diff --git a/api/api/controllers/search_controller.py b/api/api/controllers/search_controller.py
index 414b8ebcc4..5da859f102 100644
--- a/api/api/controllers/search_controller.py
+++ b/api/api/controllers/search_controller.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import logging
 import logging as log
 from math import ceil
 from typing import Literal
@@ -7,6 +8,7 @@
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.cache import cache
 
+from decouple import config
 from elasticsearch.exceptions import NotFoundError
 from elasticsearch_dsl import Q, Search
 from elasticsearch_dsl.query import EMPTY_QUERY
@@ -28,6 +30,10 @@
 from api.utils.search_context import SearchContext
 
 
+module_logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+NESTING_THRESHOLD = config("POST_PROCESS_NESTING_THRESHOLD", cast=int, default=5)
 SOURCE_CACHE_TIMEOUT = 60 * 60 * 4  # 4 hours
 FILTER_CACHE_TIMEOUT = 30
 THUMBNAIL = "thumbnail"
@@ -49,7 +55,7 @@ def _quote_escape(query_string):
 
 
 def _post_process_results(
-    s, start, end, page_size, search_results, filter_dead
+    s, start, end, page_size, search_results, filter_dead, nesting=0
 ) -> list[Hit] | None:
     """
     Perform some steps on results fetched from the backend.
@@ -66,17 +72,26 @@ def _post_process_results(
     :param search_results: The Elasticsearch response object containing search
     results.
     :param filter_dead: Whether images should be validated.
+    :param nesting: the level of nesting at which this function is being called
     :return: List of results.
     """
-    results = []
-    to_validate = []
-    for res in search_results:
-        if hasattr(res.meta, "highlight"):
-            res.fields_matched = dir(res.meta.highlight)
-        to_validate.append(res.url)
-        results.append(res)
+
+    logger = module_logger.getChild("_post_process_results")
+    if nesting > NESTING_THRESHOLD:
+        logger.info(
+            {
+                "message": "Nesting threshold breached",
+                "nesting": nesting,
+                "start": start,
+                "end": end,
+                "page_size": page_size,
+            }
+        )
+
+    results = list(search_results)
 
     if filter_dead:
+        to_validate = [res.url for res in search_results]
         query_hash = get_query_hash(s)
         check_dead_links(query_hash, start, results, to_validate)
 
@@ -130,7 +145,7 @@ def _post_process_results(
             search_response = get_es_response(s, es_query="postprocess_search")
 
             return _post_process_results(
-                s, start, end, page_size, search_response, filter_dead
+                s, start, end, page_size, search_response, filter_dead, nesting + 1
             )
 
     return results[:page_size]
diff --git a/api/api/views/media_views.py b/api/api/views/media_views.py
index 20aebf8ef4..1e5eae4327 100644
--- a/api/api/views/media_views.py
+++ b/api/api/views/media_views.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ def get_db_results(self, results):
         results = list(self.get_queryset().filter(identifier__in=identifiers))
         results.sort(key=lambda x: identifiers.index(str(x.identifier)))
         for result, hit in zip(results, hits):
-            result.fields_matched = getattr(hit, "fields_matched", None)
+            result.fields_matched = getattr(hit.meta, "highlight", None)
 
         return results
 
diff --git a/api/test/unit/controllers/test_search_controller.py b/api/test/unit/controllers/test_search_controller.py
index 43318fa481..b344a1074d 100644
--- a/api/test/unit/controllers/test_search_controller.py
+++ b/api/test/unit/controllers/test_search_controller.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import logging
 import random
 import re
 from collections.abc import Callable
@@ -760,3 +761,37 @@ def test_post_process_results_recurses_as_needed(
     }
 
     assert wrapped_post_process_results.call_count == 2
+
+
+@mock.patch(
+    "api.controllers.search_controller.check_dead_links",
+)
+def test_excessive_recursion_in_post_process(
+    mock_check_dead_links,
+    image_media_type_config,
+    redis,
+    caplog,
+):
+    def _delete_all_results_but_first(_, __, results, ___):
+        results[1:] = []
+
+    mock_check_dead_links.side_effect = _delete_all_results_but_first
+
+    serializer = image_media_type_config.search_request_serializer(
+        # This query string does not matter, ultimately, as pook is mocking
+        # the ES response regardless of the input
+        data={"q": "bird perched"}
+    )
+    serializer.is_valid()
+
+    with caplog.at_level(logging.INFO):
+        results, _, _, _ = search_controller.search(
+            search_params=serializer,
+            ip=0,
+            origin_index=image_media_type_config.origin_index,
+            exact_index=True,
+            page=1,
+            page_size=2,
+            filter_dead=True,
+        )
+    assert "Nesting threshold breached" in caplog.text
diff --git a/api/test/unit/views/test_media_views.py b/api/test/unit/views/test_media_views.py
index c34ea0b91e..b94e309d16 100644
--- a/api/test/unit/views/test_media_views.py
+++ b/api/test/unit/views/test_media_views.py
@@ -11,8 +11,15 @@
 @pytest.mark.django_db
 def test_list_query_count(api_client, media_type_config):
     num_results = 20
+
+    # Since controller returns a list of ``Hit``s, not model instances, we must
+    # set the ``meta`` param on each of them to match the shape of ``Hit``.
+    results = media_type_config.model_factory.create_batch(size=num_results)
+    for result in results:
+        result.meta = None
+
     controller_ret = (
-        media_type_config.model_factory.create_batch(size=num_results),  # results
+        results,
         1,  # num_pages
         num_results,
         {},  # search_context