diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.h b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.h
--- a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.h
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.h
@@ -313,6 +313,7 @@
     QSet<QByteArray> m_roles;
     QSet<QByteArray> m_resolvableRoles;
     QStringList m_enabledPlugins;
+    bool m_localFileSizeLimit;
 
     // Items for which the sort role still has to be determined.
     QSet<KFileItem> m_pendingSortRoleItems;
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.cpp b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.cpp
--- a/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.cpp
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kfileitemmodelrolesupdater.cpp
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@
 
     const KConfigGroup globalConfig(KSharedConfig::openConfig(), "PreviewSettings");
     m_enabledPlugins = globalConfig.readEntry("Plugins", KIO::PreviewJob::defaultPlugins());
+    m_localFileSizeLimit = globalConfig.readEntry("LimitLocalFiles", false);
 
     connect(m_model, &KFileItemModel::itemsInserted,
             this,    &KFileItemModelRolesUpdater::slotItemsInserted);
@@ -900,7 +901,7 @@
 
     KIO::PreviewJob* job = new KIO::PreviewJob(itemSubSet, cacheSize, &m_enabledPlugins);
 
-    job->setIgnoreMaximumSize(itemSubSet.first().isLocalFile());
+    job->setIgnoreMaximumSize(!m_localFileSizeLimit);
     if (job->uiDelegate()) {
         KJobWidgets::setWindow(job, qApp->activeWindow());
     }
diff --git a/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.h b/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.h
--- a/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.h
+++ b/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #ifndef PREVIEWSSETTINGSPAGE_H
 #define PREVIEWSSETTINGSPAGE_H
 
+#include <QtWidgets/QCheckBox>
 #include "settings/settingspagebase.h"
 
 class QSpinBox;
@@ -56,11 +57,14 @@
 private:
     void loadPreviewPlugins();
     void loadSettings();
+    void useTypeChanged();
 
 private:
     bool m_initialized;
     QListView *m_listView;
     QStringList m_enabledPreviewPlugins;
+    QCheckBox *m_localFileSizeLimit;
+    QSpinBox* m_localFileSizeBox;
     QSpinBox* m_remoteFileSizeBox;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.cpp b/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.cpp
--- a/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.cpp
+++ b/src/settings/general/previewssettingspage.cpp
@@ -38,14 +38,17 @@
 
 // default settings
 namespace {
-    const int MaxRemotePreviewSize = 0; // 0 MB
+    const bool LimitLocalFilesPreview = false;
+    const int DefaultMaxLocalPreviewSize = 50; // 50 MB
+    const int DefaultMaxRemotePreviewSize = 0; // 0 MB
 }
 
 PreviewsSettingsPage::PreviewsSettingsPage(QWidget* parent) :
     SettingsPageBase(parent),
     m_initialized(false),
     m_listView(nullptr),
     m_enabledPreviewPlugins(),
+    m_localFileSizeBox(nullptr),
     m_remoteFileSizeBox(nullptr)
 {
     QVBoxLayout* topLayout = new QVBoxLayout(this);
@@ -68,24 +71,41 @@
     m_listView->setItemDelegate(delegate);
     m_listView->setVerticalScrollMode(QListView::ScrollPerPixel);
 
+    m_localFileSizeLimit = new QCheckBox(i18n("Skip previews for local files above:"), this);
+
+    m_localFileSizeBox = new QSpinBox(this);
+    m_localFileSizeBox->setSingleStep(1);
+    m_localFileSizeBox->setSuffix(QStringLiteral(" MB"));
+    m_localFileSizeBox->setRange(1, 9999999); /* MB */
+
+    QHBoxLayout* localFileSizeBoxLayout = new QHBoxLayout();
+    localFileSizeBoxLayout->addWidget(m_localFileSizeLimit);
+    localFileSizeBoxLayout->addStretch(0);
+    localFileSizeBoxLayout->addWidget(m_localFileSizeBox);
+
     QLabel* remoteFileSizeLabel = new QLabel(i18nc("@label", "Skip previews for remote files above:"), this);
 
     m_remoteFileSizeBox = new QSpinBox(this);
     m_remoteFileSizeBox->setSingleStep(1);
     m_remoteFileSizeBox->setSuffix(QStringLiteral(" MB"));
     m_remoteFileSizeBox->setRange(0, 9999999); /* MB */
 
