diff --git a/torba/tests/client_tests/unit/test_database.py b/torba/tests/client_tests/unit/test_database.py
index b82d0d487..240933cc0 100644
--- a/torba/tests/client_tests/unit/test_database.py
+++ b/torba/tests/client_tests/unit/test_database.py
@@ -235,10 +235,20 @@ class TestQueries(AsyncioTestCase):
 
         self.ledger.db.db.execute_fetchall = check_parameters_length
         account = await self.create_account()
-        tx = await self.create_tx_from_nothing(account, 1)
-        for _ in range(1200):
-            tx = await self.create_tx_from_txo(tx.outputs[0], account, 1)
-        await self.ledger.db.get_transactions()
+        tx = await self.create_tx_from_nothing(account, 0)
+        for height in range(1200):
+            tx = await self.create_tx_from_txo(tx.outputs[0], account, height=height)
+        variable_limit = self.ledger.db.MAX_QUERY_VARIABLES
+        for limit in range(variable_limit-2, variable_limit+2):
+            txs = await self.ledger.db.get_transactions(limit=limit, order_by='height asc')
+            self.assertEqual(len(txs), limit)
+            inputs, outputs, last_tx = set(), set(), txs[0]
+            for tx in txs[1:]:
+                self.assertEqual(len(tx.inputs), 1)
+                self.assertEqual(tx.inputs[0].txo_ref.tx_ref.id, last_tx.id)
+                self.assertEqual(len(tx.outputs), 1)
+                last_tx = tx
+
 
     async def test_queries(self):
         self.assertEqual(0, await self.ledger.db.get_address_count())
diff --git a/torba/torba/client/basedatabase.py b/torba/torba/client/basedatabase.py
index 24b71a616..b050f5d6e 100644
--- a/torba/torba/client/basedatabase.py
+++ b/torba/torba/client/basedatabase.py
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ def rows_to_dict(rows, fields):
 class SQLiteMixin:
 
     CREATE_TABLES_QUERY: str
+    MAX_QUERY_VARIABLES = 900
 
     def __init__(self, path):
         self._db_path = path
@@ -396,7 +397,7 @@ class BaseDatabase(SQLiteMixin):
 
         tx_rows = await self.select_transactions(
             'txid, raw, height, position, is_verified',
-            order_by=["height=0 DESC", "height DESC", "position DESC"],
+            order_by=constraints.pop('order_by', ["height=0 DESC", "height DESC", "position DESC"]),
             **constraints
         )
 
@@ -412,23 +413,24 @@ class BaseDatabase(SQLiteMixin):
             for txi in txs[-1].inputs:
                 txi_txoids.append(txi.txo_ref.id)
 
+        step = self.MAX_QUERY_VARIABLES
         annotated_txos = {}
-        for offset in range(0, len(txids), 900):
+        for offset in range(0, len(txids), step):
             annotated_txos.update({
                 txo.id: txo for txo in
                 (await self.get_txos(
                     my_account=my_account,
-                    txid__in=txids[offset:offset+900],
+                    txid__in=txids[offset:offset+step],
                 ))
             })
 
         referenced_txos = {}
-        for offset in range(0, len(txi_txoids), 900):
+        for offset in range(0, len(txi_txoids), step):
             referenced_txos.update({
                 txo.id: txo for txo in
                 (await self.get_txos(
                     my_account=my_account,
-                    txoid__in=txi_txoids[offset:offset+900],
+                    txoid__in=txi_txoids[offset:offset+step],
                 ))
             })