diff --git a/docs/core-concepts/browser-interaction.mdx b/docs/core-concepts/browser-interaction.mdx
index 25c0543a..301953f2 100644
--- a/docs/core-concepts/browser-interaction.mdx
+++ b/docs/core-concepts/browser-interaction.mdx
@@ -59,6 +59,54 @@ await agent.act('create a new task', {
 });
 ```
 
+### Controlling Execution Steps
+
+By default, each `act()` call is limited to 100 steps to prevent infinite loops. You can adjust this limit based on task complexity:
+
+```typescript
+// Simple task with default limit
+await agent.act('click the submit button');
+
+// Complex task that needs more steps
+await agent.act('fill out the entire application form', {
+    maxSteps: 200
+});
+
+// Very simple task with reduced limit
+await agent.act('close the modal', {
+    maxSteps: 3
+});
+```
+
+The agent will emit a warning event if it reaches the maximum steps without completing the task, which can help identify tasks that need adjustment or debugging.
+
+### Memory Persistence
+
+By default, each `act()` call starts with a fresh memory context. For tasks that build upon previous actions, you can enable memory persistence:
+
+```typescript
+// First action creates some state
+await agent.act('open the settings panel', {
+    reuseMemory: true  // Start persistent memory
+});
+
+// Subsequent actions remember previous context
+await agent.act('navigate to the security tab', {
+    reuseMemory: true  // Continues with memory from previous act()
+});
+
+await agent.act('enable two-factor authentication', {
+    reuseMemory: true  // Still has context from all previous actions
+});
+```
+
+This is particularly useful for:
+- Multi-step workflows where context matters
+- Complex interactions that reference previous actions
+- Test scenarios that need to maintain state across steps
+
+Note: Memory is only persisted within the same agent instance. Creating a new agent starts fresh.
+
 ## Navigating Directly
 
 While the agent is capable of navigating to URLs on its own, you may sometimes want to navigate to a specific URL directly.
diff --git a/docs/reference/browser-agent.mdx b/docs/reference/browser-agent.mdx
index a9e7c6ec..30db183d 100644
--- a/docs/reference/browser-agent.mdx
+++ b/docs/reference/browser-agent.mdx
@@ -112,6 +112,30 @@ await agent.act("Enter {username} into the user field", {
   <ResponseField name="prompt" type="string">
     - **`string`**: Provide additional instructions for the LLM. These are injected into the system prompt.
   </ResponseField>
+  <ResponseField name="maxSteps" type="number">
+    Maximum number of steps the agent can take for this specific task. Defaults to 100. This prevents infinite loops and provides predictable resource usage.
+    
+    ```typescript
+    // Allow more steps for complex tasks
+    await agent.act("Complete the entire checkout process", {
+      maxSteps: 200
+    });
+    ```
+  </ResponseField>
+  <ResponseField name="reuseMemory" type="boolean">
+    When true, reuses memory from previous act() calls within the same agent instance. This allows the agent to maintain context across multiple tasks. Defaults to false.
+    
+    ```typescript
+    // Enable memory persistence for related tasks
+    await agent.act("Log into the application", {
+      reuseMemory: true
+    });
+    
+    await agent.act("Navigate to the dashboard", {
+      reuseMemory: true  // Remembers the login context
+    });
+    ```
+  </ResponseField>
 </Expandable>
 
 ### `nav(url: string)`
diff --git a/docs/reference/test-declaration.mdx b/docs/reference/test-declaration.mdx
index 5a43326f..8f12ba18 100644
--- a/docs/reference/test-declaration.mdx
+++ b/docs/reference/test-declaration.mdx
@@ -44,27 +44,48 @@ Defines a new test case.
   </ResponseField>
 </Expandable>
 
-## `test.group(id, options?, groupFn)`
-
-Defines a group of test cases, allowing shared options (like `url`) to be applied to all tests within the group.
-
 <RequestExample>
-```typescript Group Example
+```typescript Example with maxSteps
 import { test } from 'magnitude-test';
 
-test.group('User Authentication Flow', { url: '/login' }, () => {
-  test('should display login form', async (agent) => {
-    await agent.check("Login form is visible");
-  });
+test('should handle complex checkout flow', async (agent) => {
+    await agent.act('add items to cart and proceed to checkout', {
+        maxSteps: 200 // Allow more steps for multi-stage process
+    });
+    await agent.check('order confirmation is displayed');
+});
 
-  test('should allow login with valid credentials', async (agent) => {
-    await agent.act("Log in with valid credentials");
-    await agent.check("User is redirected to dashboard");
-  });
+```typescript Example with memory persistence
+import { test } from 'magnitude-test';
+
+test('should complete multi-step user onboarding', async (agent) => {
+    // Step 1: Initial setup
+    await agent.act('fill out basic profile information', {
+        maxSteps: 50,
+        reuseMemory: true  // Start persistent memory
+    });
+    
+    // Step 2: Uses context from step 1
+    await agent.act('select preferences based on my profile', {
+        maxSteps: 30,
+        reuseMemory: true  // Continues with previous context
+    });
+    
+    // Step 3: Final verification with all context
+    await agent.act('review and confirm all my selections', {
+        maxSteps: 20,
+        reuseMemory: true  // Has full context from steps 1 & 2
+    });
+    
+    await agent.check('onboarding completed successfully');
 });
 ```
 </RequestExample>
 
