diff --git a/src/main/java/world/bentobox/chunkblock/Settings.java b/src/main/java/world/bentobox/chunkblock/Settings.java
index bc5a338..4defcee 100644
--- a/src/main/java/world/bentobox/chunkblock/Settings.java
+++ b/src/main/java/world/bentobox/chunkblock/Settings.java
@@ -314,8 +314,9 @@ public class Settings implements WorldSettings {
     @ConfigComment("Admins can change protection sizes for players individually using /chadmin range set <player> <new range>")
     @ConfigComment("or set this permission: chunkblock.island.range.<number>")
     @ConfigComment("ChunkBlock: this must cover the largest unlockable ring of chunks (see chunkblock.max-chunks).")
+    @ConfigComment("With max-chunks 441 (21x21, ring 10) the minimum needed is 168.")
     @ConfigEntry(path = "world.protection-range")
-    private int islandProtectionRange = 240;
+    private int islandProtectionRange = 168;
 
     @ConfigComment("Start islands at these coordinates. This is where new islands will start in the")
     @ConfigComment("world. These must be a factor of your island distance, but the plugin will auto")
diff --git a/src/main/java/world/bentobox/chunkblock/listeners/LevelListener.java b/src/main/java/world/bentobox/chunkblock/listeners/LevelListener.java
index a76f81b..e491057 100644
--- a/src/main/java/world/bentobox/chunkblock/listeners/LevelListener.java
+++ b/src/main/java/world/bentobox/chunkblock/listeners/LevelListener.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 import world.bentobox.chunkblock.events.ChunkUnlockEvent;
 import world.bentobox.chunkblock.events.RingCompleteEvent;
 import world.bentobox.level.events.IslandLevelCalculatedEvent;
+import world.bentobox.level.events.IslandPreLevelEvent;
 
 /**
  * Watches island level changes from the Level addon. Levels are chunk currency here:
@@ -44,6 +45,27 @@ public LevelListener(ChunkBlock addon) {
         this.addon = addon;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Shrinks the island's protection range to cover only the unlocked chunks so the
+     * Level addon scans the playable area instead of the entire 240-block default.
+     * The calculator reads the range in the same tick; the original is restored on
+     * the next tick.
+     */
+    @EventHandler(priority = EventPriority.NORMAL, ignoreCancelled = true)
+    public void onIslandPreLevel(IslandPreLevelEvent e) {
+        Island island = e.getIsland();
+        if (island == null || !addon.inWorld(island.getWorld())) {
+            return;
+        }
+        int ring = addon.getChunkManager().currentRing(island);
+        int needed = ring * 16 + ChunkManager.CHUNK_CENTER;
+        int stored = island.getProtectionRange();
+        if (needed < stored) {
+            island.setProtectionRange(needed);
+            Bukkit.getScheduler().runTask(addon.getPlugin(), () -> island.setProtectionRange(stored));
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Fires after every island level calculation, before results are saved. Never
      * cancelled here — we only read the level.
diff --git a/src/test/java/world/bentobox/chunkblock/SettingsTest.java b/src/test/java/world/bentobox/chunkblock/SettingsTest.java
index 30cf8f1..ede1583 100644
--- a/src/test/java/world/bentobox/chunkblock/SettingsTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/world/bentobox/chunkblock/SettingsTest.java
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ void testGetIslandDistance() {
      */
     @Test
     void testGetIslandProtectionRange() {
-        assertEquals(240, s.getIslandProtectionRange());
+        assertEquals(168, s.getIslandProtectionRange());
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/test/java/world/bentobox/chunkblock/listeners/LevelListenerTest.java b/src/test/java/world/bentobox/chunkblock/listeners/LevelListenerTest.java
index 334ed61..aaab902 100644
--- a/src/test/java/world/bentobox/chunkblock/listeners/LevelListenerTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/world/bentobox/chunkblock/listeners/LevelListenerTest.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
 import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
+import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.anyInt;
 import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.argThat;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.doAnswer;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@
 import world.bentobox.chunkblock.events.ChunkRelockEvent;
 import world.bentobox.chunkblock.events.ChunkUnlockEvent;
 import world.bentobox.chunkblock.events.RingCompleteEvent;
+import world.bentobox.level.events.IslandPreLevelEvent;
 
 /**
  * Tests the credit-announcement and LIFO re-lock flows in {@link LevelListener} and the
@@ -216,6 +218,45 @@ void testIslandResetClearsRingRewards() {
         assertEquals(1, data.getUnlockedChunkCount());
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void testPreLevelShrinksProtectionRangeToUnlockedArea() {
+        when(island.getProtectionRange()).thenReturn(240);
+        // Only center chunk is unlocked → ring 0 → needed = 8
+        IslandPreLevelEvent pre = new IslandPreLevelEvent(uuid, island);
+        listener.onIslandPreLevel(pre);
+        verify(island).setProtectionRange(ChunkManager.CHUNK_CENTER);
+        // Restore scheduled for next tick
+        verify(sch).runTask(any(), any(Runnable.class));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void testPreLevelRangeMatchesCurrentRing() {
+        when(island.getProtectionRange()).thenReturn(240);
+        level = 8;
+        claimRingOne();
+        // Ring 1 unlocked → needed = 1 * 16 + 8 = 24
+        IslandPreLevelEvent pre = new IslandPreLevelEvent(uuid, island);
+        listener.onIslandPreLevel(pre);
+        verify(island).setProtectionRange(24);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void testPreLevelSkipsWhenRangeAlreadySmallEnough() {
+        when(island.getProtectionRange()).thenReturn(8);
+        IslandPreLevelEvent pre = new IslandPreLevelEvent(uuid, island);
+        listener.onIslandPreLevel(pre);
+        verify(island, never()).setProtectionRange(anyInt());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void testPreLevelIgnoresOtherWorlds() {
+        when(addon.inWorld(world)).thenReturn(false);
+        when(island.getProtectionRange()).thenReturn(240);
+        IslandPreLevelEvent pre = new IslandPreLevelEvent(uuid, island);
+        listener.onIslandPreLevel(pre);
+        verify(island, never()).setProtectionRange(anyInt());
+    }
+
     /** Claims and celebrates all eight chunks of ring 1, closing it with the last one */
     private void claimRingOne() {
         for (int[] offset : new int[][] { { 1, 0 }, { 0, 1 }, { -1, 0 }, { 0, -1 }, { 1, 1 }, { -1, 1 },