diff --git a/docs/compile.md b/docs/compile.md
index bae72c6c..766cfdb0 100644
--- a/docs/compile.md
+++ b/docs/compile.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ start compiling*: sessions and sources feed claims through the review gate;
 compile distills those claims into the small, durable wiki a future agent (or
 human) reads first.
 
-```
+```text
      sessions / sources          claims               topic pages
    ───────────────────▶ gate ───────────▶ compile ───────────▶ gate ──▶ wiki
         (capture)             (approve)      (LLM drafts)       (approve)
diff --git a/src/vouch/compile.py b/src/vouch/compile.py
index df7b6c2d..8dbf4a86 100644
--- a/src/vouch/compile.py
+++ b/src/vouch/compile.py
@@ -314,6 +314,10 @@ def compile_kb(
             "e.g.\ncompile:\n  llm_cmd: \"claude -p --model sonnet\""
         )
     cap = max_pages if max_pages is not None else cfg.max_pages
+    if cap < 1:
+        # a zero/negative cap would drop every draft after spending the LLM
+        # run; refuse up front instead of silently producing nothing.
+        raise CompileError(f"max_pages must be >= 1, got {cap}")
 
     prompt = build_prompt(store, max_pages=cap)
     drafts = parse_drafts(run_llm(cmd, prompt, timeout_seconds=cfg.timeout_seconds))
diff --git a/tests/test_compile.py b/tests/test_compile.py
index e4fc80ee..64137a0d 100644
--- a/tests/test_compile.py
+++ b/tests/test_compile.py
@@ -202,6 +202,13 @@ def test_empty_kb_raises_before_running_llm(store: KBStore) -> None:
         compile_kb(store, config=_cfg("false"))
 
 
+def test_non_positive_max_pages_raises(store: KBStore) -> None:
+    # `false` as llm_cmd: the guard must fire before the LLM is spent
+    _approved_claim(store, "a fact")
+    with pytest.raises(CompileError, match="max_pages must be >= 1"):
+        compile_kb(store, config=_cfg("false"), max_pages=0)
+
+
 def test_llm_failure_raises(store: KBStore) -> None:
     _approved_claim(store, "a fact")
     with pytest.raises(CompileError, match="failed"):