diff --git a/refs.c b/refs.c
index f7b6f0f897..ef04f403a6 100644
--- a/refs.c
+++ b/refs.c
@@ -1318,13 +1318,21 @@ int ref_transaction_update(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int ref_transaction_update_reflog(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
-				  const char *refname,
-				  const struct object_id *new_oid,
-				  const struct object_id *old_oid,
-				  const char *committer_info, unsigned int flags,
-				  const char *msg, unsigned int index,
-				  struct strbuf *err)
+/*
+ * Similar to`ref_transaction_update`, but this function is only for adding
+ * a reflog update. Supports providing custom committer information. The index
+ * field can be utiltized to order updates as desired. When not used, the
+ * updates default to being ordered by refname.
+ */
+static int ref_transaction_update_reflog(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
+					 const char *refname,
+					 const struct object_id *new_oid,
+					 const struct object_id *old_oid,
+					 const char *committer_info,
+					 unsigned int flags,
+					 const char *msg,
+					 uint64_t index,
+					 struct strbuf *err)
 {
 	struct ref_update *update;
 
@@ -2805,7 +2813,7 @@ done:
 }
 
 struct reflog_migration_data {
-	unsigned int index;
+	uint64_t index;
 	const char *refname;
 	struct ref_store *old_refs;
 	struct ref_transaction *transaction;
diff --git a/refs.h b/refs.h
index a0cdd99250..09be47afbe 100644
--- a/refs.h
+++ b/refs.h
@@ -771,20 +771,6 @@ int ref_transaction_update(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
 			   unsigned int flags, const char *msg,
 			   struct strbuf *err);
 
-/*
- * Similar to`ref_transaction_update`, but this function is only for adding
- * a reflog update. Supports providing custom committer information. The index
- * field can be utiltized to order updates as desired. When not used, the
- * updates default to being ordered by refname.
- */
-int ref_transaction_update_reflog(struct ref_transaction *transaction,
-				  const char *refname,
-				  const struct object_id *new_oid,
-				  const struct object_id *old_oid,
-				  const char *committer_info, unsigned int flags,
-				  const char *msg, unsigned int index,
-				  struct strbuf *err);
-
 /*
  * Add a reference creation to transaction. new_oid is the value that
  * the reference should have after the update; it must not be
diff --git a/refs/refs-internal.h b/refs/refs-internal.h
index aaab711bb9..8894b43d1d 100644
--- a/refs/refs-internal.h
+++ b/refs/refs-internal.h
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ struct ref_update {
 	 * when migrating reflogs and we want to ensure we carry over the
 	 * same order.
 	 */
-	unsigned int index;
+	uint64_t index;
 
 	/*
 	 * If this ref_update was split off of a symref update via
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ struct ref_transaction {
 	enum ref_transaction_state state;
 	void *backend_data;
 	unsigned int flags;
-	unsigned int max_index;
+	uint64_t max_index;
 };
 
 /*
diff --git a/refs/reftable-backend.c b/refs/reftable-backend.c
index 4d4758ce88..d26b5bf85c 100644
--- a/refs/reftable-backend.c
+++ b/refs/reftable-backend.c
@@ -942,7 +942,7 @@ struct write_transaction_table_arg {
 	size_t updates_nr;
 	size_t updates_alloc;
 	size_t updates_expected;
-	unsigned int max_index;
+	uint64_t max_index;
 };
 
 struct reftable_transaction_data {
@@ -1444,7 +1444,9 @@ static int write_transaction_table(struct reftable_writer *writer, void *cb_data
 	 * multiple entries. Each entry will contain a different update_index,
 	 * so set the limits accordingly.
 	 */
-	reftable_writer_set_limits(writer, ts, ts + arg->max_index);
+	ret = reftable_writer_set_limits(writer, ts, ts + arg->max_index);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		goto done;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < arg->updates_nr; i++) {
 		struct reftable_transaction_update *tx_update = &arg->updates[i];
@@ -1769,7 +1771,9 @@ static int write_copy_table(struct reftable_writer *writer, void *cb_data)
 	deletion_ts = creation_ts = reftable_stack_next_update_index(arg->be->stack);
 	if (arg->delete_old)
 		creation_ts++;
-	reftable_writer_set_limits(writer, deletion_ts, creation_ts);
+	ret = reftable_writer_set_limits(writer, deletion_ts, creation_ts);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		goto done;
 
 	/*
 	 * Add the new reference. If this is a rename then we also delete the
@@ -2301,7 +2305,9 @@ static int write_reflog_existence_table(struct reftable_writer *writer,
 	if (ret <= 0)
 		goto done;
 
-	reftable_writer_set_limits(writer, ts, ts);
+	ret = reftable_writer_set_limits(writer, ts, ts);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		goto done;
 
 	/*
 	 * The existence entry has both old and new object ID set to the
@@ -2360,7 +2366,9 @@ static int write_reflog_delete_table(struct reftable_writer *writer, void *cb_da
 	uint64_t ts = reftable_stack_next_update_index(arg->stack);
 	int ret;
 
-	reftable_writer_set_limits(writer, ts, ts);
+	ret = reftable_writer_set_limits(writer, ts, ts);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		goto out;
 
 	ret = reftable_stack_init_log_iterator(arg->stack, &it);
 	if (ret < 0)
@@ -2437,7 +2445,9 @@ static int write_reflog_expiry_table(struct reftable_writer *writer, void *cb_da
 		if (arg->records[i].value_type == REFTABLE_LOG_UPDATE)
 			live_records++;
 
