diff --git a/src/providers/piefed/index.ts b/src/providers/piefed/index.ts
index 062144c..5f6dcec 100644
--- a/src/providers/piefed/index.ts
+++ b/src/providers/piefed/index.ts
@@ -79,6 +79,30 @@ const piefedMiddleware: Middleware = {
 /** Canonical search types PieFed can actually serve (its enum has no "All") */
 type SearchableType = Exclude<types.SearchType, "all">;
 
+/**
+ * PieFed counts `max_depth` from *below* top-level, Lemmy counts from the
+ * post, so the same request reaches a level deeper on PieFed — verified
+ * live: with `max_depth=1` and no `parent_id`, Lemmy returns top-level
+ * comments while PieFed returns those plus their children. Requesting one
+ * less keeps the canonical meaning ("levels of comments to return")
+ * identical on both. With a `parent_id` the two agree, so it passes
+ * through untouched.
+ *
+ * Requests for zero levels never reach here (getComments answers those
+ * directly), so the adjusted value can't go negative — and wire `0`
+ * unambiguously means canonical `1`, which is what lets the fake's decoder
+ * invert this.
+ */
+function toPiefedMaxDepth(
+  payload: Parameters<BaseClient["getComments"]>[0],
+): number | undefined {
+  const { max_depth, parent_id } = payload;
+
+  if (max_depth === undefined || parent_id !== undefined) return max_depth;
+
+  return max_depth - 1;
+}
+
 const PIEFED_SEARCH_TYPE = {
   comments: "Comments",
   communities: "Communities",
@@ -396,9 +420,21 @@ export class UnsafePiefedClient implements BaseClient {
         `Connected to piefed, ${payload.mode} is not supported`,
       );
 
+    // PieFed's shallowest response still contains top-level comments, so a
+    // canonical request for zero levels has no PieFed equivalent — answer
+    // it directly rather than asking for something else and returning more
+    // than the caller wanted.
+    if (
+      payload.max_depth !== undefined &&
+      payload.max_depth <= 0 &&
+      payload.parent_id === undefined
+    )
+      return { ...compat.toPageResponse(payload, { items: 0 }), data: [] };
+
     const { type_, ...rest } = compat.fromPageParams(payload);
     const query = {
       ...rest,
+      max_depth: toPiefedMaxDepth(payload),
       ...(type_ && { type_: compat.fromListingType(type_) }),
     } satisfies paths["/api/alpha/comment/list"]["get"]["parameters"]["query"];
 
diff --git a/src/testing/piefed/index.ts b/src/testing/piefed/index.ts
index 2e8fc08..3c4ad58 100644
--- a/src/testing/piefed/index.ts
+++ b/src/testing/piefed/index.ts
@@ -115,12 +115,20 @@ const PIEFED_OPERATIONS = {
   getComments: {
     decode: (call: RecordedCall): Payload<"getComments"> => {
       const q = query(call);
+      const parentId = numberish(q.parent_id);
+      const wireDepth = numberish(q.max_depth);
+
       return {
         limit: numberish(q.limit),
-        max_depth: numberish(q.max_depth),
+        // Invert the adapter's piefed depth adjustment (see
+        // toPiefedMaxDepth) so the decoded payload is canonical
+        max_depth:
+          wireDepth === undefined || parentId !== undefined
+            ? wireDepth
+            : wireDepth + 1,
         // piefed pages with numbers; canonical page_cursor is the string
         page_cursor: q.page,
-        parent_id: numberish(q.parent_id),
+        parent_id: parentId,
         post_id: numberish(q.post_id),
         sort: q.sort,
       } as Payload<"getComments">;
diff --git a/test/live-smoke.test.ts b/test/live-smoke.test.ts
index 6b49b35..e486c25 100644
--- a/test/live-smoke.test.ts
+++ b/test/live-smoke.test.ts
@@ -58,6 +58,32 @@ describe.runIf(process.env.LIVE_SMOKE)("live smoke", () => {
       expect(data.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
     });
 
