diff --git a/packages/bsky/tests/views/__snapshots__/actor-search.test.ts.snap b/packages/bsky/tests/views/__snapshots__/actor-search.test.ts.snap
index a6990b60ed3..7e134968d0b 100644
--- a/packages/bsky/tests/views/__snapshots__/actor-search.test.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/bsky/tests/views/__snapshots__/actor-search.test.ts.snap
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ Array [
     "avatar": "https://bsky.public.url/img/avatar/plain/user(5)/cids(0)@jpeg",
     "did": "user(4)",
     "displayName": "Latoya Windler",
-    "handle": "carolina-mcdermott77.test",
+    "handle": "carolina-mcderm77.test",
     "indexedAt": "1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
     "labels": Array [],
     "viewer": Object {
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ Array [
     "avatar": "https://bsky.public.url/img/avatar/plain/user(5)/cids(0)@jpeg",
     "did": "user(4)",
     "displayName": "Latoya Windler",
-    "handle": "carolina-mcdermott77.test",
+    "handle": "carolina-mcderm77.test",
     "viewer": Object {
       "blockedBy": false,
       "muted": false,
diff --git a/packages/bsky/tests/views/actor-search.test.ts b/packages/bsky/tests/views/actor-search.test.ts
index e7c4390edc2..8a689af447c 100644
--- a/packages/bsky/tests/views/actor-search.test.ts
+++ b/packages/bsky/tests/views/actor-search.test.ts
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ describe.skip('pds actor search views', () => {
       'shane-torphy52.test', // Sadie Carter
       'aliya-hodkiewicz.test', // Carlton Abernathy IV
       'carlos6.test',
-      'carolina-mcdermott77.test',
+      'carolina-mcderm77.test',
     ]
 
     shouldContain.forEach((handle) => expect(handles).toContain(handle))
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ describe.skip('pds actor search views', () => {
       'shane-torphy52.test', // Sadie Carter
       'aliya-hodkiewicz.test', // Carlton Abernathy IV
       'carlos6.test',
-      'carolina-mcdermott77.test',
+      'carolina-mcderm77.test',
     ]
 
     shouldContain.forEach((handle) => expect(handles).toContain(handle))
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ describe.skip('pds actor search views', () => {
     )
     const handles = result.data.actors.map((u) => u.handle)
     expect(handles).toContain('carlos6.test')
-    expect(handles).toContain('carolina-mcdermott77.test')
+    expect(handles).toContain('carolina-mcderm77.test')
     expect(handles).not.toContain('cara-wiegand69.test')
   })
 })
diff --git a/packages/dev-env/src/seed/users-bulk.ts b/packages/dev-env/src/seed/users-bulk.ts
index 5a6cc42981b..1c0f4206e9a 100644
--- a/packages/dev-env/src/seed/users-bulk.ts
+++ b/packages/dev-env/src/seed/users-bulk.ts
@@ -98,14 +98,14 @@ const users = [
   { handle: 'kiana-schmitt39.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'rhianna-stamm29.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'tiara-mohr.test', displayName: null },
-  { handle: 'eleazar-balistreri70.test', displayName: 'Gordon Weissnat' },
+  { handle: 'eleazar-balist70.test', displayName: 'Gordon Weissnat' },
   { handle: 'bettie-bogisich96.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'lura-jacobi55.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'santa-hermann78.test', displayName: 'Melissa Johnson' },
   { handle: 'dylan61.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'ryley-kerluke.test', displayName: 'Alexander Purdy' },
   { handle: 'moises-bins8.test', displayName: null },
-  { handle: 'angelita-schaefer27.test', displayName: null },
+  { handle: 'angelita-schaef27.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'natasha83.test', displayName: 'Dean Romaguera' },
   { handle: 'sydni48.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'darrion91.test', displayName: 'Jeanette Weimann' },
@@ -182,10 +182,10 @@ const users = [
   { handle: 'melyna-zboncak.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'rowan-parisian.test', displayName: 'Mr. Veronica Feeney' },
   { handle: 'lois-blanda20.test', displayName: 'Todd Rolfson' },
-  { handle: 'turner-balistreri76.test', displayName: null },
+  { handle: 'turner-bali76.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'dee-hoppe65.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'nikko-rosenbaum60.test', displayName: 'Joann Gutmann' },
-  { handle: 'cornell-romaguera53.test', displayName: null },
+  { handle: 'cornell-rom53.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'zack3.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'fredrick41.test', displayName: 'Julius Kreiger' },
   { handle: 'elwyn62.test', displayName: null },
@@ -223,6 +223,6 @@ const users = [
   { handle: 'nayeli-koss73.test', displayName: 'Johnny Lang' },
   { handle: 'cara-wiegand69.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'gideon-ohara51.test', displayName: null },
-  { handle: 'carolina-mcdermott77.test', displayName: 'Latoya Windler' },
+  { handle: 'carolina-mcderm77.test', displayName: 'Latoya Windler' },
   { handle: 'danyka90.test', displayName: 'Hope Kub' },
 ]
diff --git a/packages/ozone/tests/repo-search.test.ts b/packages/ozone/tests/repo-search.test.ts
index 717dc2a389e..93fb0577bb3 100644
--- a/packages/ozone/tests/repo-search.test.ts
+++ b/packages/ozone/tests/repo-search.test.ts
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ describe('admin repo search view', () => {
     const shouldContain = [
       'cara-wiegand69.test', // Present despite repo takedown
       'carlos6.test',
-      'carolina-mcdermott77.test',
+      'carolina-mcderm77.test',
     ]
 
