diff --git a/src/hooks/ralph-loop/constants.ts b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/constants.ts
index c0a44283a..4d750e98a 100644
--- a/src/hooks/ralph-loop/constants.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/constants.ts
@@ -2,5 +2,6 @@ export const HOOK_NAME = "ralph-loop"
 export const DEFAULT_STATE_FILE = ".sisyphus/ralph-loop.local.md"
 export const COMPLETION_TAG_PATTERN = /<promise>(.*?)<\/promise>/is
 export const DEFAULT_MAX_ITERATIONS = 100
+export const ULTRAWORK_MAX_ITERATIONS = 500
 export const DEFAULT_COMPLETION_PROMISE = "DONE"
 export const ULTRAWORK_VERIFICATION_PROMISE = "VERIFIED"
diff --git a/src/hooks/ralph-loop/loop-state-controller.ts b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/loop-state-controller.ts
index 49be08da2..2a455412a 100644
--- a/src/hooks/ralph-loop/loop-state-controller.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/loop-state-controller.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import {
 	DEFAULT_COMPLETION_PROMISE,
 	DEFAULT_MAX_ITERATIONS,
 	HOOK_NAME,
+	ULTRAWORK_MAX_ITERATIONS,
 	ULTRAWORK_VERIFICATION_PROMISE,
 } from "./constants"
 import { clearState, incrementIteration, readState, writeState } from "./storage"
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ export function createLoopStateController(options: {
 				active: true,
 				iteration: 1,
 				max_iterations: loopOptions?.ultrawork
-					? undefined
+					? ULTRAWORK_MAX_ITERATIONS
 					: loopOptions?.maxIterations ??
 						config?.default_max_iterations ??
 						DEFAULT_MAX_ITERATIONS,