-    QHBoxLayout* fileSizeBoxLayout = new QHBoxLayout();
-    fileSizeBoxLayout->addWidget(remoteFileSizeLabel, 0, Qt::AlignRight);
-    fileSizeBoxLayout->addWidget(m_remoteFileSizeBox);
+    QHBoxLayout* remoteFileSizeBoxLayout = new QHBoxLayout();
+    remoteFileSizeBoxLayout->addWidget(remoteFileSizeLabel);
+    remoteFileSizeBoxLayout->addStretch(0);
+    remoteFileSizeBoxLayout->addWidget(m_remoteFileSizeBox);
 
     topLayout->addWidget(showPreviewsLabel);
     topLayout->addWidget(m_listView);
-    topLayout->addLayout(fileSizeBoxLayout);
+    topLayout->addLayout(localFileSizeBoxLayout);
+    topLayout->addLayout(remoteFileSizeBoxLayout);
 
     loadSettings();
 
     connect(m_listView, &QListView::clicked, this, &PreviewsSettingsPage::changed);
+    connect(m_localFileSizeBox, QOverload<int>::of(&QSpinBox::valueChanged), this, &PreviewsSettingsPage::changed);
+    connect(m_localFileSizeLimit, &QAbstractButton::toggled, this, &PreviewsSettingsPage::useTypeChanged);
+    connect(m_localFileSizeLimit, &QAbstractButton::toggled, this, &PreviewsSettingsPage::changed);
     connect(m_remoteFileSizeBox, QOverload<int>::of(&QSpinBox::valueChanged), this, &PreviewsSettingsPage::changed);
 }
 
@@ -112,6 +132,15 @@
     KConfigGroup globalConfig(KSharedConfig::openConfig(), QStringLiteral("PreviewSettings"));
     globalConfig.writeEntry("Plugins", m_enabledPreviewPlugins);
 
+    globalConfig.writeEntry("LimitLocalFiles",
+                            m_localFileSizeLimit->isChecked(),
+                            KConfigBase::Normal | KConfigBase::Global);
+
+    const qulonglong maximumLocalSize = static_cast<qulonglong>(m_localFileSizeBox->value()) * 1024 * 1024;
+    globalConfig.writeEntry("MaximumSize",
+                            maximumLocalSize,
+                            KConfigBase::Normal | KConfigBase::Global);
+
     const qulonglong maximumRemoteSize = static_cast<qulonglong>(m_remoteFileSizeBox->value()) * 1024 * 1024;
     globalConfig.writeEntry("MaximumRemoteSize",
                             maximumRemoteSize,
@@ -121,7 +150,9 @@
 
 void PreviewsSettingsPage::restoreDefaults()
 {
-    m_remoteFileSizeBox->setValue(MaxRemotePreviewSize);
+    m_localFileSizeLimit->setChecked(LimitLocalFilesPreview);
+    m_localFileSizeBox->setValue(DefaultMaxLocalPreviewSize);
+    m_remoteFileSizeBox->setValue(DefaultMaxRemotePreviewSize);
 }
 
 void PreviewsSettingsPage::showEvent(QShowEvent* event)
@@ -169,9 +200,22 @@
     const KConfigGroup globalConfig(KSharedConfig::openConfig(), QStringLiteral("PreviewSettings"));
     m_enabledPreviewPlugins = globalConfig.readEntry("Plugins", KIO::PreviewJob::defaultPlugins());
 
-    const qulonglong defaultRemotePreview = static_cast<qulonglong>(MaxRemotePreviewSize) * 1024 * 1024;
+    const bool limitLocalPreviews = globalConfig.readEntry("LimitLocalFiles", LimitLocalFilesPreview);
+    m_localFileSizeLimit->setChecked(limitLocalPreviews);
+    
+    const qulonglong defaultLocalPreview = static_cast<qulonglong>(DefaultMaxLocalPreviewSize) * 1024 * 1024;
+    const qulonglong maxLocalByteSize = globalConfig.readEntry("MaximumSize", defaultLocalPreview);
+    const int maxLocalMByteSize = maxLocalByteSize / (1024 * 1024);
+    m_localFileSizeBox->setValue(maxLocalMByteSize);
+    m_localFileSizeBox->setEnabled(m_localFileSizeLimit->isChecked());
+
+    const qulonglong defaultRemotePreview = static_cast<qulonglong>(DefaultMaxRemotePreviewSize) * 1024 * 1024;
     const qulonglong maxRemoteByteSize = globalConfig.readEntry("MaximumRemoteSize", defaultRemotePreview);
     const int maxRemoteMByteSize = maxRemoteByteSize / (1024 * 1024);
     m_remoteFileSizeBox->setValue(maxRemoteMByteSize);
 }
 
+void PreviewsSettingsPage::useTypeChanged()
+{
+    m_localFileSizeBox->setEnabled(m_localFileSizeLimit->isChecked());
+}