-	reftable_writer_set_limits(writer, ts, ts);
+	ret = reftable_writer_set_limits(writer, ts, ts);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return ret;
 
 	if (!is_null_oid(&arg->update_oid)) {
 		struct reftable_ref_record ref = {0};
diff --git a/reftable/reftable-error.h b/reftable/reftable-error.h
index f404826562..a7e33d964d 100644
--- a/reftable/reftable-error.h
+++ b/reftable/reftable-error.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ enum reftable_error {
 
 	/* Misuse of the API:
 	 *  - on writing a record with NULL refname.
+	 *  - on writing a record before setting the writer limits.
 	 *  - on writing a reftable_ref_record outside the table limits
 	 *  - on writing a ref or log record before the stack's
 	 * next_update_inde*x
diff --git a/reftable/reftable-writer.h b/reftable/reftable-writer.h
index 5f9afa620b..1ea014d389 100644
--- a/reftable/reftable-writer.h
+++ b/reftable/reftable-writer.h
@@ -124,17 +124,21 @@ int reftable_writer_new(struct reftable_writer **out,
 			int (*flush_func)(void *),
 			void *writer_arg, const struct reftable_write_options *opts);
 
-/* Set the range of update indices for the records we will add. When writing a
-   table into a stack, the min should be at least
-   reftable_stack_next_update_index(), or REFTABLE_API_ERROR is returned.
-
-   For transactional updates to a stack, typically min==max, and the
-   update_index can be obtained by inspeciting the stack. When converting an
-   existing ref database into a single reftable, this would be a range of
-   update-index timestamps.
+/*
+ * Set the range of update indices for the records we will add. When writing a
+ * table into a stack, the min should be at least
+ * reftable_stack_next_update_index(), or REFTABLE_API_ERROR is returned.
+ *
+ * For transactional updates to a stack, typically min==max, and the
+ * update_index can be obtained by inspeciting the stack. When converting an
+ * existing ref database into a single reftable, this would be a range of
+ * update-index timestamps.
+ *
+ * The function should be called before adding any records to the writer. If not
+ * it will fail with REFTABLE_API_ERROR.
  */
-void reftable_writer_set_limits(struct reftable_writer *w, uint64_t min,
-				uint64_t max);
+int reftable_writer_set_limits(struct reftable_writer *w, uint64_t min,
+			       uint64_t max);
 
 /*
   Add a reftable_ref_record. The record should have names that come after
diff --git a/reftable/stack.c b/reftable/stack.c
index 531660a49f..9649dbbb04 100644
--- a/reftable/stack.c
+++ b/reftable/stack.c
@@ -1058,8 +1058,10 @@ static int stack_write_compact(struct reftable_stack *st,
 
 	for (size_t i = first; i <= last; i++)
 		st->stats.bytes += st->readers[i]->size;
-	reftable_writer_set_limits(wr, st->readers[first]->min_update_index,
-				   st->readers[last]->max_update_index);
+	err = reftable_writer_set_limits(wr, st->readers[first]->min_update_index,
+					 st->readers[last]->max_update_index);
+	if (err < 0)
+		goto done;
 
 	err = reftable_merged_table_new(&mt, st->readers + first, subtabs_len,
 					st->opts.hash_id);
diff --git a/reftable/writer.c b/reftable/writer.c
index 740c98038e..03acbdbcce 100644
--- a/reftable/writer.c
+++ b/reftable/writer.c
@@ -179,11 +179,20 @@ int reftable_writer_new(struct reftable_writer **out,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-void reftable_writer_set_limits(struct reftable_writer *w, uint64_t min,
-				uint64_t max)
+int reftable_writer_set_limits(struct reftable_writer *w, uint64_t min,
+			       uint64_t max)
 {
+	/*
+	 * The limits should be set before any records are added to the writer.
+	 * Check if any records were added by checking if `last_key` was set.
+	 */
+	if (w->last_key.len)
+		return REFTABLE_API_ERROR;
+
 	w->min_update_index = min;
 	w->max_update_index = max;
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static void writer_release(struct reftable_writer *w)
diff --git a/t/unit-tests/t-reftable-stack.c b/t/unit-tests/t-reftable-stack.c
index aeec195b2b..b23edf18a7 100644
--- a/t/unit-tests/t-reftable-stack.c
+++ b/t/unit-tests/t-reftable-stack.c
@@ -103,7 +103,8 @@ static void t_read_file(void)
 static int write_test_ref(struct reftable_writer *wr, void *arg)
 {
 	struct reftable_ref_record *ref = arg;
-	reftable_writer_set_limits(wr, ref->update_index, ref->update_index);
+	check(!reftable_writer_set_limits(wr, ref->update_index,
+					  ref->update_index));
 	return reftable_writer_add_ref(wr, ref);
 }
 
@@ -143,7 +144,8 @@ static int write_test_log(struct reftable_writer *wr, void *arg)
 {
 	struct write_log_arg *wla = arg;
 
-	reftable_writer_set_limits(wr, wla->update_index, wla->update_index);
+	check(!reftable_writer_set_limits(wr, wla->update_index,
+					  wla->update_index));
 	return reftable_writer_add_log(wr, wla->log);
 }
 
@@ -961,7 +963,7 @@ static void t_reflog_expire(void)
 
 static int write_nothing(struct reftable_writer *wr, void *arg UNUSED)
 {
-	reftable_writer_set_limits(wr, 1, 1);
+	check(!reftable_writer_set_limits(wr, 1, 1));
 	return 0;
 }