diff --git a/src/commands/CommandHandler.ts b/src/commands/CommandHandler.ts
index 07603c0..3075ffd 100644
--- a/src/commands/CommandHandler.ts
+++ b/src/commands/CommandHandler.ts
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ export async function handleCommand(roomId: string, event: any, mjolnir: Mjolnir
                 "!mjolnir status                                                     - Print status information\n" +
                 "!mjolnir ban <list shortcode> <user|room|server> <glob> [reason]    - Adds an entity to the ban list\n" +
                 "!mjolnir unban <list shortcode> <user|room|server> <glob> [apply]   - Removes an entity from the ban list. If apply is 'true', the users matching the glob will actually be unbanned\n" +
-                "!mjolnir redact <user ID> [room alias/ID]                           - Redacts messages by the sender in the target room (or all rooms)\n" +
+                "!mjolnir redact <user ID> [room alias/ID] [limit]                   - Redacts messages by the sender in the target room (or all rooms), up to a maximum number of events in the backlog (default 1000)\n" +
                 "!mjolnir redact <event permalink>                                   - Redacts a message by permalink\n" +
                 "!mjolnir rules                                                      - Lists the rules currently in use by Mjolnir\n" +
                 "!mjolnir sync                                                       - Force updates of all lists and re-apply rules\n" +
diff --git a/src/commands/RedactCommand.ts b/src/commands/RedactCommand.ts
index aa4bc55..ac781a8 100644
--- a/src/commands/RedactCommand.ts
+++ b/src/commands/RedactCommand.ts
@@ -18,25 +18,36 @@ import { Mjolnir } from "../Mjolnir";
 import { redactUserMessagesIn } from "../utils";
 import { Permalinks } from "matrix-bot-sdk";
 
-// !mjolnir redact <user ID> [room alias]
+// !mjolnir redact <user ID> [room alias] [limit]
 export async function execRedactCommand(roomId: string, event: any, mjolnir: Mjolnir, parts: string[]) {
     const userId = parts[2];
     let roomAlias = null;
-    if (parts.length > 3) {
+    let limit = Number.parseInt(parts.length > 3 ? parts[3] : null); // default to NaN for later
+    if (parts.length > 3 && isNaN(limit)) {
         roomAlias = await mjolnir.client.resolveRoom(parts[3]);
+        if (parts.length > 4) {
+            limit = Number.parseInt(parts[4]);
+        }
     }
 
+    // Make sure we always have a limit set
+    if (isNaN(limit)) limit = 1000;
+
+    const processingReactionId = await mjolnir.client.unstableApis.addReactionToEvent(roomId, event['event_id'], 'In Progress');
+
     if (userId[0] !== '@') {
         // Assume it's a permalink
         const parsed = Permalinks.parseUrl(parts[2]);
         const targetRoomId = await mjolnir.client.resolveRoom(parsed.roomIdOrAlias);
         await mjolnir.client.redactEvent(targetRoomId, parsed.eventId);
         await mjolnir.client.unstableApis.addReactionToEvent(roomId, event['event_id'], '✅');
+        await mjolnir.client.redactEvent(roomId, processingReactionId, 'done processing command');
         return;
     }
 
     const targetRoomIds = roomAlias ? [roomAlias] : Object.keys(mjolnir.protectedRooms);
-    await redactUserMessagesIn(mjolnir.client, userId, targetRoomIds);
+    await redactUserMessagesIn(mjolnir.client, userId, targetRoomIds, limit);
 
     await mjolnir.client.unstableApis.addReactionToEvent(roomId, event['event_id'], '✅');
+    await mjolnir.client.redactEvent(roomId, processingReactionId, 'done processing');
 }
diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.ts
index 30df8d5..392f046 100644
--- a/src/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils.ts
@@ -37,11 +37,11 @@ export function isTrueJoinEvent(event: any): boolean {
     return membership === 'join' && prevMembership !== "join";
 }
 
-export async function redactUserMessagesIn(client: MatrixClient, userIdOrGlob: string, targetRoomIds: string[]) {
+export async function redactUserMessagesIn(client: MatrixClient, userIdOrGlob: string, targetRoomIds: string[], limit = 1000) {
     for (const targetRoomId of targetRoomIds) {
         await logMessage(LogLevel.DEBUG, "utils#redactUserMessagesIn", `Fetching sent messages for ${userIdOrGlob} in ${targetRoomId} to redact...`);
 
-        const eventsToRedact = await getMessagesByUserSinceLastJoin(client, userIdOrGlob, targetRoomId);
+        const eventsToRedact = await getMessagesByUserIn(client, userIdOrGlob, targetRoomId, limit);
         for (const victimEvent of eventsToRedact) {
             await logMessage(LogLevel.DEBUG, "utils#redactUserMessagesIn", `Redacting ${victimEvent['event_id']} in ${targetRoomId}`);
             if (!config.noop) {
@@ -59,20 +59,20 @@ export async function redactUserMessagesIn(client: MatrixClient, userIdOrGlob: s
  * @param {MatrixClient} client The client to use.
  * @param {string} sender The sender. Can include wildcards to match multiple people.
  * @param {string} roomId The room ID to search in.
+ * @param {number} limit The maximum number of messages to search. Defaults to 1000.
  * @returns {Promise<any>} Resolves to the events sent by the user(s) prior to join.
  */
-export async function getMessagesByUserSinceLastJoin(client: MatrixClient, sender: string, roomId: string): Promise<any[]> {
-    const limit = 1000; // maximum number of events to process, regardless of outcome
+export async function getMessagesByUserIn(client: MatrixClient, sender: string, roomId: string, limit: number): Promise<any[]> {
     const filter = {
         room: {
             rooms: [roomId],
             state: {
-                types: ["m.room.member"],
+                // types: ["m.room.member"], // We'll redact all types of events
                 rooms: [roomId],
             },
             timeline: {
                 rooms: [roomId],
-                types: ["m.room.message"],
+                // types: ["m.room.message"], // We'll redact all types of events
             },
             ephemeral: {
                 limit: 0,
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ export async function getMessagesByUserSinceLastJoin(client: MatrixClient, sende
     if (!response) return [];
 
     const messages = [];
-    const stopProcessingMembers = [];
     let processed = 0;
 
     const timeline = (((response['rooms'] || {})['join'] || {})[roomId] || {})['timeline'] || {};
@@ -143,12 +142,7 @@ export async function getMessagesByUserSinceLastJoin(client: MatrixClient, sende
             if (processed >= limit) return messages; // we're done even if we don't want to be
             processed++;
 
-            if (stopProcessingMembers.includes(event['sender'])) continue;
             if (testUser(event['sender'])) messages.push(event);
-            if (event['type'] === 'm.room.member' && testUser(event['state_key']) && isTrueJoinEvent(event)) {
-                stopProcessingMembers.push(event['sender']);
-                if (!isGlob) return messages; // done!
-            }
         }
 
         if (token) {