diff --git a/synapse/rest/room.py b/synapse/rest/room.py
index cc6ffb9af..3147d7a60 100644
--- a/synapse/rest/room.py
+++ b/synapse/rest/room.py
@@ -327,7 +327,9 @@ class RoomMessageListRestServlet(RestServlet):
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def on_GET(self, request, room_id):
         user = yield self.auth.get_user_by_req(request)
-        pagination_config = PaginationConfig.from_request(request)
+        pagination_config = PaginationConfig.from_request(request,
+            default_limit=10,
+        )
         with_feedback = "feedback" in request.args
         handler = self.handlers.message_handler
         msgs = yield handler.get_messages(
diff --git a/synapse/streams/config.py b/synapse/streams/config.py
index 0317e78c0..2114c940e 100644
--- a/synapse/streams/config.py
+++ b/synapse/streams/config.py
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@ class PaginationConfig(object):
         self.limit = int(limit) if limit is not None else None
 
     @classmethod
-    def from_request(cls, request, raise_invalid_params=True):
+    def from_request(cls, request, raise_invalid_params=True,
+                     default_limit=None):
         def get_param(name, default=None):
             lst = request.args.get(name, [])
             if len(lst) > 1:
@@ -84,6 +85,9 @@ class PaginationConfig(object):
         if limit is not None and not limit.isdigit():
             raise SynapseError(400, "'limit' parameter must be an integer.")
 
+        if limit is None:
+            limit = default_limit
+
         try:
             return PaginationConfig(from_tok, to_tok, direction, limit)
         except: