diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9511900..8c9eb6b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ The server listens on `http://localhost:8080` by default.
 - `OPENAI_MODERATION_MODEL`: moderation vision model, default `gpt-4o-mini`
 - `TRUST_PROXY`: set to `true` when running behind a trusted reverse proxy so upload limits use `X-Forwarded-For`
 
-Uploads accept PNG and JPEG images. The server rejects files over 5 MB, images over `6000x6000`, and images over 20 million pixels. Accepted uploads are decoded, metadata-stripped, resized so the longest edge is at most `1600px`, and stored as WebP.
+Uploads accept PNG and JPEG images. The server rejects files over 5 MB, any image edge over `6000px`, and images over 20 million pixels. Accepted uploads are decoded, metadata-stripped, resized so the longest edge is at most `1600px`, and stored as WebP.
 Upload caps are 5 per hour per IP, 10 per day per IP, and 100 globally per day. AI-approved uploads publish immediately; ambiguous uploads are queued for the secret admin review page; likely illegal uploads are rejected immediately.
 
 Files are stored under sharded date/hash paths:
diff --git a/public/assets/app.js b/public/assets/app.js
index 34c4b8f..08dfcbd 100644
--- a/public/assets/app.js
+++ b/public/assets/app.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 const PAGE_SIZE = 12;
 const MAX_FILE_BYTES = 5 * 1024 * 1024;
+const MAX_IMAGE_PIXELS = 20_000_000;
 const VIEW_DWELL_MS = 1000;
 const VIEW_THRESHOLD = 0.9;
 const VIEW_DEDUPE_MS = 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000;
@@ -193,7 +194,8 @@ async function validateClientFile(file) {
 
   try {
     const dimensions = await readImageDimensions(file);
-    if (dimensions.width > 6000 || dimensions.height > 6000) return 'IMAGE EXCEEDS 6000x6000.';
+    if (dimensions.width > 6000 || dimensions.height > 6000) return 'IMAGE EDGE EXCEEDS 6000PX.';
+    if (dimensions.width * dimensions.height > MAX_IMAGE_PIXELS) return 'IMAGE EXCEEDS 20MP.';
   } catch {
     return 'IMAGE COULD NOT BE INSPECTED.';
   }
diff --git a/public/index.html b/public/index.html
index 1236a2a..29e8163 100644
--- a/public/index.html
+++ b/public/index.html
@@ -86,9 +86,11 @@
         </label>
         <div class="upload-rules">
           <span>MAX_SIZE: 5MB</span>
-          <span>REQUIRED_RATIO: 1:1 SQUARE</span>
+          <span>RATIO: ANY</span>
           <span>OUTPUT_FORMAT: WEBP</span>
-          <span>MAX_DIMENSIONS: 6000x6000</span>
+          <span>MAX_INPUT_EDGE: 6000PX</span>
+          <span>MAX_PIXELS: 20MP</span>
+          <span>OUTPUT_MAX_EDGE: 1600PX</span>
         </div>
         <div class="modal-actions">
           <button class="secondary-action" id="cancel-upload" type="button">CANCEL</button>
diff --git a/src/image.js b/src/image.js
index f6d6a3a..eeb2322 100644
--- a/src/image.js
+++ b/src/image.js
@@ -23,10 +23,6 @@ export function validateImage(buffer, limits) {
   if (image.width * image.height > limits.maxPixels) {
     throw new HttpError(413, 'Image has too many pixels.');
   }
-  if (limits.requireSquare && image.width !== image.height) {
-    throw new HttpError(422, 'Image must be square.');
-  }
-
   return { ...image, byteSize: buffer.length };
 }