diff --git a/hgext/journal.py b/hgext/journal.py
--- a/hgext/journal.py
+++ b/hgext/journal.py
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@
             displayname = "'%s'" % name
         ui.status(_("previous locations of %s:\n") % displayname)
 
-    limit = logcmdutil.getlimit(opts)
+    limit = logcmdutil.getlimit(ui, opts)
     entry = None
     ui.pager('journal')
     for count, entry in enumerate(repo.journal.filtered(name=name)):
diff --git a/mercurial/configitems.py b/mercurial/configitems.py
--- a/mercurial/configitems.py
+++ b/mercurial/configitems.py
@@ -190,6 +190,9 @@
 coreconfigitem('commands', 'grep.all-files',
     default=False,
 )
+coreconfigitem('commands', 'log.limit',
+    default=None,
+)
 coreconfigitem('commands', 'resolve.confirm',
     default=False,
 )
diff --git a/mercurial/help/config.txt b/mercurial/help/config.txt
--- a/mercurial/help/config.txt
+++ b/mercurial/help/config.txt
@@ -438,6 +438,10 @@
 ``commands``
 ------------
 
+``log.limit``
+    Limit the number of changesets to be displayed by log.
+    (default: None)
+
 ``resolve.confirm``
     Confirm before performing action if no filename is passed.
     (default: False)
diff --git a/mercurial/hg.py b/mercurial/hg.py
--- a/mercurial/hg.py
+++ b/mercurial/hg.py
@@ -966,7 +966,7 @@
         return ret
 
     def display(other, chlist, displayer):
-        limit = logcmdutil.getlimit(opts)
+        limit = logcmdutil.getlimit(ui, opts)
         if opts.get('newest_first'):
             chlist.reverse()
         count = 0
@@ -1011,7 +1011,7 @@
                 ret = min(ret, sub.outgoing(ui, dest, opts))
         return ret
 
-    limit = logcmdutil.getlimit(opts)
+    limit = logcmdutil.getlimit(ui, opts)
     o, other = _outgoing(ui, repo, dest, opts)
     if not o:
         cmdutil.outgoinghooks(ui, repo, other, opts, o)
diff --git a/mercurial/logcmdutil.py b/mercurial/logcmdutil.py
--- a/mercurial/logcmdutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/logcmdutil.py
@@ -38,9 +38,11 @@
     stringutil,
 )
 
-def getlimit(opts):
+def getlimit(ui, opts):
     """get the log limit according to option -l/--limit"""
     limit = opts.get('limit')
+    if not limit:
+        limit = ui.config('commands', 'log.limit')
     if limit:
         try:
             limit = int(limit)
@@ -698,7 +700,7 @@
     """
     follow = opts.get('follow') or opts.get('follow_first')
     followfirst = opts.get('follow_first')
-    limit = getlimit(opts)
+    limit = getlimit(repo.ui, opts)
     revs = _initialrevs(repo, opts)
     if not revs:
         return smartset.baseset(), None
@@ -905,7 +907,7 @@
                              % op.replace("_", "-"))
 
 def graphrevs(repo, nodes, opts):
-    limit = getlimit(opts)
+    limit = getlimit(repo.ui, opts)
     nodes.reverse()
     if limit is not None:
         nodes = nodes[:limit]
diff --git a/tests/test-log.t b/tests/test-log.t
--- a/tests/test-log.t
+++ b/tests/test-log.t
@@ -1826,6 +1826,54 @@
   date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
   summary:     add foo, related
   
+Testing the `commands.log.limit` config option
+
+  $ hg log --config commands.log.limit=4
+  changeset:   10:4dae8563d2c5
+  tag:         tip
+  parent:      9:7b35701b003e
+  parent:      4:88176d361b69
+  user:        test
+  date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  summary:     Last merge, related
+  
+  changeset:   9:7b35701b003e
+  parent:      8:e5416ad8a855
+  parent:      7:87fe3144dcfa
+  user:        test
+  date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  summary:     First merge, related
+  
+  changeset:   8:e5416ad8a855
+  parent:      6:dc6c325fe5ee
+  user:        test
+  date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  summary:     change foo in branch, related
+  
+  changeset:   7:87fe3144dcfa
+  user:        test
+  date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  summary:     change foo, related
+  
+  $ hg log --config commands.log.limit=-2
+  abort: limit must be positive
+  [255]
+  $ hg log --config commands.log.limit=0
+  abort: limit must be positive
+  [255]
+  $ hg log --config commands.log.limit='abc'
+  abort: limit must be a positive integer
+  [255]
+  $ hg log --config commands.log.limit=1
+  changeset:   10:4dae8563d2c5
+  tag:         tip
+  parent:      9:7b35701b003e
+  parent:      4:88176d361b69
+  user:        test
+  date:        Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+  summary:     Last merge, related
+  
+
   $ cd ..
 
 Issue2383: hg log showing _less_ differences than hg diff