diff --git a/crates/milli/src/search/mod.rs b/crates/milli/src/search/mod.rs
index 62183afc3..ecb9af852 100644
--- a/crates/milli/src/search/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/milli/src/search/mod.rs
@@ -236,6 +236,7 @@ impl<'a> Search<'a> {
                     &mut ctx,
                     vector,
                     self.scoring_strategy,
+                    self.exhaustive_number_hits,
                     universe,
                     &self.sort_criteria,
                     &self.distinct,
diff --git a/crates/milli/src/search/new/bucket_sort.rs b/crates/milli/src/search/new/bucket_sort.rs
index 3c26cad5c..f4fd62825 100644
--- a/crates/milli/src/search/new/bucket_sort.rs
+++ b/crates/milli/src/search/new/bucket_sort.rs
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ pub fn bucket_sort<'ctx, Q: RankingRuleQueryTrait>(
     logger: &mut dyn SearchLogger<Q>,
     time_budget: TimeBudget,
     ranking_score_threshold: Option<f64>,
+    exhaustive_number_hits: bool,
 ) -> Result<BucketSortOutput> {
     logger.initial_query(query);
     logger.ranking_rules(&ranking_rules);
@@ -159,7 +160,9 @@ pub fn bucket_sort<'ctx, Q: RankingRuleQueryTrait>(
         };
     }
 
-    while valid_docids.len() < length {
+    while valid_docids.len() < length
+        || (exhaustive_number_hits && ranking_score_threshold.is_some())
+    {
         if time_budget.exceeded() {
             loop {
                 let bucket = std::mem::take(&mut ranking_rule_universes[cur_ranking_rule_index]);
diff --git a/crates/milli/src/search/new/mod.rs b/crates/milli/src/search/new/mod.rs
index a65b4076b..2c6fe5c3c 100644
--- a/crates/milli/src/search/new/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/milli/src/search/new/mod.rs
@@ -626,6 +626,7 @@ pub fn execute_vector_search(
     ctx: &mut SearchContext<'_>,
     vector: &[f32],
     scoring_strategy: ScoringStrategy,
+    exhaustive_number_hits: bool,
     universe: RoaringBitmap,
     sort_criteria: &Option<Vec<AscDesc>>,
     distinct: &Option<String>,
@@ -669,6 +670,7 @@ pub fn execute_vector_search(
         placeholder_search_logger,
         time_budget,
         ranking_score_threshold,
+        exhaustive_number_hits,
     )?;
 
     Ok(PartialSearchResult {
@@ -825,6 +827,7 @@ pub fn execute_search(
             query_graph_logger,
             time_budget,
             ranking_score_threshold,
+            exhaustive_number_hits,
         )?
     } else {
         let ranking_rules =
@@ -841,6 +844,7 @@ pub fn execute_search(
             placeholder_search_logger,
             time_budget,
             ranking_score_threshold,
+            exhaustive_number_hits,
         )?
     };