diff --git a/doc/man/knot.conf.5in b/doc/man/knot.conf.5in
index 02def41be81f1a5dda5ddf1a3102e2ea777a4c50..ebdbefe58ecbfd365a7a284cc2d3e739aa043d41 100644
--- a/doc/man/knot.conf.5in
+++ b/doc/man/knot.conf.5in
@@ -1872,7 +1872,7 @@ Maximum history length of journal.
 .sp
 \fIMinimum:\fP 2
 .sp
-\fIDefault:\fP 2^64
+\fIDefault:\fP 20
 .SS zone\-max\-size
 .sp
 Maximum size of the zone. The size is measured as size of the zone records
diff --git a/doc/reference.rst b/doc/reference.rst
index 1b5833a940e873543acce0a8ddfb9d0de9e18484..5a1c234a9e8bb8af2c589cff550c074d74cbc26c 100644
--- a/doc/reference.rst
+++ b/doc/reference.rst
@@ -2014,7 +2014,7 @@ Maximum history length of journal.
 
 *Minimum:* 2
 
-*Default:* 2^64
+*Default:* 20
 
 .. _zone_zone-max-size:
 
diff --git a/src/knot/conf/schema.c b/src/knot/conf/schema.c
index e2c3ddba1ac2a48c454a1003a857e64534a2a3a9..cc51d318199c4fac3289d3a3e9d4e42af8ee110a 100644
--- a/src/knot/conf/schema.c
+++ b/src/knot/conf/schema.c
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ static const yp_item_t desc_policy[] = {
 	{ C_ZONEFILE_LOAD,       YP_TOPT,  YP_VOPT = { zonefile_load, ZONEFILE_LOAD_WHOLE } }, \
 	{ C_JOURNAL_CONTENT,     YP_TOPT,  YP_VOPT = { journal_content, JOURNAL_CONTENT_CHANGES }, FLAGS }, \
 	{ C_JOURNAL_MAX_USAGE,   YP_TINT,  YP_VINT = { KILO(40), SSIZE_MAX, MEGA(100), YP_SSIZE } }, \
-	{ C_JOURNAL_MAX_DEPTH,   YP_TINT,  YP_VINT = { 2, SSIZE_MAX, SSIZE_MAX } }, \
+	{ C_JOURNAL_MAX_DEPTH,   YP_TINT,  YP_VINT = { 2, SSIZE_MAX, 20 } }, \
 	{ C_ZONE_MAX_SIZE,       YP_TINT,  YP_VINT = { 0, SSIZE_MAX, SSIZE_MAX, YP_SSIZE }, FLAGS }, \
 	{ C_ADJUST_THR,          YP_TINT,  YP_VINT = { 1, UINT16_MAX, 1 } }, \
 	{ C_DNSSEC_SIGNING,      YP_TBOOL, YP_VNONE, FLAGS }, \
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@ static const yp_item_t desc_policy[] = {
 	{ C_DISABLE_ANY,         YP_TBOOL, YP_VNONE }, \
 	{ C_MAX_ZONE_SIZE,       YP_TINT,  YP_VINT = { 0, SSIZE_MAX, SSIZE_MAX, YP_SSIZE }, FLAGS }, \
 	{ C_MAX_JOURNAL_USAGE,   YP_TINT,  YP_VINT = { KILO(40), SSIZE_MAX, MEGA(100), YP_SSIZE } }, \
-	{ C_MAX_JOURNAL_DEPTH,   YP_TINT,  YP_VINT = { 2, SSIZE_MAX, SSIZE_MAX } }, \
+	{ C_MAX_JOURNAL_DEPTH,   YP_TINT,  YP_VINT = { 2, SSIZE_MAX, 20 } }, \
 	{ C_MAX_REFRESH_INTERVAL,YP_TINT,  YP_VINT = { 2, UINT32_MAX, UINT32_MAX, YP_STIME } }, \
 	{ C_MIN_REFRESH_INTERVAL,YP_TINT,  YP_VINT = { 2, UINT32_MAX, 2, YP_STIME } }, \