diff --git a/serialization-jackson/src/main/resources/reference.conf b/serialization-jackson/src/main/resources/reference.conf
index 5ad52a7110..593a4ad0aa 100644
--- a/serialization-jackson/src/main/resources/reference.conf
+++ b/serialization-jackson/src/main/resources/reference.conf
@@ -210,7 +210,11 @@ pekko.serialization.jackson {
     # payload that decompresses to more than this is rejected rather than
     # allocated, guarding against a small message that inflates without bound.
     # This applies on deserialization regardless of the `algorithm` setting above.
-    max-decompressed-size = 256 MiB
+    # The default of `unlimited` applies no limit, preserving the behaviour of
+    # earlier releases; a negative number such as -1 also means unlimited. Set a
+    # size such as `256 MiB` to bound decompression, choosing a value larger than
+    # any payload the system legitimately exchanges.
+    max-decompressed-size = unlimited
   }
 
   # Whether the type should be written to the manifest.
diff --git a/serialization-jackson/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/jackson/JacksonSerializer.scala b/serialization-jackson/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/jackson/JacksonSerializer.scala
index 82fb9cd3f8..22145470a1 100644
--- a/serialization-jackson/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/jackson/JacksonSerializer.scala
+++ b/serialization-jackson/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/jackson/JacksonSerializer.scala
@@ -207,7 +207,16 @@ import pekko.util.OptionVal
           """"off" or "gzip"""")
     }
   }
-  private val maxDecompressedSize: Long = conf.getBytes("compression.max-decompressed-size")
+  // "unlimited" or a negative number means no limit; getBytes refuses both, so read them first
+  private val maxDecompressedSize: Long = {
+    val raw = conf.getString("compression.max-decompressed-size")
+    if (raw == "unlimited") -1L
+    else
+      raw.toLongOption match {
+        case Some(n) if n < 0 => n
+        case _                => conf.getBytes("compression.max-decompressed-size")
+      }
+  }
   private val migrations: Map[String, JacksonMigration] = {
     import scala.jdk.CollectionConverters._
     conf.getConfig("migrations").root.unwrapped.asScala.toMap.map {
@@ -544,7 +553,10 @@ import pekko.util.OptionVal
           // meta.length is the decompressed size declared on the wire; a small
           // message can declare a huge (or negative) size and drive a large
           // allocation, so bound it before decompressing.
-          if (meta.length < 0 || meta.length > maxDecompressedSize)
+          if (meta.length < 0)
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+              s"Compressed message declares a negative decompressed size [${meta.length}] bytes")
+          if (maxDecompressedSize >= 0 && meta.length > maxDecompressedSize)
             throw new IllegalArgumentException(
               s"Compressed message declares decompressed size [${meta.length}] bytes, which exceeds the maximum " +
               s"of [$maxDecompressedSize] bytes (pekko.serialization.jackson.compression.max-decompressed-size)")
@@ -556,7 +568,7 @@ import pekko.util.OptionVal
   }
 
