diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/fj-11777-lower-search-count-limits.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/fj-11777-lower-search-count-limits.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..c284bc49bfc495b0392e7be8f296776f138cfd9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/fj-11777-lower-search-count-limits.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Lower search counters
+merge_request: 11777
+author:
+type: performance
diff --git a/lib/gitlab/search_results.rb b/lib/gitlab/search_results.rb
index ce4c1611687fdb9154061ffb83b5328c748bf59b..93e172299b957985a442fb1a2c24c34efc57b6b1 100644
--- a/lib/gitlab/search_results.rb
+++ b/lib/gitlab/search_results.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 
 module Gitlab
   class SearchResults
-    COUNT_LIMIT = 1001
+    COUNT_LIMIT = 101
+    COUNT_LIMIT_MESSAGE = "#{COUNT_LIMIT - 1}+"
 
     attr_reader :current_user, :query, :per_page
 
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ module Gitlab
 
     def formatted_limited_count(count)
       if count >= COUNT_LIMIT
-        "#{COUNT_LIMIT - 1}+"
+        COUNT_LIMIT_MESSAGE
       else
         count.to_s
       end
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/project_search_results_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/project_search_results_spec.rb
index 0dbfcf961249dd1454d9ac4dacedad1931d3c7b6..e0b9581c75ca6a7b79e9551e1ff34755ab161d1e 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/project_search_results_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/project_search_results_spec.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 require 'spec_helper'
 
 describe Gitlab::ProjectSearchResults do
+  include SearchHelpers
+
   let(:user) { create(:user) }
   let(:project) { create(:project) }
   let(:query) { 'hello world' }
@@ -31,10 +33,10 @@ describe Gitlab::ProjectSearchResults do
 
     where(:scope, :count_method, :expected) do
       'blobs'      | :blobs_count            | '1234'
-      'notes'      | :limited_notes_count    | '1000+'
+      'notes'      | :limited_notes_count    | max_limited_count
       'wiki_blobs' | :wiki_blobs_count       | '1234'
       'commits'    | :commits_count          | '1234'
-      'projects'   | :limited_projects_count | '1000+'
+      'projects'   | :limited_projects_count | max_limited_count
       'unknown'    | nil                     | nil
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/search_results_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/search_results_spec.rb
index 5621c686b8a3cff6e47755ab2d88e8232def0462..26cba53502db01d8cb1896964ad4ef79ba140375 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/search_results_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/search_results_spec.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ require 'spec_helper'
 
 describe Gitlab::SearchResults do
   include ProjectForksHelper
+  include SearchHelpers
 
   let(:user) { create(:user) }
   let!(:project) { create(:project, name: 'foo') }
@@ -35,11 +36,11 @@ describe Gitlab::SearchResults do
       using RSpec::Parameterized::TableSyntax
 
       where(:scope, :count_method, :expected) do
-        'projects'       | :limited_projects_count       | '1000+'
-        'issues'         | :limited_issues_count         | '1000+'
-        'merge_requests' | :limited_merge_requests_count | '1000+'
-        'milestones'     | :limited_milestones_count     | '1000+'
-        'users'          | :limited_users_count          | '1000+'
+        'projects'       | :limited_projects_count       | max_limited_count
+        'issues'         | :limited_issues_count         | max_limited_count
+        'merge_requests' | :limited_merge_requests_count | max_limited_count
+        'milestones'     | :limited_milestones_count     | max_limited_count
+        'users'          | :limited_users_count          | max_limited_count
         'unknown'        | nil                           | nil
       end
 
@@ -56,9 +57,9 @@ describe Gitlab::SearchResults do
 
       where(:count, :expected) do
         23   | '23'
-        1000 | '1000'
-        1001 | '1000+'
-        1234 | '1000+'
+        100  | '100'
+        101  | max_limited_count
+        1234 | max_limited_count
       end
 
       with_them do
diff --git a/spec/lib/gitlab/snippet_search_results_spec.rb b/spec/lib/gitlab/snippet_search_results_spec.rb
index 89d290aaa81a472fea4265ab40a3e60de07777c2..d3353b76c1551f3a3c2ec1833c76f5d2b70d3a19 100644
--- a/spec/lib/gitlab/snippet_search_results_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/gitlab/snippet_search_results_spec.rb
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 require 'spec_helper'
 
 describe Gitlab::SnippetSearchResults do
+  include SearchHelpers
+
   let!(:snippet) { create(:snippet, content: 'foo', file_name: 'foo') }
 
   let(:results) { described_class.new(Snippet.all, 'foo') }
@@ -25,7 +27,7 @@ describe Gitlab::SnippetSearchResults do
     where(:scope, :count_method, :expected) do
       'snippet_titles' | :snippet_titles_count   | '1234'
       'snippet_blobs'  | :snippet_blobs_count    | '1234'
-      'projects'       | :limited_projects_count | '1000+'
+      'projects'       | :limited_projects_count | max_limited_count
       'unknown'        | nil                     | nil
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/support/helpers/search_helpers.rb b/spec/support/helpers/search_helpers.rb
index 2cf3f4b83c4f6a4412ce42594223807ffc358331..d1d25fbabcdcfe231c2a00410ae1c9736bb68af6 100644
--- a/spec/support/helpers/search_helpers.rb
+++ b/spec/support/helpers/search_helpers.rb
@@ -19,4 +19,8 @@ module SearchHelpers
       click_link scope
     end
   end
+
+  def max_limited_count
+    Gitlab::SearchResults::COUNT_LIMIT_MESSAGE
+  end
 end