diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index eaec257..508b273 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -222,6 +222,7 @@ dispatch stats
 dispatch stats --json
 dispatch stats --calendar
 dispatch stats --repo jongio/dispatch --since 2026-01-01
+dispatch stats --top 5
 ```
 
 Flags:
@@ -229,6 +230,7 @@ Flags:
 - `--json` prints the summary as a single JSON object.
 - `--calendar` adds a GitHub-style activity heatmap of sessions per day, with an intensity legend. It honors the `--repo`, `--branch`, `--since`, and `--until` filters.
 - `--repo`, `--branch`, `--folder`, `--since`, and `--until` narrow which sessions are counted.
+- `--top <n>` caps each repository, branch, and host breakdown to the first N entries.
 
 ### Tags
 
diff --git a/cmd/dispatch/main.go b/cmd/dispatch/main.go
index e6833e7..87d1006 100644
--- a/cmd/dispatch/main.go
+++ b/cmd/dispatch/main.go
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ Stats flags:
   --folder <path>         Only count sessions under a folder
   --since <date>          Only count sessions created on or after a date
   --until <date>          Only count sessions created on or before a date
+  --top <n>               Limit each breakdown to the top N entries
 
 Search flags:
   --json                  Print results as JSON (default)
diff --git a/cmd/dispatch/main_test.go b/cmd/dispatch/main_test.go
index 08e19a2..c76a10e 100644
--- a/cmd/dispatch/main_test.go
+++ b/cmd/dispatch/main_test.go
@@ -457,13 +457,18 @@ func TestPrintUsage_Output(t *testing.T) {
 	origStdout := os.Stdout
 	os.Stdout = w
 
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	readDone := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		_, _ = io.Copy(&buf, r)
+		close(readDone)
+	}()
+
 	printUsage()
 
 	w.Close()
 	os.Stdout = origStdout
-
-	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	_, _ = io.Copy(&buf, r)
+	<-readDone
 
 	output := buf.String()
 	for _, want := range []string{"dispatch", "help", "version", "update", "--demo"} {
diff --git a/cmd/dispatch/stats.go b/cmd/dispatch/stats.go
index 7c0bad4..73a6d00 100644
--- a/cmd/dispatch/stats.go
+++ b/cmd/dispatch/stats.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"sort"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ type statsOptions struct {
 	filter   data.FilterOptions
 	json     bool
 	calendar bool
+	top      int
 }
 
 // countEntry is one label and count pair in a grouped breakdown.
@@ -83,6 +85,7 @@ func runStats(w io.Writer, args []string) error {
 		cal := buildActivityCalendar(sessions)
 		report.Calendar = &cal
 	}
+	applyStatsTopLimit(&report, opts.top)
 	if opts.json {
 		return writeStatsJSON(w, report)
 	}
@@ -122,6 +125,17 @@ func parseStatsArgs(args []string) (statsOptions, error) {
 			opts.json = true
 		case name == "--calendar":
 			opts.calendar = true
+		case name == "--top":
+			v, ni, err := takeValue(i, "--top", inlineOrEmpty(inline, hasInline))
+			if err != nil {
+				return statsOptions{}, err
+			}
+			top, err := parseStatsTop(v)
+			if err != nil {
+				return statsOptions{}, err
+			}
+			opts.top = top
+			i = ni
 		case name == "--repo" || name == "--repository":
 			v, ni, err := takeValue(i, "--repo", inlineOrEmpty(inline, hasInline))
 			if err != nil {
@@ -175,6 +189,14 @@ func parseStatsArgs(args []string) (statsOptions, error) {
 	return opts, nil
 }
 
+func parseStatsTop(v string) (int, error) {
+	n, err := strconv.Atoi(strings.TrimSpace(v))
+	if err != nil || n <= 0 {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("invalid --top value %q (want a positive whole number)", v)
+	}
+	return n, nil
+}
+
 // splitFlag separates a flag token into its name and optional inline value,
 // e.g. "--repo=foo" becomes ("--repo", "foo", true).
 func splitFlag(arg string) (name, value string, hasValue bool) {
@@ -257,6 +279,22 @@ func buildStatsReport(sessions []data.Session) statsReport {
 	return report
 }
 
+func applyStatsTopLimit(report *statsReport, top int) {
+	if report == nil || top <= 0 {
+		return
+	}
+	report.ByRepository = capCountEntries(report.ByRepository, top)
+	report.ByBranch = capCountEntries(report.ByBranch, top)
+	report.ByHostType = capCountEntries(report.ByHostType, top)
+}
+
+func capCountEntries(entries []countEntry, top int) []countEntry {
+	if top <= 0 || len(entries) <= top {
+		return entries
+	}
+	return entries[:top]
+}
+
 // latestTime returns the most recent timestamp for a session, preferring
 // LastActiveAt and falling back to UpdatedAt then CreatedAt.