     shouldContain.forEach((handle) => expect(handles).toContain(handle))
diff --git a/packages/pds/src/handle/index.ts b/packages/pds/src/handle/index.ts
index ec531fcc80f..7f9859c8715 100644
--- a/packages/pds/src/handle/index.ts
+++ b/packages/pds/src/handle/index.ts
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ export const ensureHandleServiceConstraints = (
   if (front.length < 3) {
     throw new InvalidRequestError('Handle too short', 'InvalidHandle')
   }
-  if (handle.length > 30) {
+  if (front.length > 18) {
     throw new InvalidRequestError('Handle too long', 'InvalidHandle')
   }
   if (!allowReserved && reservedSubdomains[front]) {
diff --git a/packages/pds/tests/handle-validation.test.ts b/packages/pds/tests/handle-validation.test.ts
index c39f7db18de..a3565d4d314 100644
--- a/packages/pds/tests/handle-validation.test.ts
+++ b/packages/pds/tests/handle-validation.test.ts
@@ -25,4 +25,32 @@ describe('handle validation', () => {
     expect(isValidTld('atproto.onion')).toBe(false)
     expect(isValidTld('atproto.internal')).toBe(false)
   })
+
+  it('validates handle length', () => {
+    const domains = [
+      '.loooooooooooooooooong-pds-over18chars.mybsky.mydomain.com',
+      '.test',
+    ]
+    const expectThrow = (handle: string, err: string) => {
+      expect(() => ensureHandleServiceConstraints(handle, domains)).toThrow(err)
+    }
+    const expectNotThrow = (handle: string, memo: string) => {
+      expect(() =>
+        ensureHandleServiceConstraints(handle, domains),
+      ).not.toThrow()
+    }
+    expectThrow('usernamepartover18c.test', 'Handle too long')
+    expectNotThrow(
+      'u23456789012345678.test',
+      'safe up to 18 chars in first segment of the handle',
+    )
+    expectThrow(
+      'usernamepartover18c.loooooooooooooooooong-pds-over18chars.mybsky.mydomain.com',
+      'Handle too long',
+    )
+    expectNotThrow(
+      'u23456789012345678.loooooooooooooooooong-pds-over18chars.mybsky.mydomain.com',
+      'safe long domain in the handle',
+    )
+  })
 })
diff --git a/packages/pds/tests/seeds/users-bulk.ts b/packages/pds/tests/seeds/users-bulk.ts
index ec4e4b5a6f7..b7e3f9539f2 100644
--- a/packages/pds/tests/seeds/users-bulk.ts
+++ b/packages/pds/tests/seeds/users-bulk.ts
@@ -115,14 +115,14 @@ const users = [
   { handle: 'kiana-schmitt39.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'rhianna-stamm29.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'tiara-mohr.test', displayName: null },
-  { handle: 'eleazar-balistreri70.test', displayName: 'Gordon Weissnat' },
+  { handle: 'eleazar-balist70.test', displayName: 'Gordon Weissnat' },
   { handle: 'bettie-bogisich96.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'lura-jacobi55.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'santa-hermann78.test', displayName: 'Melissa Johnson' },
   { handle: 'dylan61.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'ryley-kerluke.test', displayName: 'Alexander Purdy' },
   { handle: 'moises-bins8.test', displayName: null },
-  { handle: 'angelita-schaefer27.test', displayName: null },
+  { handle: 'angelita-schaef27.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'natasha83.test', displayName: 'Dean Romaguera' },
   { handle: 'sydni48.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'darrion91.test', displayName: 'Jeanette Weimann' },
@@ -199,10 +199,10 @@ const users = [
   { handle: 'melyna-zboncak.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'rowan-parisian.test', displayName: 'Mr. Veronica Feeney' },
   { handle: 'lois-blanda20.test', displayName: 'Todd Rolfson' },
-  { handle: 'turner-balistreri76.test', displayName: null },
+  { handle: 'turner-bali76.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'dee-hoppe65.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'nikko-rosenbaum60.test', displayName: 'Joann Gutmann' },
-  { handle: 'cornell-romaguera53.test', displayName: null },
+  { handle: 'cornell-rom53.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'zack3.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'fredrick41.test', displayName: 'Julius Kreiger' },
   { handle: 'elwyn62.test', displayName: null },
@@ -240,6 +240,6 @@ const users = [
   { handle: 'nayeli-koss73.test', displayName: 'Johnny Lang' },
   { handle: 'cara-wiegand69.test', displayName: null },
   { handle: 'gideon-ohara51.test', displayName: null },
-  { handle: 'carolina-mcdermott77.test', displayName: 'Latoya Windler' },
+  { handle: 'carolina-mcderm77.test', displayName: 'Latoya Windler' },
   { handle: 'danyka90.test', displayName: 'Hope Kub' },
 ]