diff --git a/src/backend/src/modules/puterai/AIChatService.js b/src/backend/src/modules/puterai/AIChatService.js
index 56857c30..e995947d 100644
--- a/src/backend/src/modules/puterai/AIChatService.js
+++ b/src/backend/src/modules/puterai/AIChatService.js
@@ -406,16 +406,46 @@ class AIChatService extends BaseService {
 
                 // Updated: Check usage and get a boolean result instead of throwing error
                 const svc_cost = this.services.get('cost');
-                const usageAllowed = await svc_cost.get_funding_allowed();
-
+                const available = await svc_cost.get_available_amount();
+                const model_input_cost = this.detail_model_map[model_used].cost.input;
+                const model_output_cost = this.detail_model_map[model_used].cost.output;
+                const text = Messages.extract_text(parameters.messages);
+                const approximate_input_cost = text.length / 4 * model_input_cost;
+                const usageAllowed = await svc_cost.get_funding_allowed({
+                    available,
+                    minimum: approximate_input_cost,
+                });
+                
                 // Handle usage limits reached case
+                this.log.noticeme('DEBUGGING VALUES', {
+                    messages: parameters.messages,
+                    text,
+                    available,
+                    model_input_cost,
+                    model_output_cost,
+                    approximate_input_cost,
+                    usageAllowed,
+                })
                 if ( !usageAllowed ) {
-                    // The check_usage_ method has already updated the intended_service to 'usage-limited-chat'
+                    // The check_usage_ method has eady updated the intended_service to 'usage-limited-chat'
                     service_used = 'usage-limited-chat';
                     model_used = 'usage-limited';
                     // Update intended_service to match service_used
                     intended_service = service_used;
                 }
+                
+                const max_allowed_output_amount =
+                    available - approximate_input_cost;
+                
+                const max_allowed_output_tokens =
+                    max_allowed_output_amount / model_output_cost;
+                
+                parameters.max_tokens = Math.min(
+                    parameters.max_tokens ?? Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY,
+                    max_allowed_output_tokens,
+                );
+
+                this.log.noticeme('AI PARAMETERS', parameters);
 
                 try {
                     ret = await svc_driver.call_new_({
diff --git a/src/backend/src/modules/puterai/FakeChatService.js b/src/backend/src/modules/puterai/FakeChatService.js
index af1b1def..895bebeb 100644
--- a/src/backend/src/modules/puterai/FakeChatService.js
+++ b/src/backend/src/modules/puterai/FakeChatService.js
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ class FakeChatService extends BaseService {
             * @param {string} params.model - The model to use ('fake', 'costly', or 'abuse')
             * @returns {Object} A simulated chat completion response with Lorem Ipsum content
             */
-            async complete ({ messages, stream, model }) {
+            async complete ({ messages, stream, model, max_tokens }) {
                 const { LoremIpsum } = require('lorem-ipsum');
                 const li = new LoremIpsum({
                     sentencesPerParagraph: {
@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@ class FakeChatService extends BaseService {
                     }
                     
                     // Generate random output token count between 50 and 200
-                    outputTokens = Math.floor(Math.random() * 150) + 50;
+                    outputTokens = Math.floor(Math.min((Math.random() * 150)+50, max_tokens));
+                    // outputTokens = Math.floor(Math.random() * 150) + 50;
                 }
                 
                 // Generate the response text
diff --git a/src/backend/src/services/drivers/CostService.js b/src/backend/src/services/drivers/CostService.js
index a7ffe8b3..254ee76d 100644
--- a/src/backend/src/services/drivers/CostService.js
+++ b/src/backend/src/services/drivers/CostService.js
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ class CostService extends BaseService {
     }
 
     async get_funding_allowed (options = {}) {
+        return (options.available ?? await this.get_available_amount())
+            >= (options.minimum ?? 100);
+    }
+
+    async get_available_amount () {
         const cost_uuid = this.modules.uuidv4();
         const svc_event = this.services.get('event');
         const event = {
@@ -36,11 +41,8 @@ class CostService extends BaseService {
             cost_uuid,
         };
         await svc_event.emit('credit.check-available', event);
-
-        // specified minimum or 1/10th of a cent
-        const minimum = options.minimum ?? 100;
         
-        return event.available >= minimum;
+        return event.available;
     }
     async record_cost ({ cost }) {
         const svc_event = this.services.get('event');