diff --git a/metafix-runner/build.gradle b/metafix-runner/build.gradle
index fe2f8d9b..9ebdd3e7 100644
--- a/metafix-runner/build.gradle
+++ b/metafix-runner/build.gradle
@@ -49,3 +49,13 @@ application {
     ]
   }
 }
+
+tasks.withType(JavaExec) {
+  doFirst {
+    def prefix = project.group + '.'
+
+    System.properties.each { k, v ->
+      if (k.startsWith(prefix)) systemProperties[k] = v
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/metafix/integrationTest.sh b/metafix/integrationTest.sh
index 82e5371b..7533c33c 100755
--- a/metafix/integrationTest.sh
+++ b/metafix/integrationTest.sh
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ function rm_temp() {
 }
 
 function run_metafix() {
-  $gradle_command --console=plain -p "$root_directory" :metafix-runner:run --args="$1" -P${noprofile}profile="${1%.*}"
+  local file=$1; shift
+  $gradle_command --console=plain -p "$root_directory" :metafix-runner:run --args="$file" -P${noprofile}profile="${file%.*}" $@
 }
 
 function run_catmandu() {
@@ -224,10 +225,11 @@ function run_tests() {
 
       metafix_command_output="$test_directory/metafix.out"
       metafix_command_error="$test_directory/metafix.err"
+      metafix_command_args="$test_directory/metafix.args"
 
       metafix_start_time=$(current_time)
 
-      run_metafix "$test_directory/$metafix_file" >"$metafix_command_output" 2>"$metafix_command_error"
+      run_metafix "$test_directory/$metafix_file" $(cat "$metafix_command_args" 2>/dev/null || true) >"$metafix_command_output" 2>"$metafix_command_error"
       metafix_exit_status=$?
 
       metafix_elapsed_time=$(elapsed_time "$metafix_start_time")
diff --git a/metafix/src/main/java/org/metafacture/metafix/Metafix.java b/metafix/src/main/java/org/metafacture/metafix/Metafix.java
index cbcfedcb..478d6268 100644
--- a/metafix/src/main/java/org/metafacture/metafix/Metafix.java
+++ b/metafix/src/main/java/org/metafacture/metafix/Metafix.java
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ public class Metafix implements StreamPipe<StreamReceiver>, Maps {
 
     public static final Map<String, String> NO_VARS = Collections.emptyMap();
 
+    public static final int MAX_ENTITY_COUNT = Integer.getInteger("org.metafacture.metafix.maxEntityCount", -1);
+
     private static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger(Metafix.class);
 
     private static final String ENTITIES_NOT_BALANCED = "Entity starts and ends are not balanced";
@@ -239,7 +241,7 @@ public void startRecord(final String identifier) {
         flattener.startRecord(identifier);
         entityCountStack.clear();
         entityCount = 0;
-        entityCountStack.add(Integer.valueOf(entityCount));
+        entityCountStack.add(entityCount);
         recordIdentifier = identifier;
         entities = new ArrayList<>();
     }
@@ -313,22 +315,36 @@ public void startEntity(final String name) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("Entity name must not be null.");
         }
 
+        ++entityCount;
+        if (maxEntityCountExceeded()) {
+            LOG.debug("Maximum number of entities exceeded: {}/{}", entityCount, MAX_ENTITY_COUNT);
+            return;
+        }
+
         final Value value = isArrayName(name) ? Value.newArray() : Value.newHash();
         addValue(name, value);
         entities.add(value);
 
-        entityCountStack.push(Integer.valueOf(++entityCount));
+        entityCountStack.push(entityCount);
         flattener.startEntity(name);
     }
 
     @Override
     public void endEntity() {
-        entityCountStack.pop().intValue();
+        if (maxEntityCountExceeded()) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        entityCountStack.pop();
         flattener.endEntity();
     }
 
     @Override
     public void literal(final String name, final String value) {
+        if (maxEntityCountExceeded()) {
+            return;
+        }
+
         LOG.debug("Putting '{}': '{}'", name, value);
         flattener.literal(name, value);
     }
@@ -438,6 +454,10 @@ public String getEntityMemberName() {
         return entityMemberName;
     }
 
+    private boolean maxEntityCountExceeded() {
+        return MAX_ENTITY_COUNT >= 0 && entityCount > MAX_ENTITY_COUNT;
+    }
+
     public enum Strictness {
 
         /**
diff --git a/metafix/src/test/resources/org/metafacture/metafix/integration/script/fromJson/toJson/maxEntityCount/expected.json b/metafix/src/test/resources/org/metafacture/metafix/integration/script/fromJson/toJson/maxEntityCount/expected.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3a2407ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metafix/src/test/resources/org/metafacture/metafix/integration/script/fromJson/toJson/maxEntityCount/expected.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{"key1":"value1","key2":"value2","key3":"value3","key4":"value4"}
+{"key1":"value1","key2":["v1","v2"]}
+{"key1":"value1","key2":["v1","v2"],"key3":"value3","key4":"value4"}
diff --git a/metafix/src/test/resources/org/metafacture/metafix/integration/script/fromJson/toJson/maxEntityCount/input.json b/metafix/src/test/resources/org/metafacture/metafix/integration/script/fromJson/toJson/maxEntityCount/input.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..42c84b5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metafix/src/test/resources/org/metafacture/metafix/integration/script/fromJson/toJson/maxEntityCount/input.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{"key1":"value1","key2":"value2","key3":"value3","key4":"value4"}
+{"key1":"value1","key2":["v1","v2"],"key3":["v3"],"key4":"value4"}
+{"key1":"value1","key2":["v1","v2"],"key3":"value3","key4":"value4"}
diff --git a/metafix/src/test/resources/org/metafacture/metafix/integration/script/fromJson/toJson/maxEntityCount/metafix.args b/metafix/src/test/resources/org/metafacture/metafix/integration/script/fromJson/toJson/maxEntityCount/metafix.args
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d59d5387
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metafix/src/test/resources/org/metafacture/metafix/integration/script/fromJson/toJson/maxEntityCount/metafix.args
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+-Dorg.metafacture.metafix.maxEntityCount=1
diff --git a/metafix/src/test/resources/org/metafacture/metafix/integration/script/fromJson/toJson/maxEntityCount/test.fix b/metafix/src/test/resources/org/metafacture/metafix/integration/script/fromJson/toJson/maxEntityCount/test.fix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..174b9a02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metafix/src/test/resources/org/metafacture/metafix/integration/script/fromJson/toJson/maxEntityCount/test.fix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+nothing()
diff --git a/metafix/src/test/resources/org/metafacture/metafix/integration/script/fromJson/toJson/maxEntityCount/test.flux b/metafix/src/test/resources/org/metafacture/metafix/integration/script/fromJson/toJson/maxEntityCount/test.flux
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ec507521
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metafix/src/test/resources/org/metafacture/metafix/integration/script/fromJson/toJson/maxEntityCount/test.flux
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+FLUX_DIR + "input.json"
+|open-file
+|as-lines
+|decode-json
+|fix(FLUX_DIR + "test.fix")
+|encode-json
+|write(FLUX_DIR + "output-metafix.json")
+;