diff --git a/docs/configuration.rst b/docs/configuration.rst
index 2f6f4972..b47ae42c 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.rst
+++ b/docs/configuration.rst
@@ -923,15 +923,12 @@ Description
 extractor.exhentai.limits
 -------------------------
 Type
-    ``bool`` or ``integer``
+    ``integer``
 Default
-    ``true``
+    ``null``
 Description
-    Check image download limits
-    and stop extraction when they are exceeded.
-
-    If this value is an ``integer``, it gets used as the limit maximum
-    instead of the value listed on ``https://e-hentai.org/home.php``
+    Sets a custom image download limit and
+    stops extraction when it gets exceeded.
 
 
 extractor.exhentai.domain
diff --git a/gallery_dl/extractor/exhentai.py b/gallery_dl/extractor/exhentai.py
index 09058680..910da7d0 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/extractor/exhentai.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/extractor/exhentai.py
@@ -43,16 +43,14 @@ class ExhentaiExtractor(Extractor):
         self.cookiedomain = "." + domain
 
         Extractor.__init__(self, match)
-        self.limits = self.config("limits", True)
         self.original = self.config("original", True)
 
-        if type(self.limits) is int:
-            self._limit_max = self.limits
-            self.limits = True
+        limits = self.config("limits", False)
+        if limits and limits.__class__ is int:
+            self.limits = limits
+            self._remaining = 0
         else:
-            self._limit_max = 0
-
-        self._remaining = 0
+            self.limits = False
 
         self.session.headers["Referer"] = self.root + "/"
         if version != "ex":
@@ -219,6 +217,8 @@ class ExhentaiGalleryExtractor(ExhentaiExtractor):
             if "/fullimg.php" in url:
                 data["extension"] = ""
                 data["_http_validate"] = _validate_response
+            else:
+                data["_http_validate"] = None
             yield Message.Url, url, data
 
     def get_metadata(self, page):
@@ -358,6 +358,26 @@ class ExhentaiGalleryExtractor(ExhentaiExtractor):
             "Continue with '%s/s/%s/%s-%s' as URL after resetting it.",
             self.root, data["image_token"], self.gallery_id, data["num"])
 
+    def _check_limits(self, data):
+        if not self._remaining or data["num"] % 25 == 0:
+            self._update_limits()
+        self._remaining -= data["cost"]
+        if self._remaining <= 0:
+            self._report_limits(data)
+
+    def _update_limits(self):
+        url = "https://e-hentai.org/home.php"
+        cookies = {
+            cookie.name: cookie.value
+            for cookie in self.session.cookies
+            if cookie.domain == self.cookiedomain and cookie.name != "igneous"
+        }
+
+        page = self.request(url, cookies=cookies).text
+        current = text.extract(page, "<strong>", "</strong>")[0]
+        self.log.debug("Image Limits: %s/%s", current, self.limits)
+        self._remaining = self.limits - text.parse_int(current)
+
     def _gallery_page(self):
         url = "{}/g/{}/{}/".format(
             self.root, self.gallery_id, self.gallery_token)
@@ -381,35 +401,6 @@ class ExhentaiGalleryExtractor(ExhentaiExtractor):
             raise exception.NotFoundError("image page")
         return page
 
-    def _check_limits(self, data):
-        if not self._remaining or data["num"] % 25 == 0:
-            self._update_limits()
-        self._remaining -= data["cost"]
-
-        if self._remaining <= 0:
-            ExhentaiExtractor.LIMIT = True
-            url = "{}/s/{}/{}-{}".format(
-                self.root, data["image_token"], self.gallery_id, data["num"])
-            raise exception.StopExtraction(
-                "Image limit reached! Continue with '%s' "
-                "as URL after resetting it.", url)
-
-    def _update_limits(self):
-        url = "https://e-hentai.org/home.php"
-        cookies = {
-            cookie.name: cookie.value
-            for cookie in self.session.cookies
-            if cookie.domain == self.cookiedomain and cookie.name != "igneous"
-        }
-
-        page = self.request(url, cookies=cookies).text
-        current, pos = text.extract(page, "<strong>", "</strong>")
-        maximum, pos = text.extract(page, "<strong>", "</strong>", pos)
-        if self._limit_max:
-            maximum = self._limit_max
-        self.log.debug("Image Limits: %s/%s", current, maximum)
-        self._remaining = text.parse_int(maximum) - text.parse_int(current)
-
     @staticmethod
     def _parse_image_info(url):
         for part in url.split("/")[4:]: