diff --git a/app/controllers/StoriesVisibleController.scala b/app/controllers/StoriesVisibleController.scala
index ddb9ed972b..7054df9206 100644
--- a/app/controllers/StoriesVisibleController.scala
+++ b/app/controllers/StoriesVisibleController.scala
@@ -22,7 +22,11 @@ class StoriesVisibleController(
   def storiesVisible(containerType: String) =
     AccessAPIAuthAction(parse.json[StoriesVisibleRequest]) { implicit request =>
       val storiesVisible =
-        containerService.getStoriesVisible(containerType, request.body.stories)
+        containerService.getStoriesVisible(
+          containerType,
+          request.body.stories,
+          collectionConfigJson = None
+        )
 
       logger.info(
         s"got stories-visible=$storiesVisible for containerType=$containerType"
diff --git a/app/services/CollectionService.scala b/app/services/CollectionService.scala
index 31c19c7335..73e96d6435 100644
--- a/app/services/CollectionService.scala
+++ b/app/services/CollectionService.scala
@@ -99,15 +99,19 @@ object CollectionService {
   ): Option[StoriesVisibleByStage] = {
     val stages =
       CollectionService.getStoriesForCollectionStages(collectionId, collection)
-    config.collections.get(collectionId).flatMap(_.`type`) match {
-      case Some(cType) =>
-        Some(
-          StoriesVisibleByStage(
-            containerService.getStoriesVisible(cType, stages._1),
-            containerService.getStoriesVisible(cType, stages._2)
-          )
+    for {
+      cConfigJson <- config.collections.get(collectionId)
+      cType <- cConfigJson.`type`
+    } yield {
+      StoriesVisibleByStage(
+        containerService
+          .getStoriesVisible(cType, stages._1, Some(cConfigJson)),
+        containerService.getStoriesVisible(
+          cType,
+          stages._2,
+          Some(cConfigJson)
         )
-      case None => None
+      )
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/app/services/ContainerService.scala b/app/services/ContainerService.scala
index af75b90e44..41d3f67484 100644
--- a/app/services/ContainerService.scala
+++ b/app/services/ContainerService.scala
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package services
 
 import play.api.libs.json.{Json, OFormat}
 import slices._
+import com.gu.facia.client.models.CollectionConfigJson
 
 case class StoriesVisibleResponse(
     desktop: Option[Int],
@@ -14,7 +15,11 @@ object StoriesVisibleResponse {
 }
 
 class ContainerService(val containers: Containers) {
-  def getStoriesVisible(containerType: String, stories: Seq[Story]) = {
+  def getStoriesVisible(
+      containerType: String,
+      stories: Seq[Story],
+      collectionConfigJson: Option[CollectionConfigJson]
+  ) = {
     val numberOfStories = stories.length
     containers.all.get(containerType) map {
       case Fixed(container) =>
@@ -48,7 +53,10 @@ class ContainerService(val containers: Containers) {
         )
 
       case Flexible(container) =>
-        val numberVisible = container.storiesVisible(stories)
+        val numberVisible = container.storiesVisible(
+          stories,
+          collectionConfigJson
+        )
         StoriesVisibleResponse(
           Some(numberVisible),
           Some(numberVisible)
diff --git a/app/slices/FlexibleContainer.scala b/app/slices/FlexibleContainer.scala
index 8a41a2e677..292e5c1c4e 100644
--- a/app/slices/FlexibleContainer.scala
+++ b/app/slices/FlexibleContainer.scala
@@ -1,24 +1,30 @@
 package slices
+import com.gu.facia.client.models.CollectionConfigJson
 
 trait FlexibleContainer {
-  def storiesVisible(stories: Seq[Story]): Int
+  def storiesVisible(
+      stories: Seq[Story],
+      collectionConfigJson: Option[CollectionConfigJson]
+  ): Int
 }
 
 object FlexibleGeneral extends FlexibleContainer {
-  def storiesVisible(stories: Seq[Story]): Int = {
-    val byGroup = Story.segmentByGroup(stories)
-    val splash = byGroup.getOrElse(3, Seq.empty) ++
-      byGroup.getOrElse(2, Seq.empty) ++
-      byGroup.getOrElse(1, Seq.empty)
-    val numOfSplash = splash.size min 1
-    val numOfStandard = stories.size - numOfSplash
-
-    numOfSplash + (numOfStandard min 8)
+  def storiesVisible(
+      stories: Seq[Story],
+      collectionConfigJson: Option[CollectionConfigJson]
+  ): Int = {
+    collectionConfigJson
+      .flatMap(_.displayHints)
+      .flatMap(_.maxItemsToDisplay)
+      .getOrElse(9)
   }
 }
 
 object FlexibleSpecial extends FlexibleContainer {
-  def storiesVisible(stories: Seq[Story]): Int = {
+  def storiesVisible(
+      stories: Seq[Story],
+      collectionConfigJson: Option[CollectionConfigJson]
+  ): Int = {
     val byGroup = Story.segmentByGroup(stories)
     val snap = byGroup.getOrElse(3, Seq.empty) ++
       byGroup.getOrElse(2, Seq.empty) ++
diff --git a/public/src/js/widgets/columns/fronts-config.html b/public/src/js/widgets/columns/fronts-config.html
index 201f47d7b1..c938cbec47 100644
--- a/public/src/js/widgets/columns/fronts-config.html
+++ b/public/src/js/widgets/columns/fronts-config.html
@@ -258,6 +258,12 @@
                 <label>Groups</label>
                 <span class="cnf-form__value" data-bind="text: meta.groups"></span>
             <!-- /ko -->
+
+			<!-- ko if: meta.type() === "flexible/general"-->
+			<label for="flexGenStoryLimit">Max stories to display</label>
+			<input id="flexGenStoryLimit" type="number" data-bind="value: meta.displayHints.maxItemsToDisplay" attr: { max: 20, min: 1 } max="20" min="1" placeholder="9">
+			<!-- /ko -->
+
             <label for="userVisibility">User visibility</label>
             <select id="userVisibility" data-bind="
                 optionsCaption: 'Select user visibility',