   // gunzip with a bound on the decompressed size, so a small gzip payload cannot
-  // inflate without limit (a "zip bomb").
+  // inflate without limit (a "zip bomb"). A negative maximum applies no bound.
   private def gunzip(in: GZIPInputStream): Array[Byte] = {
     val out = new ByteArrayOutputStream()
     val buffer = new Array[Byte](BufferSize)
@@ -564,7 +576,7 @@ import pekko.util.OptionVal
     var n = in.read(buffer)
     while (n != -1) {
       total += n
-      if (total > maxDecompressedSize)
+      if (maxDecompressedSize >= 0 && total > maxDecompressedSize)
         throw new IllegalArgumentException(
           s"Decompressed message exceeds the maximum of [$maxDecompressedSize] bytes " +
           "(pekko.serialization.jackson.compression.max-decompressed-size)")
diff --git a/serialization-jackson/src/test/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/jackson/JacksonSerializerSpec.scala b/serialization-jackson/src/test/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/jackson/JacksonSerializerSpec.scala
index b2b6c2eb2c..87dcef6b6d 100644
--- a/serialization-jackson/src/test/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/jackson/JacksonSerializerSpec.scala
+++ b/serialization-jackson/src/test/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/jackson/JacksonSerializerSpec.scala
@@ -687,6 +687,42 @@ class JacksonJsonSerializerSpec extends JacksonSerializerSpec("jackson-json") {
       }
       ex.getMessage should include("max-decompressed-size")
     }
+
+    "apply no gzip decompression limit when max-decompressed-size is -1" in withSystem("""
+        pekko.serialization.jackson.jackson-json.compression {
+          algorithm = gzip
+          compress-larger-than = 0 KiB
+          max-decompressed-size = -1
+        }
+      """) { sys =>
+      val msg = SimpleCommand("0" * (8 * 1024))
+      JacksonSerializer.isGZipped(serializeToBinary(msg, sys)) should ===(true)
+      checkSerialization(msg, sys)
+    }
+
+    "apply no lz4 decompression limit when max-decompressed-size is -1" in withSystem("""
+        pekko.serialization.jackson.jackson-json.compression {
+          algorithm = lz4
+          compress-larger-than = 0 KiB
+          max-decompressed-size = -1
+        }
+      """) { sys =>
+      val msg = SimpleCommand("0" * (8 * 1024))
+      JacksonSerializer.isLZ4(serializeToBinary(msg, sys)) should ===(true)
+      checkSerialization(msg, sys)
+    }
+
+    "apply no decompression limit when max-decompressed-size is unlimited" in withSystem("""
+        pekko.serialization.jackson.jackson-json.compression {
+          algorithm = gzip
+          compress-larger-than = 0 KiB
+          max-decompressed-size = unlimited
+        }
+      """) { sys =>
+      val msg = SimpleCommand("0" * (8 * 1024))
+      JacksonSerializer.isGZipped(serializeToBinary(msg, sys)) should ===(true)
+      checkSerialization(msg, sys)
+    }
   }
 
   "JacksonJsonSerializer without type in manifest" should {
diff --git a/serialization-jackson3/src/main/resources/reference.conf b/serialization-jackson3/src/main/resources/reference.conf
index 0a94af43f2..18c37b5e9e 100644
--- a/serialization-jackson3/src/main/resources/reference.conf
+++ b/serialization-jackson3/src/main/resources/reference.conf
@@ -191,7 +191,11 @@ pekko.serialization.jackson3 {
     # payload that decompresses to more than this is rejected rather than
     # allocated, guarding against a small message that inflates without bound.
     # This applies on deserialization regardless of the `algorithm` setting above.
-    max-decompressed-size = 256 MiB
+    # The default of `unlimited` applies no limit, preserving the behaviour of
+    # earlier releases; a negative number such as -1 also means unlimited. Set a
+    # size such as `256 MiB` to bound decompression, choosing a value larger than
+    # any payload the system legitimately exchanges.
+    max-decompressed-size = unlimited
   }
 
   # Whether the type should be written to the manifest.
diff --git a/serialization-jackson3/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/jackson3/JacksonSerializer.scala b/serialization-jackson3/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/jackson3/JacksonSerializer.scala
index 6a9db1da2c..3b2adc16ce 100644
--- a/serialization-jackson3/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/jackson3/JacksonSerializer.scala
+++ b/serialization-jackson3/src/main/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/jackson3/JacksonSerializer.scala
@@ -208,7 +208,16 @@ import pekko.util.OptionVal
           """"off" or "gzip"""")
     }
   }
-  private val maxDecompressedSize: Long = conf.getBytes("compression.max-decompressed-size")
+  // "unlimited" or a negative number means no limit; getBytes refuses both, so read them first
+  private val maxDecompressedSize: Long = {
+    val raw = conf.getString("compression.max-decompressed-size")
+    if (raw == "unlimited") -1L
+    else
+      raw.toLongOption match {
+        case Some(n) if n < 0 => n
+        case _                => conf.getBytes("compression.max-decompressed-size")
+      }
+  }
   private val migrations: Map[String, JacksonMigration] = {
     import scala.jdk.CollectionConverters._
     conf.getConfig("migrations").root.unwrapped.asScala.toMap.map {
@@ -545,7 +554,10 @@ import pekko.util.OptionVal
           // meta.length is the decompressed size declared on the wire; a small
           // message can declare a huge (or negative) size and drive a large
           // allocation, so bound it before decompressing.
-          if (meta.length < 0 || meta.length > maxDecompressedSize)
+          if (meta.length < 0)
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+              s"Compressed message declares a negative decompressed size [${meta.length}] bytes")
+          if (maxDecompressedSize >= 0 && meta.length > maxDecompressedSize)
             throw new IllegalArgumentException(
               s"Compressed message declares decompressed size [${meta.length}] bytes, which exceeds the maximum " +
               s"of [$maxDecompressedSize] bytes (pekko.serialization.jackson3.compression.max-decompressed-size)")
@@ -557,7 +569,7 @@ import pekko.util.OptionVal
   }
 