+    it(
+      "max_depth means the same depth on every provider",
+      OPTIONS,
+      async () => {
+        // The adapters absorb each server's own base (PieFed counts from
+        // below top-level, Lemmy from the post). If a server changes that,
+        // this catches it before consumers do.
+        const { data: posts } = await client.getPosts({
+          limit: 20,
+          type_: "local",
+        });
+        const post = posts.find((view) => view.post.comments > 0);
+        expect(post, "no post with comments to probe").toBeDefined();
+
+        const { data } = await client.getComments({
+          limit: 50,
+          max_depth: 1,
+          post_id: post!.post.id,
+        });
+
+        // Depth 1 is top-level only: paths look like `0.<id>`
+        for (const view of data)
+          expect(view.comment.path.split(".")).toHaveLength(2);
+      },
+    );
+
     it("all-type search passes canonical validation", OPTIONS, async () => {
       // PieFed has no all-type search endpoint — the adapter fans out and
       // merges, so an unspecified type_ must work everywhere
diff --git a/test/testing-request-decoders.test.ts b/test/testing-request-decoders.test.ts
index 0b589cf..20e2921 100644
--- a/test/testing-request-decoders.test.ts
+++ b/test/testing-request-decoders.test.ts
@@ -107,6 +107,21 @@ const SCENARIOS = [
       c.getComments({ limit: 5, parent_id: 7, post_id: 42 }),
     operation: "getComments",
   },
+  {
+    // No parent: piefed's wire depth is adjusted, so the decoder has to
+    // undo it to report what the caller asked for
+    expected: { max_depth: 3, post_id: 42 },
+    invoke: (c: ThreadiverseClient) =>
+      c.getComments({ max_depth: 3, post_id: 42 }),
+    operation: "getComments",
+  },
+  {
+    // With a parent the providers agree, so depth passes through untouched
+    expected: { max_depth: 2, parent_id: 7, post_id: 42 },
+    invoke: (c: ThreadiverseClient) =>
+      c.getComments({ max_depth: 2, parent_id: 7, post_id: 42 }),
+    operation: "getComments",
+  },
   {
     expected: { search_term: "cats", type_: "communities" },
     invoke: (c: ThreadiverseClient) =>
diff --git a/test/testing-seed-matrix.test.ts b/test/testing-seed-matrix.test.ts
index 2180591..99702f9 100644
--- a/test/testing-seed-matrix.test.ts
+++ b/test/testing-seed-matrix.test.ts
@@ -304,6 +304,27 @@ describe.each([
     expect(second.data).toHaveLength(0);
   });
 
+  it("returns no comments when asked for zero levels", async () => {
+    const { client, post } = setup();
+
+    const { data } = await client.getComments({
+      max_depth: 0,
+      post_id: post.id,
+    });
+
+    expect(data).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it("asks for the same comment depth regardless of provider", async () => {
+    const { client, fake, post } = setup();
+
+    await client.getComments({ max_depth: 3, post_id: post.id });
+
+    // Canonical payloads stay canonical even where the wire request had to
+    // be adjusted for the provider
+    expect(fake.callsTo("getComments")[0]).toMatchObject({ max_depth: 3 });
+  });
+
   it("honors max_depth relative to the requested parent", async () => {
     const { client, fake, post } = setup();
 
@@ -322,11 +343,10 @@ describe.each([
       post,
     });
 
-    // Shallowest depth = top-level only. The providers count differently
-    // without a parent (verified against live servers): Lemmy counts from
-    // the post, PieFed counts levels below top-level.
+    // max_depth means the same thing on every provider: the piefed adapter
+    // absorbs that server's different base (see toPiefedMaxDepth)
     const shallow = await client.getComments({
-      max_depth: mode === "piefed" ? 0 : 1,
+      max_depth: 1,
       post_id: post.id,
     });
     expect(shallow.data.map((view) => view.comment.content)).toEqual([