diff --git a/src/v3/types.ts b/src/v3/types.ts
--- a/src/v3/types.ts
+++ b/src/v3/types.ts
@@ -2263,6 +2263,7 @@
           exact: true,
           message: def.exactLength.message,
         });
+        if (tooBig) return INVALID;
         status.dirty();
       }
     }
@@ -2291,7 +2292,7 @@
           exact: false,
           message: def.maxLength.message,
         });
-        status.dirty();
+        return INVALID;
       }
     }
 
@@ -3723,7 +3724,7 @@
           exact: false,
           message: def.maxSize.message,
         });
-        status.dirty();
+        return INVALID;
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/v3/types.js b/v3/types.js
--- a/v3/types.js
+++ b/v3/types.js
@@ -1769,6 +1769,7 @@
                     exact: true,
                     message: def.exactLength.message,
                 });
+                if (tooBig) return INVALID;
                 status.dirty();
             }
         }
@@ -1795,7 +1796,7 @@
                     exact: false,
                     message: def.maxLength.message,
                 });
-                status.dirty();
+                return INVALID;
             }
         }
         if (ctx.common.async) {
@@ -2814,7 +2815,7 @@
                     exact: false,
                     message: def.maxSize.message,
                 });
-                status.dirty();
+                return INVALID;
             }
         }
         const valueType = this._def.valueType;
diff --git a/v3/types.cjs b/v3/types.cjs
--- a/v3/types.cjs
+++ b/v3/types.cjs
@@ -1790,6 +1790,7 @@
                     exact: true,
                     message: def.exactLength.message,
                 });
+                if (tooBig) return parseUtil_js_1.INVALID;
                 status.dirty();
             }
         }
@@ -1816,7 +1817,7 @@
                     exact: false,
                     message: def.maxLength.message,
                 });
-                status.dirty();
+                return parseUtil_js_1.INVALID;
             }
         }
         if (ctx.common.async) {
@@ -2843,7 +2844,7 @@
                     exact: false,
                     message: def.maxSize.message,
                 });
-                status.dirty();
+                return parseUtil_js_1.INVALID;
             }
         }
         const valueType = this._def.valueType;
diff --git a/src/v4/core/schemas.ts b/src/v4/core/schemas.ts
--- a/src/v4/core/schemas.ts
+++ b/src/v4/core/schemas.ts
@@ -242,6 +242,26 @@
     };
 
     inst._zod.run = (payload, ctx) => {
+      const value = payload.value;
+      const size = def.type === "array" && Array.isArray(value) ? value.length
+        : (def.type === "map" && value instanceof Map) || (def.type === "set" && value instanceof Set) ? value.size : -1;
+      if (size >= 0) {
+        for (const ch of checks) {
+          const checkDef = ch._zod.def;
+          if (!["min_length", "max_length", "length_equals", "min_size", "max_size", "size_equals"].includes(checkDef.check)) break;
+          const maximum = "maximum" in checkDef ? checkDef.maximum
+            : "length" in checkDef ? checkDef.length : "size" in checkDef ? checkDef.size : undefined;
+          if (typeof maximum === "number" && size > maximum && (!checkDef.when || checkDef.when(payload))) {
+            const start = payload.issues.length;
+            // SAFETY: Built-in size checks run only after the matching collection type guard.
+      ch._zod.check(payload as ParsePayload<never>);
+            for (let i = start; i < payload.issues.length; i++) {
+              payload.issues[i] = { ...payload.issues[i], continue: false };
+            }
+            return payload;
+          }
+        }
+      }
       const result = inst._zod.parse(payload, ctx);
 
       if (result instanceof Promise) {
diff --git a/v4/core/schemas.js b/v4/core/schemas.js
--- a/v4/core/schemas.js
+++ b/v4/core/schemas.js
@@ -74,6 +74,25 @@
             return payload;
         };
         inst._zod.run = (payload, ctx) => {
+            const value = payload.value;
+            const size = def.type === "array" && Array.isArray(value) ? value.length
+              : (def.type === "map" && value instanceof Map) || (def.type === "set" && value instanceof Set) ? value.size : -1;
+            if (size >= 0) {
+              for (const ch of checks) {
+                const checkDef = ch._zod.def;
+                if (!["min_length", "max_length", "length_equals", "min_size", "max_size", "size_equals"].includes(checkDef.check)) break;
+                const maximum = "maximum" in checkDef ? checkDef.maximum
+                  : "length" in checkDef ? checkDef.length : "size" in checkDef ? checkDef.size : undefined;
+                if (typeof maximum === "number" && size > maximum && (!checkDef.when || checkDef.when(payload))) {
+                  const start = payload.issues.length;
+                  ch._zod.check(payload);
+                  for (let i = start; i < payload.issues.length; i++) {
+                    payload.issues[i] = { ...payload.issues[i], continue: false };
+                  }
+                  return payload;
+                }
+              }
+            }
             const result = inst._zod.parse(payload, ctx);
             if (result instanceof Promise) {
                 if (ctx.async === false)
diff --git a/v4/core/schemas.cjs b/v4/core/schemas.cjs
--- a/v4/core/schemas.cjs
+++ b/v4/core/schemas.cjs
@@ -104,6 +104,25 @@
             return payload;
         };
         inst._zod.run = (payload, ctx) => {
+            const value = payload.value;
+            const size = def.type === "array" && Array.isArray(value) ? value.length
+              : (def.type === "map" && value instanceof Map) || (def.type === "set" && value instanceof Set) ? value.size : -1;
+            if (size >= 0) {
+              for (const ch of checks) {
+                const checkDef = ch._zod.def;
+                if (!["min_length", "max_length", "length_equals", "min_size", "max_size", "size_equals"].includes(checkDef.check)) break;
+                const maximum = "maximum" in checkDef ? checkDef.maximum
+                  : "length" in checkDef ? checkDef.length : "size" in checkDef ? checkDef.size : undefined;
+                if (typeof maximum === "number" && size > maximum && (!checkDef.when || checkDef.when(payload))) {
+                  const start = payload.issues.length;
+                  ch._zod.check(payload);
+                  for (let i = start; i < payload.issues.length; i++) {
+                    payload.issues[i] = { ...payload.issues[i], continue: false };
+                  }
+                  return payload;
+                }
+              }
+            }
             const result = inst._zod.parse(payload, ctx);
             if (result instanceof Promise) {
                 if (ctx.async === false)