diff --git a/cmd/alertmanager/main.go b/cmd/alertmanager/main.go
index 06d697a0..74703e94 100644
--- a/cmd/alertmanager/main.go
+++ b/cmd/alertmanager/main.go
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ func run() int {
 	silenceOpts := silence.Options{
 		SnapshotFile: filepath.Join(*dataDir, "silences"),
 		Retention:    *retention,
-		Limits: silence.Limits{
+		Limits: &silence.Limits{
 			MaxSilences:         func() int { return *maxSilences },
 			MaxSilenceSizeBytes: func() int { return *maxSilenceSizeBytes },
 		},
diff --git a/silence/silence.go b/silence/silence.go
index ee975519..2d38392e 100644
--- a/silence/silence.go
+++ b/silence/silence.go
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ type Silences struct {
 	logger    log.Logger
 	metrics   *metrics
 	retention time.Duration
-	limits    Limits
+	limits    *Limits
 
 	mtx       sync.RWMutex
 	st        state
@@ -202,6 +202,12 @@ type Silences struct {
 	mc        matcherCache
 }
 
+// NoopLimits are the default limits. All limits are disabled.
+var NoopLimits = &Limits{
+	MaxSilences:         func() int { return 0 },
+	MaxSilenceSizeBytes: func() int { return 0 },
+}
+
 // Limits contains the limits for silences.
 type Limits struct {
 	// MaxSilences limits the maximum number of silences, including expired
@@ -329,7 +335,7 @@ type Options struct {
 	// Retention time for newly created Silences. Silences may be
 	// garbage collected after the given duration after they ended.
 	Retention time.Duration
-	Limits    Limits
+	Limits    *Limits
 
 	// A logger used by background processing.
 	Logger  log.Logger
@@ -354,7 +360,7 @@ func New(o Options) (*Silences, error) {
 		mc:        matcherCache{},
 		logger:    log.NewNopLogger(),
 		retention: o.Retention,
-		limits:    o.Limits,
+		limits:    NoopLimits,
 		broadcast: func([]byte) {},
 		st:        state{},
 	}
@@ -364,6 +370,10 @@ func New(o Options) (*Silences, error) {
 		s.logger = o.Logger
 	}
 
+	if o.Limits != nil {
+		s.limits = o.Limits
+	}
+
 	if o.SnapshotFile != "" {
 		if r, err := os.Open(o.SnapshotFile); err != nil {
 			if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
@@ -551,11 +561,9 @@ func cloneSilence(sil *pb.Silence) *pb.Silence {
 }
 
 func (s *Silences) checkSizeLimits(msil *pb.MeshSilence) error {
-	if s.limits.MaxSilenceSizeBytes != nil {
-		n := msil.Size()
-		if m := s.limits.MaxSilenceSizeBytes(); m > 0 && n > m {
-			return fmt.Errorf("silence exceeded maximum size: %d bytes (limit: %d bytes)", n, m)
-		}
+	n := msil.Size()
+	if m := s.limits.MaxSilenceSizeBytes(); m > 0 && n > m {
+		return fmt.Errorf("silence exceeded maximum size: %d bytes (limit: %d bytes)", n, m)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -619,10 +627,8 @@ func (s *Silences) Set(sil *pb.Silence) error {
 	// If we got here it's either a new silence or a replacing one (which would
 	// also create a new silence) so we need to make sure we have capacity for
 	// the new silence.
-	if s.limits.MaxSilences != nil {
-		if m := s.limits.MaxSilences(); m > 0 && len(s.st)+1 > m {
-			return fmt.Errorf("exceeded maximum number of silences: %d (limit: %d)", len(s.st), m)
-		}
+	if m := s.limits.MaxSilences(); m > 0 && len(s.st)+1 > m {
+		return fmt.Errorf("exceeded maximum number of silences: %d (limit: %d)", len(s.st), m)
 	}
 
 	uid, err := uuid.NewV4()
diff --git a/silence/silence_test.go b/silence/silence_test.go
index 6fe536e5..4074228a 100644
--- a/silence/silence_test.go
+++ b/silence/silence_test.go
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ func TestSilenceSet(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestSilenceLimits(t *testing.T) {
 	s, err := New(Options{
-		Limits: Limits{
+		Limits: &Limits{
 			MaxSilences:         func() int { return 1 },
 			MaxSilenceSizeBytes: func() int { return 2 << 11 }, // 4KB
 		},
@@ -606,7 +606,8 @@ func TestSilenceLimits(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestSilenceNoLimits(t *testing.T) {
 	s, err := New(Options{
-		Limits: Limits{},
+		// Should be replaced with NoopLimits.
+		Limits: nil,
 	})
 	require.NoError(t, err)