diff --git a/compiler/rungen/op.go b/compiler/rungen/op.go
index 4214f09cc1..fdcb19eac3 100644
--- a/compiler/rungen/op.go
+++ b/compiler/rungen/op.go
@@ -322,11 +322,7 @@ func (b *Builder) compileLeaf(o dag.Op, parent sbuf.Puller) (sbuf.Puller, error)
 	case *dag.MergeOp:
 		return nil, errors.New("merge: multiple upstream paths required")
 	case *dag.HeadOp:
-		limit := v.Count
-		if limit == 0 {
-			limit = 1
-		}
-		return head.New(parent, limit), nil
+		return head.New(parent, v.Count), nil
 	case *dag.LoadOp:
 		return load.New(b.rctx, b.env.DB(), parent, v.Pool, v.Branch, v.Author, v.Message, v.Meta), nil
 	case *dag.OutputOp:
@@ -364,11 +360,7 @@ func (b *Builder) compileLeaf(o dag.Op, parent sbuf.Puller) (sbuf.Puller, error)
 		}
 		return sort.New(b.rctx, parent, sortExprs, v.Reverse, b.resetters), nil
 	case *dag.TailOp:
-		limit := v.Count
-		if limit == 0 {
-			limit = 1
-		}
-		return tail.New(parent, limit), nil
+		return tail.New(parent, v.Count), nil
 	case *dag.TopOp:
 		b.resetResetters()
 		var sortExprs []expr.SortExpr
diff --git a/compiler/ztests/sql/limit-zero.yaml b/compiler/ztests/sql/limit-zero.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..17ba639fed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/ztests/sql/limit-zero.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+spq: select 1 limit 0
+
+output: ""
diff --git a/runtime/ztests/op/head-zero.yaml b/runtime/ztests/op/head-zero.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3c459363fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/ztests/op/head-zero.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+spq: values 1 | head 0
+
+output: ""
diff --git a/runtime/ztests/op/tail-zero.yaml b/runtime/ztests/op/tail-zero.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5afc833ea9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/ztests/op/tail-zero.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+spq: values 1 | tail 0
+
+output: ""