diff --git a/airbyte-cdk/python/airbyte_cdk/connector_builder/README.md b/airbyte-cdk/python/airbyte_cdk/connector_builder/README.md
index 3f3402fab5360..6788a6f226b16 100644
--- a/airbyte-cdk/python/airbyte_cdk/connector_builder/README.md
+++ b/airbyte-cdk/python/airbyte_cdk/connector_builder/README.md
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ Note:
 *See [ConnectionSpecification](https://docs.airbyte.com/understanding-airbyte/airbyte-protocol/#actor-specification) for details on the `"config"` key if needed.
 
 - When the `__command` is `resolve_manifest`, the argument to `catalog` should be an empty string.
+- The config can optionally contain an object under the `__test_read_config` key which can define custom test read limits with `max_records`, `max_slices`, and `max_pages_per_slice` properties. All custom limits are optional; a default will be used for any limit that is not provided.
 
 ### Locally running the docker image
 
diff --git a/airbyte-cdk/python/airbyte_cdk/connector_builder/connector_builder_handler.py b/airbyte-cdk/python/airbyte_cdk/connector_builder/connector_builder_handler.py
index c53bda0dfc623..4dfe4a3dd05d6 100644
--- a/airbyte-cdk/python/airbyte_cdk/connector_builder/connector_builder_handler.py
+++ b/airbyte-cdk/python/airbyte_cdk/connector_builder/connector_builder_handler.py
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ def read_stream(
     source: DeclarativeSource, config: Mapping[str, Any], configured_catalog: ConfiguredAirbyteCatalog, limits: TestReadLimits
 ) -> AirbyteMessage:
     try:
-        handler = MessageGrouper(limits.max_pages_per_slice, limits.max_slices)
+        handler = MessageGrouper(limits.max_pages_per_slice, limits.max_slices, limits.max_records)
         stream_name = configured_catalog.streams[0].stream.name  # The connector builder only supports a single stream
         stream_read = handler.get_message_groups(source, config, configured_catalog, limits.max_records)
         return AirbyteMessage(
diff --git a/airbyte-cdk/python/airbyte_cdk/connector_builder/message_grouper.py b/airbyte-cdk/python/airbyte_cdk/connector_builder/message_grouper.py
index 42a0e1051b526..b30a3a3744f48 100644
--- a/airbyte-cdk/python/airbyte_cdk/connector_builder/message_grouper.py
+++ b/airbyte-cdk/python/airbyte_cdk/connector_builder/message_grouper.py
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@ def get_message_groups(
         configured_catalog: ConfiguredAirbyteCatalog,
         record_limit: Optional[int] = None,
     ) -> StreamRead:
-        if record_limit is not None and not (1 <= record_limit <= 1000):
-            raise ValueError(f"Record limit must be between 1 and 1000. Got {record_limit}")
+        if record_limit is not None and not (1 <= record_limit <= self._max_record_limit):
+            raise ValueError(f"Record limit must be between 1 and {self._max_record_limit}. Got {record_limit}")
         schema_inferrer = SchemaInferrer()
         datetime_format_inferrer = DatetimeFormatInferrer()
 
diff --git a/airbyte-cdk/python/unit_tests/connector_builder/test_message_grouper.py b/airbyte-cdk/python/unit_tests/connector_builder/test_message_grouper.py
index ae98f6ad70ab5..437a775dd8dee 100644
--- a/airbyte-cdk/python/unit_tests/connector_builder/test_message_grouper.py
+++ b/airbyte-cdk/python/unit_tests/connector_builder/test_message_grouper.py
@@ -218,14 +218,14 @@ def test_get_grouped_messages_with_logs(mock_entrypoint_read: Mock) -> None:
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    "request_record_limit, max_record_limit",
+    "request_record_limit, max_record_limit, should_fail",
     [
-        pytest.param(1, 3, id="test_create_request_with_record_limit"),
-        pytest.param(3, 1, id="test_create_request_record_limit_exceeds_max"),
+        pytest.param(1, 3, False, id="test_create_request_with_record_limit"),
+        pytest.param(3, 1, True, id="test_create_request_record_limit_exceeds_max"),
     ],
 )
 @patch("airbyte_cdk.connector_builder.message_grouper.AirbyteEntrypoint.read")
-def test_get_grouped_messages_record_limit(mock_entrypoint_read: Mock, request_record_limit: int, max_record_limit: int) -> None:
+def test_get_grouped_messages_record_limit(mock_entrypoint_read: Mock, request_record_limit: int, max_record_limit: int, should_fail: bool) -> None:
     url = "https://demonslayers.com/api/v1/hashiras?era=taisho"
     request = {
         "headers": {"Content-Type": "application/json"},
@@ -249,16 +249,23 @@ def test_get_grouped_messages_record_limit(mock_entrypoint_read: Mock, request_r
     record_limit = min(request_record_limit, max_record_limit)
 
     api = MessageGrouper(MAX_PAGES_PER_SLICE, MAX_SLICES, max_record_limit=max_record_limit)
-    actual_response: StreamRead = api.get_message_groups(
-        mock_source, config=CONFIG, configured_catalog=create_configured_catalog("hashiras"), record_limit=request_record_limit
-    )
-    single_slice = actual_response.slices[0]
-    total_records = 0
-    for i, actual_page in enumerate(single_slice.pages):
-        total_records += len(actual_page.records)
-    assert total_records == min([record_limit, n_records])
-
-    assert (total_records >= max_record_limit) == actual_response.test_read_limit_reached
+    # this is the call we expect to raise an exception
+    if should_fail:
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+            api.get_message_groups(
+                mock_source, config=CONFIG, configured_catalog=create_configured_catalog("hashiras"), record_limit=request_record_limit
+            )
+    else:
+        actual_response: StreamRead = api.get_message_groups(
+            mock_source, config=CONFIG, configured_catalog=create_configured_catalog("hashiras"), record_limit=request_record_limit
+        )
+        single_slice = actual_response.slices[0]
+        total_records = 0
+        for i, actual_page in enumerate(single_slice.pages):
+            total_records += len(actual_page.records)
+        assert total_records == min([record_limit, n_records])
+
+        assert (total_records >= max_record_limit) == actual_response.test_read_limit_reached
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(