diff --git a/src/lib/mastodon.ts b/src/lib/mastodon.ts
index 6ffcd45..09dc23d 100644
--- a/src/lib/mastodon.ts
+++ b/src/lib/mastodon.ts
@@ -74,8 +74,9 @@ export async function getPostsPerHour(tag: string): Promise<number> {
  *   - Fetch pages until the oldest post in a batch falls before the 1-hour cutoff
  *     (the horizon), OR the timeline is exhausted, OR MAX_PAGES_PER_HASHTAG is reached.
  *   - When we first cross the horizon, keep fetching additional pages as long as each
- *     new page contributes at least one post within the cutoff. Only stop when a page
- *     adds nothing new to the in-window count — at that point the window is stable.
+ *     new page contributes at least one post within the cutoff and not beyond 24 hours. 
+ *     Only stop when a page adds nothing new to the in-window count — at that point the 
+ *     window is stable.
  *     This handles out-of-order federation: Mastodon timelines are ordered by post ID
  *     (local receive time), not created_at. A post authored at 10:45 on a remote server
  *     may arrive at 11:05, get a recent ID and appear near the top of the stream — but
@@ -131,6 +132,10 @@ export async function getPostsData(
     const oldestInBatch = Math.min(...posts.map((p) => new Date(p.created_at).getTime()))
     if (oldestInBatch < cutoff) crossedHorizon = true
 
+    // If the oldest post is more than 24 hours old the window is well covered — no need
+    // to keep fetching for federation stragglers this far back
+    if (oldestInBatch < now - 24 * ONE_HOUR_MS) break
+
     maxId = nextMaxId
 
     // Only mark as hit-cap when we never found old enough data (true burst scenario)