 func latestTime(s data.Session) (time.Time, bool) {
diff --git a/cmd/dispatch/stats_test.go b/cmd/dispatch/stats_test.go
index e388f4a..cb5613a 100644
--- a/cmd/dispatch/stats_test.go
+++ b/cmd/dispatch/stats_test.go
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ func TestBuildStatsReportEmpty(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestParseStatsArgs(t *testing.T) {
-	opts, err := parseStatsArgs([]string{"stats", "--json", "--repo", "jongio/dispatch", "--branch=main", "--since", "2026-01-01", "--until=2026-07-01"})
+	opts, err := parseStatsArgs([]string{"stats", "--json", "--repo", "jongio/dispatch", "--branch=main", "--since", "2026-01-01", "--until=2026-07-01", "--top", "2"})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -130,6 +130,9 @@ func TestParseStatsArgs(t *testing.T) {
 	if opts.filter.Since.Format("2006-01-02") != "2026-01-01" {
 		t.Errorf("Since = %v", opts.filter.Since)
 	}
+	if opts.top != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("top = %d, want 2", opts.top)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestParseStatsArgsErrors(t *testing.T) {
@@ -138,6 +141,10 @@ func TestParseStatsArgsErrors(t *testing.T) {
 		{"stats", "--since", "not-date"}, // bad date
 		{"stats", "--bogus"},             // unknown flag
 		{"stats", "extra"},               // positional
+		{"stats", "--top"},               // missing value
+		{"stats", "--top", "0"},          // not positive
+		{"stats", "--top", "-1"},         // negative
+		{"stats", "--top", "many"},       // not a number
 	}
 	for _, args := range cases {
 		if _, err := parseStatsArgs(args); err == nil {
@@ -146,6 +153,21 @@ func TestParseStatsArgsErrors(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestApplyStatsTopLimit(t *testing.T) {
+	report := buildStatsReport(sampleSessions())
+	applyStatsTopLimit(&report, 1)
+
+	if len(report.ByRepository) != 1 || report.ByRepository[0].Label != "jongio/dispatch" {
+		t.Fatalf("ByRepository = %+v, want only jongio/dispatch", report.ByRepository)
+	}
+	if len(report.ByBranch) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("ByBranch len = %d, want 1", len(report.ByBranch))
+	}
+	if report.TotalSessions != 3 {
+		t.Errorf("TotalSessions = %d, want unchanged total 3", report.TotalSessions)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRunStatsText(t *testing.T) {
 	withStatsList(t, func(data.FilterOptions) ([]data.Session, error) {
 		return sampleSessions(), nil
@@ -163,6 +185,24 @@ func TestRunStatsText(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRunStatsTextTop(t *testing.T) {
+	withStatsList(t, func(data.FilterOptions) ([]data.Session, error) {
+		return sampleSessions(), nil
+	})
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	if err := runStats(&buf, []string{"stats", "--top", "1"}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("runStats: %v", err)
+	}
+	out := buf.String()
+	if !strings.Contains(out, "Sessions: 3") {
+		t.Errorf("top should not change totals\n%s", out)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(out, "feature") {
+		t.Errorf("top 1 should hide lower branch rows\n%s", out)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRunStatsJSON(t *testing.T) {
 	withStatsList(t, func(data.FilterOptions) ([]data.Session, error) {
 		return sampleSessions(), nil
@@ -181,6 +221,27 @@ func TestRunStatsJSON(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRunStatsJSONTop(t *testing.T) {
+	withStatsList(t, func(data.FilterOptions) ([]data.Session, error) {
+		return sampleSessions(), nil
+	})
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	if err := runStats(&buf, []string{"stats", "--json", "--top=1"}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("runStats: %v", err)
+	}
+	var report statsReport
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(buf.Bytes(), &report); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("output is not valid JSON: %v\n%s", err, buf.String())
+	}
+	if len(report.ByRepository) != 1 || len(report.ByBranch) != 1 || len(report.ByHostType) != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("top did not cap breakdown arrays: %+v", report)
+	}
+	if report.TotalSessions != 3 {
+		t.Errorf("TotalSessions = %d, want 3", report.TotalSessions)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRunStatsPassesFilter(t *testing.T) {
 	var got data.FilterOptions
 	withStatsList(t, func(f data.FilterOptions) ([]data.Session, error) {