diff --git a/query/vector/vector_test.go b/query/vector/vector_test.go
index ba1b62bd680..4d578214a55 100644
--- a/query/vector/vector_test.go
+++ b/query/vector/vector_test.go
@@ -485,6 +485,63 @@ func TestSimilarToOptionsIntegration(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+// TestSimilarToNonPositiveNeighbors is the end-to-end guard for a crash reachable
+// from an unvalidated similar_to number-of-neighbors argument. A count <= 0 used to
+// panic the query goroutine and take down the Alpha; the worker/task.go boundary
+// check must now turn it into an ordinary query error while the server keeps serving.
+func TestSimilarToNonPositiveNeighbors(t *testing.T) {
+	const pred = "vnonpos"
+	dropPredicate(pred)
+	t.Cleanup(func() { dropPredicate(pred) })
+
+	setSchema(fmt.Sprintf(vectorSchemaWithIndex, pred, "4", "euclidean"))
+
+	rdf := `<0x1> <vnonpos> "[0,0]" .
+	<0x2> <vnonpos> "[1,0]" .
+	<0x3> <vnonpos> "[2,0]" .`
+	require.NoError(t, addTriplesToCluster(rdf))
+
+	// Both k=0 and k=-1 parse fine through DQL, so they reach the worker guard.
+	for _, k := range []int{0, -1} {
+		query := fmt.Sprintf(`{
+			results(func: similar_to(%s, %d, "[0,0]")) {
+				uid
+			}
+		}`, pred, k)
+		_, err := processQuery(context.Background(), t, query)
+		require.Errorf(t, err, "similar_to with k=%d should return an error, not crash", k)
+		require.ErrorContains(t, err, "number of neighbors")
+	}
+
+	// The load-bearing assertion: a valid query after the bad ones must succeed.
+	// On the pre-fix code the first non-positive query panics and crashes the
+	// Alpha, so this only passes if the server stayed up.
+	query := fmt.Sprintf(`{
+		results(func: similar_to(%s, 3, "[0,0]")) {
+			uid
+		}
+	}`, pred)
+	resp := processQueryNoErr(t, query)
+
+	var result struct {
+		Data struct {
+			Results []struct {
+				UID string `json:"uid"`
+			} `json:"results"`
+		} `json:"data"`
+	}
+	require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal([]byte(resp), &result))
+	require.Len(t, result.Data.Results, 3)
+
+	expected := map[string]struct{}{"0x1": {}, "0x2": {}, "0x3": {}}
+	for _, r := range result.Data.Results {
+		_, ok := expected[r.UID]
+		require.Truef(t, ok, "unexpected uid %s", r.UID)
+		delete(expected, r.UID)
+	}
+	require.Empty(t, expected)
+}
+
 func TestVectorInQueryArgument(t *testing.T) {
 	dropPredicate("vtest")
 	setSchema(fmt.Sprintf(vectorSchemaWithIndex, "vtest", "4", "euclidean"))
diff --git a/tok/hnsw/persistent_hnsw.go b/tok/hnsw/persistent_hnsw.go
index 864e7e98637..01ca3265d53 100644
--- a/tok/hnsw/persistent_hnsw.go
+++ b/tok/hnsw/persistent_hnsw.go
@@ -512,6 +512,13 @@ func (ph *persistentHNSW[T]) SearchWithPath(
 	start := time.Now().UnixMilli()
 	r = index.NewSearchPathResult()
 
+	// Mirror the clamp already applied on the SearchWithOptions path: a negative
+	// maxResults must not reach the bottom-layer search, where it would drive a
+	// negative slice bound in addPathNode.
+	if maxResults < 0 {
+		maxResults = 0
+	}
+
 	// 0-profile_vector_entry
 	var startVec []T
 	entry, err := ph.PickStartNode(ctx, c, &startVec)
diff --git a/tok/hnsw/persistent_hnsw_test.go b/tok/hnsw/persistent_hnsw_test.go
index 9a221f50fcf..f7667deb261 100644
--- a/tok/hnsw/persistent_hnsw_test.go
+++ b/tok/hnsw/persistent_hnsw_test.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	c "github.com/dgraph-io/dgraph/v25/tok/constraints"
 	"github.com/dgraph-io/dgraph/v25/tok/index"
 	opt "github.com/dgraph-io/dgraph/v25/tok/options"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"golang.org/x/exp/slices"
 )
 
@@ -920,3 +921,30 @@ func TestSearchReturnsCorrectOrderForAllMetrics(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+// TestAddPathNodeNonPositiveMaxResults is a regression test for a crash reachable
+// from an unvalidated similar_to number-of-neighbors argument. A non-positive
+// maxResults made effectiveMaxLen negative and panicked addPathNode: a negative
+// slice bound (slr.neighbors[:-1]) for a negative value, and an empty-slice index
+// (slr.neighbors[0]) once the neighbors were truncated to zero. Both must now be
+// handled without panicking.
+func TestAddPathNodeNonPositiveMaxResults(t *testing.T) {
+	simType := GetSimType[float64](Euclidean, 64)
+	for _, maxResults := range []int{-1, 0} {
+		slr := newLayerResult[float64](0)
+		slr.setFirstPathNode(persistentHeapElement[float64]{value: 0.1, index: 1})
+
+		require.NotPanicsf(t, func() {
+			slr.addPathNode(persistentHeapElement[float64]{value: 0.2, index: 2}, simType, maxResults)
+		}, "addPathNode panicked with maxResults=%d", maxResults)
+
+		// A non-positive limit clamps effectiveMaxLen to 0, so the neighbor set
+		// truncates to empty and the bottom-of-path append is skipped. Pin that
+		// resulting state, not just the absence of a panic: neighbors is empty and
+		// the path is left exactly as setFirstPathNode set it.
+		require.Emptyf(t, slr.neighbors,
+			"neighbors should truncate to empty for maxResults=%d", maxResults)
+		require.Equalf(t, []uint64{1}, slr.path,
+			"path should be unchanged for maxResults=%d", maxResults)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tok/hnsw/search_layer.go b/tok/hnsw/search_layer.go
index c234b55f73c..ee829a8f50e 100644
--- a/tok/hnsw/search_layer.go
+++ b/tok/hnsw/search_layer.go
@@ -57,11 +57,16 @@ func (slr *searchLayerResult[T]) addPathNode(
 		slr.filtered++
 	}
 	effectiveMaxLen := maxResults + slr.filtered
+	// A non-positive maxResults would make effectiveMaxLen negative and panic the
+	// slice expression below; clamp it so the truncation degrades to an empty set.
+	if effectiveMaxLen < 0 {
+		effectiveMaxLen = 0
+	}
 	if len(slr.neighbors) > effectiveMaxLen {
 		slr.neighbors = slr.neighbors[:effectiveMaxLen]
 	}
 
-	if slr.neighbors[0].index == n.index {
+	if len(slr.neighbors) > 0 && slr.neighbors[0].index == n.index {
 		slr.path = append(slr.path, slr.neighbors[0].index)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/worker/task.go b/worker/task.go
index a59bff64fcc..8c42b7cd791 100644
--- a/worker/task.go
+++ b/worker/task.go
@@ -361,6 +361,10 @@ func (qs *queryState) handleValuePostings(ctx context.Context, args funcArgs) er
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("invalid value for number of neighbors: %s", q.SrcFunc.Args[0])
 		}
+		if numNeighbors < 1 {
+			return fmt.Errorf(
+				"invalid value for number of neighbors, must be a positive integer: %d", numNeighbors)
+		}
 		cspec, err := pickFactoryCreateSpec(ctx, args.q.Attr)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err