diff --git a/.github/scripts/pull-request-dashboard/dashboard.py b/.github/scripts/pull-request-dashboard/dashboard.py
index 336b9e10..52f401fe 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/pull-request-dashboard/dashboard.py
+++ b/.github/scripts/pull-request-dashboard/dashboard.py
@@ -1073,6 +1073,8 @@ def update_dashboard(args: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
     md = render_pr_tables(
         prs,
         calculation.results,
+        max_rows_per_section=args.max_rows_per_section or None,
+        skip_drafts=args.skip_drafts,
     )
     output_path = dashboard_markdown_path()
     output_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
@@ -1121,9 +1123,22 @@ def main() -> int:
         help="minimum non-bot approvals needed before a PR can route to maintainers",
     )
     parser.add_argument("--model", default=DEFAULT_MODEL, help=f"copilot model (default: {DEFAULT_MODEL})")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--max-rows-per-section",
+        type=int,
+        default=0,
+        help="cap rows per section in the rendered dashboard (0 = no limit)",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--skip-drafts",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="omit the Draft pull requests section from the rendered dashboard",
+    )
     args = parser.parse_args()
     if args.required_approvals < 1:
         parser.error("--required-approvals must be at least 1")
+    if args.max_rows_per_section < 0:
+        parser.error("--max-rows-per-section must be zero or positive")
     with state_branch.temporary_state_dir() as state_dir:
         repo_key = repo_state_key(args.repo) if args.repo else repo_state_key(detect_repo())
         set_state_dir(state_dir / repo_key)
diff --git a/.github/scripts/pull-request-dashboard/render.py b/.github/scripts/pull-request-dashboard/render.py
index 12466576..19bd216e 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/pull-request-dashboard/render.py
+++ b/.github/scripts/pull-request-dashboard/render.py
@@ -33,11 +33,26 @@ def _md_escape(s: str) -> str:
     )
 
 
-def render_draft_pr_section(prs: list[dict[str, Any]]) -> list[str]:
+def _limit_rows(rows: list[Any], max_rows: int | None) -> tuple[list[Any], int]:
+    if max_rows is None or max_rows <= 0 or len(rows) <= max_rows:
+        return rows, 0
+    return rows[:max_rows], len(rows) - max_rows
+
+
+def _truncation_note(count: int) -> str:
+    plural = "PR" if count == 1 else "PRs"
+    return f"_More {count} {plural} not shown_"
+
+
+def render_draft_pr_section(
+    prs: list[dict[str, Any]],
+    max_rows_per_section: int | None = None,
+) -> list[str]:
     drafts = [p for p in prs if p.get("isDraft")]
     if not drafts:
         return []
     drafts.sort(key=lambda p: p.get("updatedAt") or "")
+    drafts, truncated = _limit_rows(drafts, max_rows_per_section)
     lines = ["## Draft pull requests", ""]
     lines.append("| PR | Author | Updated |")
     lines.append("|---|---|:---:|")
@@ -49,6 +64,9 @@ def render_draft_pr_section(prs: list[dict[str, Any]]) -> list[str]:
         updated = activity_age(parse_ts(pr.get("updatedAt") or ""))
         lines.append(f"| [{title} (#{number})]({url}) | {author} | {updated} |")
     lines.append("")
+    if truncated:
+        lines.append(_truncation_note(truncated))
+        lines.append("")
     return lines
 
 
@@ -159,7 +177,12 @@ def render_diagnostics_section(results: dict[int, dict[str, Any]]) -> list[str]:
     ]
 
 
-def render_pr_tables(prs: list[dict[str, Any]], results: dict[int, dict[str, Any]]) -> str:
+def render_pr_tables(
+    prs: list[dict[str, Any]],
+    results: dict[int, dict[str, Any]],
+    max_rows_per_section: int | None = None,
+    skip_drafts: bool = False,
+) -> str:
     source_url = "https://github.com/open-telemetry/shared-workflows/blob/main/.github/scripts/pull-request-dashboard/dashboard.py"
     refresh_url = "https://github.com/open-telemetry/shared-workflows/actions/workflows/pull-request-dashboard.yml"
     grouping_note = (
@@ -200,6 +223,7 @@ def row_sort_key(pr: dict[str, Any]) -> tuple[int, int]:
         if not rows:
             continue
         rows.sort(key=row_sort_key, reverse=True)
+        rows, truncated = _limit_rows(rows, max_rows_per_section)
         out.append(f"## {ROUTE_LABELS.get(route, route)}")
         out.append("")
         out.append("| PR | Author | Reviewers | CI | Conflicts | Age |")
@@ -219,8 +243,12 @@ def row_sort_key(pr: dict[str, Any]) -> tuple[int, int]:
                 f"{conflicts_cell(facts)} | {activity_cell} |"
             )
         out.append("")
+        if truncated:
+            out.append(_truncation_note(truncated))
+            out.append("")
 
