diff --git a/packages/payload/src/fields/config/sanitizeJoinField.ts b/packages/payload/src/fields/config/sanitizeJoinField.ts
index 566280f2d..faffaa0d9 100644
--- a/packages/payload/src/fields/config/sanitizeJoinField.ts
+++ b/packages/payload/src/fields/config/sanitizeJoinField.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export const sanitizeJoinField = ({
   if (typeof joins === 'undefined') {
     throw new APIError('Join fields cannot be added to arrays, blocks or globals.')
   }
-  if (!field.maxDepth) {
+  if (typeof field.maxDepth === 'undefined') {
     field.maxDepth = 1
   }
   const join: SanitizedJoin = {
diff --git a/packages/payload/src/fields/config/types.ts b/packages/payload/src/fields/config/types.ts
index 0fb84e76d..61355f8a7 100644
--- a/packages/payload/src/fields/config/types.ts
+++ b/packages/payload/src/fields/config/types.ts
@@ -1416,6 +1416,13 @@ export type JoinField = {
    * This does not need to be set and will be overridden by the relationship field's localized property.
    */
   localized?: boolean
+  /**
+   * The maximum allowed depth to be permitted application-wide. This setting helps prevent against malicious queries.
+   *
+   * @see https://payloadcms.com/docs/getting-started/concepts#depth
+   *
+   * @default 1
+   */
   maxDepth?: number
   /**
    * A string for the field in the collection being joined to.
diff --git a/test/joins/config.ts b/test/joins/config.ts
index fd407ee4a..8eafb5b38 100644
--- a/test/joins/config.ts
+++ b/test/joins/config.ts
@@ -168,6 +168,45 @@ export default buildConfigWithDefaults({
         },
       ],
     },
+    {
+      slug: 'depth-joins-1',
+      fields: [
+        {
+          name: 'rel',
+          type: 'relationship',
+          relationTo: 'depth-joins-2',
+        },
+        {
+          name: 'joins',
+          type: 'join',
+          collection: 'depth-joins-3',
+          on: 'rel',
+          maxDepth: 2,
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+    {
+      slug: 'depth-joins-2',
+      fields: [
+        {
+          name: 'joins',
+          type: 'join',
+          collection: 'depth-joins-1',
+          on: 'rel',
+          maxDepth: 2,
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+    {
+      slug: 'depth-joins-3',
+      fields: [
+        {
+          name: 'rel',
+          type: 'relationship',
+          relationTo: 'depth-joins-1',
+        },
+      ],
+    },
   ],
   localization: {
     locales: ['en', 'es'],
diff --git a/test/joins/int.spec.ts b/test/joins/int.spec.ts
index e25b541f4..34a71f374 100644
--- a/test/joins/int.spec.ts
+++ b/test/joins/int.spec.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { getFileByPath } from 'payload'
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'url'
 
 import type { NextRESTClient } from '../helpers/NextRESTClient.js'
-import type { Category, Config, Post, Singular } from './payload-types.js'
+import type { Category, Config, DepthJoins1, DepthJoins3, Post, Singular } from './payload-types.js'
 
 import { devUser } from '../credentials.js'
 import { idToString } from '../helpers/idToString.js'
@@ -984,6 +984,35 @@ describe('Joins Field', () => {
 
     expect((data.joins.docs[0] as TypeWithID).id).toBe(doc_2.id)
   })
+
+  it('should populate joins on depth 2', async () => {
+    const depthJoin_2 = await payload.create({ collection: 'depth-joins-2', data: {}, depth: 0 })
+    const depthJoin_1 = await payload.create({
+      collection: 'depth-joins-1',
+      data: { rel: depthJoin_2 },
+      depth: 0,
+    })
+
+    const depthJoin_3 = await payload.create({
+      collection: 'depth-joins-3',
+      data: { rel: depthJoin_1 },
+      depth: 0,
+    })
+
+    const data = await payload.findByID({
+      collection: 'depth-joins-2',
+      id: depthJoin_2.id,
+      depth: 2,
+    })
+
+    const joinedDoc = data.joins.docs[0] as DepthJoins1
+
+    expect(joinedDoc.id).toBe(depthJoin_1.id)
+
+    const joinedDoc2 = joinedDoc.joins.docs[0] as DepthJoins3
+
+    expect(joinedDoc2.id).toBe(depthJoin_3.id)
+  })
 })
 
