diff --git a/server/AyaNova/Controllers/ReportController.cs b/server/AyaNova/Controllers/ReportController.cs
index b083e94a..89671315 100644
--- a/server/AyaNova/Controllers/ReportController.cs
+++ b/server/AyaNova/Controllers/ReportController.cs
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ namespace AyaNova.Api.Controllers
 
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// Get data from id list in format used by report designer
+        /// Get a limited amount of sample data from id list in format used by report designer
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="selectedRequest">Data required for report</param>
         /// <param name="apiVersion">From route path</param>
@@ -196,6 +196,8 @@ namespace AyaNova.Api.Controllers
             if (!ModelState.IsValid)
                 return BadRequest(new ApiErrorResponse(ModelState));
 
+            //cap the data returned
+            selectedRequest.ReportDesignerSample = true;
 
             var reportData = await biz.GetReportData(selectedRequest);
             if (reportData == null)
diff --git a/server/AyaNova/DataList/DataListFetcher.cs b/server/AyaNova/DataList/DataListFetcher.cs
index 048ec691..a9a6e245 100644
--- a/server/AyaNova/DataList/DataListFetcher.cs
+++ b/server/AyaNova/DataList/DataListFetcher.cs
@@ -189,9 +189,17 @@ namespace AyaNova.DataList
 
         /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
         // Get a list of id's of the datalist results for reporting
+        // (and other uses like job ops, exporting etc)
+        // called from RehydrateIdList only
         //
-        //
-        internal static async Task<long[]> GetIdListResponseAsync(AyContext ct, DataListSelectedProcessingOptions dataListSelectionOptions, IDataListProcessing DataList, AuthorizationRoles userRoles, ILogger log, long userId)
+        internal static async Task<long[]> GetIdListResponseAsync(
+            AyContext ct,
+            DataListSelectedProcessingOptions dataListSelectionOptions,
+            IDataListProcessing DataList,
+            AuthorizationRoles userRoles,
+            ILogger log,
+            long userId,
+            bool limitForReportDesigner)
         {
             //#BUILD THE QUERY   
 
@@ -210,10 +218,15 @@ namespace AyaNova.DataList
             //ORDER BY CLAUSE - SORT           
             qOrderBy = DataListSqlFilterOrderByBuilder.DataFilterToSQLOrderBy(DataList.FieldDefinitions, dataListSelectionOptions);
 
+            //LIMIT (if report designer)
+            var qLimit = string.Empty;
+            if (limitForReportDesigner)
+                qLimit = "LIMIT 5";
+
             //PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
             string qDataQuery = string.Empty;
 
-            qDataQuery = $"{qSelect} {qFrom} {qWhere} {qOrderBy} ".Replace("  ", " ");
+            qDataQuery = $"{qSelect} {qFrom} {qWhere} {qOrderBy} {qLimit} ".Replace("  ", " ");
 
             //RETURN OBJECTS                  
             var retList = new List<long>();
diff --git a/server/AyaNova/models/DataListSelectedProcessingOptions.cs b/server/AyaNova/models/DataListSelectedProcessingOptions.cs
index 35cc5196..7d49c760 100644
--- a/server/AyaNova/models/DataListSelectedProcessingOptions.cs
+++ b/server/AyaNova/models/DataListSelectedProcessingOptions.cs
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ namespace AyaNova.Models
 
             DataListSelectedProcessingOptions d = new DataListSelectedProcessingOptions(selectedRequest, DataList, SavedView, SavedFilter, userId, userRoles);
 
-            return await AyaNova.DataList.DataListFetcher.GetIdListResponseAsync(ct, d, DataList, userRoles, log, userId);
+            return await AyaNova.DataList.DataListFetcher.GetIdListResponseAsync(ct, d, DataList, userRoles, log, userId, selectedRequest.ReportDesignerSample);
         }
 
 
diff --git a/server/AyaNova/models/DataListSelectedRequest.cs b/server/AyaNova/models/DataListSelectedRequest.cs
index 9a7dfcfe..275372d7 100644
--- a/server/AyaNova/models/DataListSelectedRequest.cs
+++ b/server/AyaNova/models/DataListSelectedRequest.cs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ namespace AyaNova.Models
         public AyaType AType { get; set; }
         public long[] SelectedRowIds { get; set; }
         public bool IncludeWoItemDescendants {get;set;}
+        public bool ReportDesignerSample {get;set;}//set if for report designer to limit rows returned to a sensible limit
 
     }
 }