-    out.extend(render_draft_pr_section(prs))
+    if not skip_drafts:
+        out.extend(render_draft_pr_section(prs, max_rows_per_section))
     out.extend(render_diagnostics_section(results))
     out.append(f"_Approvers may [force a refresh]({refresh_url})._")
     out.append("")
diff --git a/.github/scripts/pull-request-dashboard/repositories.json b/.github/scripts/pull-request-dashboard/repositories.json
index b03bd15f..02aad753 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/pull-request-dashboard/repositories.json
+++ b/.github/scripts/pull-request-dashboard/repositories.json
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
     "name": "opentelemetry-collector-contrib",
     "approver_teams": ["collector-contrib-approvers"],
     "slack_channel": "",
-    "slack_user_mapping": {}
+    "slack_user_mapping": {},
+    "max_rows_per_section": 50,
+    "skip_drafts": true
   },
   {
     "name": "opentelemetry-java",
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pull-request-dashboard-repo.yml b/.github/workflows/pull-request-dashboard-repo.yml
index 2284f43f..4e489508 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pull-request-dashboard-repo.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pull-request-dashboard-repo.yml
@@ -38,6 +38,14 @@ on:
         required: false
         default: "{}"
         type: string
+      max_rows_per_section:
+        required: false
+        default: 0
+        type: number
+      skip_drafts:
+        required: false
+        default: false
+        type: boolean
     secrets:
       PR_DASHBOARD_PRIVATE_KEY:
         required: true
@@ -189,6 +197,8 @@ jobs:
           REPO_NAME: ${{ inputs.repository }}
           REQUIRED_APPROVALS: ${{ inputs.required_approvals }}
           APPROVER_TEAMS_JSON: ${{ inputs.approver_teams_json }}
+          MAX_ROWS_PER_SECTION: ${{ inputs.max_rows_per_section }}
+          SKIP_DRAFTS: ${{ inputs.skip_drafts }}
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
           dashboard_args=(--state-branch "$DASHBOARD_STATE_BRANCH" --repo "$REPO_NAME")
@@ -199,6 +209,12 @@ jobs:
           if [[ -n "${TRIGGER_PR_NUMBER:-}" ]]; then
             dashboard_args+=(--pr-number "$TRIGGER_PR_NUMBER")
           fi
+          if [[ "${MAX_ROWS_PER_SECTION:-0}" -gt 0 ]]; then
+            dashboard_args+=(--max-rows-per-section "$MAX_ROWS_PER_SECTION")
+          fi
+          if [[ "${SKIP_DRAFTS:-false}" == "true" ]]; then
+            dashboard_args+=(--skip-drafts)
+          fi
           python3 .github/scripts/pull-request-dashboard/dashboard.py "${dashboard_args[@]}"
 
   notify-slack:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pull-request-dashboard.yml b/.github/workflows/pull-request-dashboard.yml
index 49163ebf..6f87c4bf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pull-request-dashboard.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pull-request-dashboard.yml
@@ -177,6 +177,8 @@ jobs:
       approver_teams_json: ${{ toJSON(matrix.approver_teams || fromJSON('[]')) }}
       slack_channel: ${{ matrix.slack_channel }}
       slack_user_mapping_json: ${{ toJSON(matrix.slack_user_mapping || fromJSON('{}')) }}
+      max_rows_per_section: ${{ matrix.max_rows_per_section || 0 }}
+      skip_drafts: ${{ matrix.skip_drafts || false }}
     secrets:
       PR_DASHBOARD_PRIVATE_KEY: ${{ secrets.PR_DASHBOARD_PRIVATE_KEY }}
       COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/pull-request-dashboard/README.md b/pull-request-dashboard/README.md
index b67706fb..e31e8cfd 100644
--- a/pull-request-dashboard/README.md
+++ b/pull-request-dashboard/README.md
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ Fields:
 | `required_approvals` | yes | Number of approvals required for an open PR to be marked ready to merge. |
 | `slack_channel` | no | Slack channel for notifications. Omit to skip Slack processing for this repository. |
 | `slack_user_mapping` | no | Map of GitHub login to Slack user ID for at-mentions. |
+| `max_rows_per_section` | no | Cap on rows rendered per group section (and for drafts) in the dashboard issue body. Rows past the cap are dropped and replaced with a `_More X PRs not shown_` note. Omit for no cap. Needed for very large repos where the full dashboard exceeds GitHub's 65,536-character issue-body limit. |
+| `skip_drafts` | no | If `true`, omit the *Draft pull requests* section from the dashboard body entirely. Defaults to `false` (drafts are shown). Useful for very large repos where drafts add significant size without triage value. |
 
 Ask a maintainer or admin to add the repository under [Repository access](https://github.com/organizations/open-telemetry/settings/installations/133550497).