   // gunzip with a bound on the decompressed size, so a small gzip payload cannot
-  // inflate without limit (a "zip bomb").
+  // inflate without limit (a "zip bomb"). A negative maximum applies no bound.
   private def gunzip(in: GZIPInputStream): Array[Byte] = {
     val out = new ByteArrayOutputStream()
     val buffer = new Array[Byte](BufferSize)
@@ -565,7 +577,7 @@ import pekko.util.OptionVal
     var n = in.read(buffer)
     while (n != -1) {
       total += n
-      if (total > maxDecompressedSize)
+      if (maxDecompressedSize >= 0 && total > maxDecompressedSize)
         throw new IllegalArgumentException(
           s"Decompressed message exceeds the maximum of [$maxDecompressedSize] bytes " +
           "(pekko.serialization.jackson3.compression.max-decompressed-size)")
diff --git a/serialization-jackson3/src/test/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/jackson3/JacksonSerializerSpec.scala b/serialization-jackson3/src/test/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/jackson3/JacksonSerializerSpec.scala
index 8338f13c40..d094246f2f 100644
--- a/serialization-jackson3/src/test/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/jackson3/JacksonSerializerSpec.scala
+++ b/serialization-jackson3/src/test/scala/org/apache/pekko/serialization/jackson3/JacksonSerializerSpec.scala
@@ -632,6 +632,42 @@ class JacksonJsonSerializerSpec extends JacksonSerializerSpec("jackson-json") {
       }
       ex.getMessage should include("max-decompressed-size")
     }
+
+    "apply no gzip decompression limit when max-decompressed-size is -1" in withSystem("""
+        pekko.serialization.jackson3.jackson-json.compression {
+          algorithm = gzip
+          compress-larger-than = 0 KiB
+          max-decompressed-size = -1
+        }
+      """) { sys =>
+      val msg = SimpleCommand("0" * (8 * 1024))
+      JacksonSerializer.isGZipped(serializeToBinary(msg, sys)) should ===(true)
+      checkSerialization(msg, sys)
+    }
+
+    "apply no lz4 decompression limit when max-decompressed-size is -1" in withSystem("""
+        pekko.serialization.jackson3.jackson-json.compression {
+          algorithm = lz4
+          compress-larger-than = 0 KiB
+          max-decompressed-size = -1
+        }
+      """) { sys =>
+      val msg = SimpleCommand("0" * (8 * 1024))
+      JacksonSerializer.isLZ4(serializeToBinary(msg, sys)) should ===(true)
+      checkSerialization(msg, sys)
+    }
+
+    "apply no decompression limit when max-decompressed-size is unlimited" in withSystem("""
+        pekko.serialization.jackson3.jackson-json.compression {
+          algorithm = gzip
+          compress-larger-than = 0 KiB
+          max-decompressed-size = unlimited
+        }
+      """) { sys =>
+      val msg = SimpleCommand("0" * (8 * 1024))
+      JacksonSerializer.isGZipped(serializeToBinary(msg, sys)) should ===(true)
+      checkSerialization(msg, sys)
+    }
   }
 
   "JacksonJsonSerializer without type in manifest" should {