	_, err := os.Stat(big)
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "the note stays in raw/")
+	entries, _ := os.ReadDir(filepath.Join(brainDir, "raw", "processed"))
+	assert.Empty(t, entries, "nothing was archived")
+}
+
+// hyperguild#199: a name near NAME_MAX cannot take a ".processed" suffix. Under
+// inbox zero the marker is only the fallback when removal fails, and any failure
+// there is remembered, so the note is still not handled every poll.
+func TestProcessDir_ALongNameWhoseMarkerCannotBeWrittenIsNotHandledEveryPoll(t *testing.T) {
+	brainDir := setupBrainDir(t)
+	rawDir := filepath.Join(brainDir, "raw")
+	name := strings.Repeat("a", 250) + ".md" // 253 bytes; +".processed" exceeds 255
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(rawDir, name), []byte("Content."), 0o644))
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(rawDir, "processed"), 0o755))
+	require.NoError(t, os.Chmod(rawDir, 0o555)) // removal fails, so the marker fallback runs
+	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = os.Chmod(rawDir, 0o755) })
+	cfg := Config{BrainDir: brainDir, Pipeline: pipeline.Config{
+		Complete: successComplete(pipeline.RawPage{Title: "Long", Type: "source", Content: "x\n"}), Schema: "# Schema"}}
+
+	for i := 0; i < 3; i++ {
+		errs := processDir(context.Background(), cfg, "2026-10-20")
+		// Without the remember step the second poll tries to archive a second
+		// copy under a name that is too long and errors, every poll.
+		assert.Empty(t, errs, "poll %d handled the note again", i)
+	}
+	archived, err := filepath.Glob(filepath.Join(rawDir, "processed", "2026-10-20", "*"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Len(t, archived, 1)
+}