diff --git a/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoop.java b/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoop.java
index 21e768d9..53254aba 100644
--- a/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoop.java
+++ b/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoop.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import static de.cotto.lndmanagej.configuration.TopUpConfigurationSettings.SLEEP
 public class PaymentLoop {
     private static final int DEFAULT_MAX_RETRIES = 5;
     private static final int DEFAULT_SLEEP_MILLISECONDS = 500;
+    private static final int MAX_NUMBER_OF_LOOPS = 100;
 
     private static final Duration TIMEOUT = Duration.ofMinutes(5);
     private static final String TIMEOUT_MESSAGE =
@@ -93,7 +94,7 @@ public class PaymentLoop {
         private void start() {
             int loopIterationCounter = 0;
             int failureCounter = 0;
-            while (shouldContinue()) {
+            while (shouldContinue(loopIterationCounter)) {
                 loopIterationCounter++;
                 Coins residualAmount = totalAmountToSend.subtract(inFlight);
                 if (Coins.NONE.equals(residualAmount)) {
@@ -156,7 +157,11 @@ public class PaymentLoop {
             );
         }
 
-        private boolean shouldContinue() {
+        private boolean shouldContinue(int loopIterationCounter) {
+            if (loopIterationCounter >= MAX_NUMBER_OF_LOOPS) {
+                paymentStatus.failed("Failing after " + MAX_NUMBER_OF_LOOPS + " loop iterations.");
+                return false;
+            }
             updateInformation();
             if (!paymentStatus.isPending()) {
                 return false;
diff --git a/pickhardt-payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoopTest.java b/pickhardt-payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoopTest.java
index 8bc61dfe..3d986ab3 100644
--- a/pickhardt-payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoopTest.java
+++ b/pickhardt-payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoopTest.java
@@ -106,6 +106,20 @@ class PaymentLoopTest {
         verifyNoInteractions(grpcInvoices);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void fails_after_one_hundred_loop_iterations() {
+        when(multiPathPaymentSplitter.getMultiPathPaymentTo(any(), any(), any()))
+                .thenReturn(MULTI_PATH_PAYMENT);
+        paymentLoop.start(DECODED_PAYMENT_REQUEST, PAYMENT_OPTIONS, paymentStatus);
+
+        verify(multiPathPaymentSplitter, times(100)).getMultiPathPaymentTo(any(), any(), any());
+        SoftAssertions softly = new SoftAssertions();
+        softly.assertThat(paymentStatus.isFailure()).isTrue();
+        softly.assertThat(paymentStatus.getMessages().stream().map(InstantWithString::string))
+                .contains("Failing after 100 loop iterations.");
+        softly.assertAll();
+    }
+
     @Test
     void cancels_invoice_from_own_node() {
         when(grpcGetInfo.getPubkey()).thenReturn(DECODED_PAYMENT_REQUEST.destination());
@@ -139,7 +153,7 @@ class PaymentLoopTest {
     }
 
     @Test
-    void fails_after_configured_number_of_attempts() {
+    void fails_after_configured_number_of_retry_attempts() {
         when(configurationService.getIntegerValue(MAX_RETRIES_AFTER_FAILURE)).thenReturn(Optional.of(1));
         when(configurationService.getIntegerValue(SLEEP_AFTER_FAILURE_MILLISECONDS)).thenReturn(Optional.of(1));
         when(multiPathPaymentSplitter.getMultiPathPaymentTo(any(), any(), any())).thenReturn(MultiPathPayment.FAILURE);