diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 1ec9d2a9cb..84bde3f025 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -376,9 +376,8 @@ ALLOW_API_KEY_REVEAL=false
 # NO_LOG_API_KEY_IDS=key_abc123,key_def456
 
 # Fallback per-day request budget applied to API keys whose `rate_limits`
-# column is null. Default (unset/empty/malformed) preserves the legacy
-# 1000/day, 5000/week, 20000/month windows so existing deployments do not
-# silently lose rate limiting on upgrade.
+# column is null. Default (unset/empty) is unlimited (no implicit caps).
+# Malformed values preserve the legacy 1000/day, 5000/week, 20000/month windows.
 # Set explicitly to "0" to opt out entirely (unlimited fallback). Any
 # positive integer N enables N/day, 5N/week, 20N/month.
 # Used by: src/shared/utils/apiKeyPolicy.ts — checkRateLimit() fallback.