diff --git a/scripts/ts-topology.ts b/scripts/ts-topology.ts
index c0b370c5a18..1b1811f7867 100644
--- a/scripts/ts-topology.ts
+++ b/scripts/ts-topology.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
   createPluginSdkScope,
 } from "./lib/ts-topology/scope.js";
 import type { TopologyReportName, TopologyScope } from "./lib/ts-topology/types.js";
+import { parsePositiveInt } from "./lib/numeric-options.mjs";
 
 const VALID_REPORTS = new Set<TopologyReportName>([
   "public-surface-usage",
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ function parseArgs(argv: string[]): CliOptions {
         options.report = (value as TopologyReportName | undefined) ?? options.report;
         break;
       case "--limit":
-        options.limit = Math.max(1, Number.parseInt(value ?? "25", 10));
+        options.limit = parsePositiveInt(value, "--limit");
         break;
       case "--repo-root":
         options.repoRoot = path.resolve(value ?? options.repoRoot);
diff --git a/test/scripts/ts-topology.test.ts b/test/scripts/ts-topology.test.ts
index ee6321806ba..f7c04848da8 100644
--- a/test/scripts/ts-topology.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/ts-topology.test.ts
@@ -198,6 +198,15 @@ describe("ts-topology", () => {
     `);
   });
 
+  it("rejects malformed CLI limits", async () => {
+    const captured = createCapturedIo();
+    const exitCode = await main(["--limit=abc"], captured.io);
+
+    expect(exitCode).toBe(1);
+    expect(captured.readStderr()).toContain("--limit must be a positive integer");
+    expect(captured.readStdout()).toBe("");
+  });
+
   it("throws a clear error for invalid text report names", () => {
     expect(() =>
       renderTextReport(