 async function createPost(overrides?: Partial<Post>, locale?: Config['locale']) {
diff --git a/test/joins/payload-types.ts b/test/joins/payload-types.ts
index 241b99ec4..df65271f2 100644
--- a/test/joins/payload-types.ts
+++ b/test/joins/payload-types.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ export interface Config {
     'categories-join-restricted': CategoriesJoinRestricted;
     'restricted-posts': RestrictedPost;
     'collection-restricted': CollectionRestricted;
+    'depth-joins-1': DepthJoins1;
+    'depth-joins-2': DepthJoins2;
+    'depth-joins-3': DepthJoins3;
     users: User;
     'payload-locked-documents': PayloadLockedDocument;
     'payload-preferences': PayloadPreference;
@@ -66,6 +69,12 @@ export interface Config {
     'categories-join-restricted': {
       collectionRestrictedJoin: 'collection-restricted';
     };
+    'depth-joins-1': {
+      joins: 'depth-joins-3';
+    };
+    'depth-joins-2': {
+      joins: 'depth-joins-1';
+    };
   };
   collectionsSelect: {
     posts: PostsSelect<false> | PostsSelect<true>;
@@ -82,6 +91,9 @@ export interface Config {
     'categories-join-restricted': CategoriesJoinRestrictedSelect<false> | CategoriesJoinRestrictedSelect<true>;
     'restricted-posts': RestrictedPostsSelect<false> | RestrictedPostsSelect<true>;
     'collection-restricted': CollectionRestrictedSelect<false> | CollectionRestrictedSelect<true>;
+    'depth-joins-1': DepthJoins1Select<false> | DepthJoins1Select<true>;
+    'depth-joins-2': DepthJoins2Select<false> | DepthJoins2Select<true>;
+    'depth-joins-3': DepthJoins3Select<false> | DepthJoins3Select<true>;
     users: UsersSelect<false> | UsersSelect<true>;
     'payload-locked-documents': PayloadLockedDocumentsSelect<false> | PayloadLockedDocumentsSelect<true>;
     'payload-preferences': PayloadPreferencesSelect<false> | PayloadPreferencesSelect<true>;
@@ -451,6 +463,43 @@ export interface RestrictedPost {
   updatedAt: string;
   createdAt: string;
 }
+/**
+ * This interface was referenced by `Config`'s JSON-Schema
+ * via the `definition` "depth-joins-1".
+ */
+export interface DepthJoins1 {
+  id: string;
+  rel?: (string | null) | DepthJoins2;
+  joins?: {
+    docs?: (string | DepthJoins3)[] | null;
+    hasNextPage?: boolean | null;
+  } | null;
+  updatedAt: string;
+  createdAt: string;
+}
+/**
+ * This interface was referenced by `Config`'s JSON-Schema
+ * via the `definition` "depth-joins-2".
+ */
+export interface DepthJoins2 {
+  id: string;
+  joins?: {
+    docs?: (string | DepthJoins1)[] | null;
+    hasNextPage?: boolean | null;
+  } | null;
+  updatedAt: string;
+  createdAt: string;
+}
+/**
+ * This interface was referenced by `Config`'s JSON-Schema
+ * via the `definition` "depth-joins-3".
+ */
+export interface DepthJoins3 {
+  id: string;
+  rel?: (string | null) | DepthJoins1;
+  updatedAt: string;
+  createdAt: string;
+}
 /**
  * This interface was referenced by `Config`'s JSON-Schema
  * via the `definition` "payload-locked-documents".
@@ -514,6 +563,18 @@ export interface PayloadLockedDocument {
         relationTo: 'collection-restricted';
         value: string | CollectionRestricted;
       } | null)
+    | ({
+        relationTo: 'depth-joins-1';
+        value: string | DepthJoins1;
+      } | null)
+    | ({
+        relationTo: 'depth-joins-2';
+        value: string | DepthJoins2;
+      } | null)
+    | ({
+        relationTo: 'depth-joins-3';
+        value: string | DepthJoins3;
+      } | null)
     | ({
         relationTo: 'users';
         value: string | User;
@@ -761,6 +822,34 @@ export interface CollectionRestrictedSelect<T extends boolean = true> {
   updatedAt?: T;
   createdAt?: T;
 }
+/**
+ * This interface was referenced by `Config`'s JSON-Schema
+ * via the `definition` "depth-joins-1_select".
+ */
+export interface DepthJoins1Select<T extends boolean = true> {
+  rel?: T;
+  joins?: T;
+  updatedAt?: T;
+  createdAt?: T;
+}
+/**
+ * This interface was referenced by `Config`'s JSON-Schema
+ * via the `definition` "depth-joins-2_select".
+ */
+export interface DepthJoins2Select<T extends boolean = true> {
+  joins?: T;
+  updatedAt?: T;
+  createdAt?: T;
+}
+/**
+ * This interface was referenced by `Config`'s JSON-Schema
+ * via the `definition` "depth-joins-3_select".
+ */
+export interface DepthJoins3Select<T extends boolean = true> {
+  rel?: T;
+  updatedAt?: T;
+  createdAt?: T;
+}
 /**
  * This interface was referenced by `Config`'s JSON-Schema
  * via the `definition` "users_select".