diff --git a/akka-actor-typed-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/typed/scaladsl/StashBufferSpec.scala b/akka-actor-typed-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/typed/scaladsl/StashBufferSpec.scala
index 27bd3ac4a8..f1af111dc1 100644
--- a/akka-actor-typed-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/typed/scaladsl/StashBufferSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-typed-tests/src/test/scala/akka/actor/typed/scaladsl/StashBufferSpec.scala
@@ -158,6 +158,41 @@ class StashBufferSpec extends WordSpec with Matchers {
       buffer.head should ===("m2")
     }
 
+    "unstash at most the number of messages in the buffer" in {
+      val buffer = StashBuffer[String](context, 10)
+      buffer.stash("m1")
+      buffer.stash("m2")
+      buffer.stash("m3")
+      buffer.stash("get")
+
+      val valueInbox = TestInbox[String]()
+      def behavior(state: String): Behavior[String] =
+        Behaviors.receive[String] { (_, message) =>
+          if (message == "get") {
+            valueInbox.ref ! state
+            Behaviors.same
+          } else if (message == "m2") {
+            buffer.stash("m4")
+            buffer.stash("get")
+            Behaviors.same
+          } else {
+            behavior(state + message)
+          }
+        }
+
+      // unstash will only process at most the number of messages in the buffer when
+      // the call is made, any newly added messages have to be processed by another
+      // unstash call.
+      val b2 = buffer.unstash(behavior(""), 20, identity)
+      valueInbox.expectMessage("m1m3")
+      buffer.size should ===(2)
+      buffer.head should ===("m4")
+
+      buffer.unstash(b2, 20, identity)
+      valueInbox.expectMessage("m1m3m4")
+      buffer.size should ===(0)
+    }
+
     "fail quick on invalid start behavior" in {
       val stash = StashBuffer[String](context, 10)
       stash.stash("one")
diff --git a/akka-actor-typed/src/main/scala/akka/actor/typed/internal/StashBufferImpl.scala b/akka-actor-typed/src/main/scala/akka/actor/typed/internal/StashBufferImpl.scala
index 3423a172c3..307372ae1e 100644
--- a/akka-actor-typed/src/main/scala/akka/actor/typed/internal/StashBufferImpl.scala
+++ b/akka-actor-typed/src/main/scala/akka/actor/typed/internal/StashBufferImpl.scala
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ import akka.util.{ unused, ConstantFun }
           unstashed(ctx, next)
           wrap(next.message)
         }
-      }.take(numberOfMessages)
+      }.take(math.min(numberOfMessages, size))
       interpretUnstashedMessages(behavior, ctx, iter)
     }
   }