+## `test.group(id, options?, groupFn)`
+
+Defines a group of test cases, allowing shared options (like `url`) to be applied to all tests within the group.
+
 <ParamField path="id" type="string" required>
   A descriptive identifier for the test group.
 </ParamField>
@@ -82,3 +103,20 @@ test.group('User Authentication Flow', { url: '/login' }, () => {
 <ParamField path="groupFn" type="() => void" required>
   A synchronous function that contains the `test()` declarations belonging to this group.
 </ParamField>
+
+<RequestExample>
+```typescript Group Example
+import { test } from 'magnitude-test';
+
+test.group('User Authentication Flow', { url: '/login' }, () => {
+  test('should display login form', async (agent) => {
+    await agent.check("Login form is visible");
+  });
+
+  test('should allow login with valid credentials', async (agent) => {
+    await agent.act("Log in with valid credentials");
+    await agent.check("User is redirected to dashboard");
+  });
+});
+```
+</RequestExample>
diff --git a/packages/magnitude-core/src/agent/index.ts b/packages/magnitude-core/src/agent/index.ts
index a99bd715..a4e5a9d2 100644
--- a/packages/magnitude-core/src/agent/index.ts
+++ b/packages/magnitude-core/src/agent/index.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import { retryOnError } from '@/common';
 import { renderContentParts } from '@/memory/rendering';
 import { MultiModelHarness } from '@/ai/multiModelHarness';
 
+const DEFAULT_MAX_STEPS = 100;
 
 export interface AgentOptions {
     llm?: LLMClient | LLMClient[];
@@ -32,8 +33,10 @@ export interface AgentOptions {
 export interface ActOptions {
     prompt?: string // additional task-level system prompt instructions
     // TODO: reimpl, or maybe for tc agent specifically
-	data?: RenderableContent,//string | Record<string, string>
-    memory?: AgentMemory,// optional memory starting point
+    data?: RenderableContent //string | Record<string, string>
+    memory?: AgentMemory // optional memory starting point
+    maxSteps?: number; // Maximum number of steps for this act() call (default: 100)
+    reuseMemory?: boolean; // Reuse memory from previous act() calls within the same agent instance
 }
 
 // Options for the startAgent helper function
@@ -72,7 +75,8 @@ export class Agent {
     //public readonly memory: AgentMemory;
     private doneActing: boolean;
 
-    protected latestTaskMemory: AgentMemory;// | null = null;
+    protected latestTaskMemory: AgentMemory;
+    private persistentMemory?: AgentMemory; // Memory that persists across act() calls when reuseMemory is true
 
     constructor(baseConfig: Partial<AgentOptions> = {}) {
         this.options = {
@@ -114,7 +118,7 @@ export class Agent {
 
         //this.model = new ModelHarness({ llm: this.options.llm });
         this.models = new MultiModelHarness(llms);
-        this.models.events.on('tokensUsed', (usage) => this.events.emit('tokensUsed', usage), this);
+        this.models.events.on('tokensUsed', (usage: any) => this.events.emit('tokensUsed', usage), this);
         this.doneActing = false;
 
         this.memoryOptions = {
@@ -242,7 +246,38 @@ export class Agent {
             ...(this.options.prompt ? [this.options.prompt] : []),
             ...(options.prompt ? [options.prompt] : []),
         ].join('\n');
-        const taskMemory = options.memory ?? new AgentMemory({ ...this.memoryOptions, instructions: instructions === '' ? undefined : instructions });
+        
+        let taskMemory: AgentMemory;
+        
+        // First priority: use provided memory if available
+        if (options.memory) {
+            taskMemory = options.memory;
+            // Optionally save for future reuse if requested
+            if (options.reuseMemory) {
+                this.persistentMemory = taskMemory;
+                logger.debug('Using provided memory and saving for future reuse');
+            }
+        } 
+        // Second priority: reuse persistent memory if requested
+        else if (options.reuseMemory && this.persistentMemory) {
+            // Reuse existing memory for this execution
+            taskMemory = this.persistentMemory;
+            logger.debug('Reusing persistent memory from previous act() calls');
+        } 
+        // Default: create new memory
+        else {
+            // Create new memory
+            taskMemory = new AgentMemory({ 
+                ...this.memoryOptions, 
+                instructions: instructions === '' ? undefined : instructions 
+            });
+            
+            // Save for future reuse if requested
+            if (options.reuseMemory) {
+                this.persistentMemory = taskMemory;
+                logger.debug('Created new persistent memory for future reuse');
+            }
+        }
 
         if (Array.isArray(taskOrSteps)) {
             const steps = taskOrSteps;
@@ -304,7 +339,10 @@ export class Agent {
 
     async _act(description: string, memory: AgentMemory, options: ActOptions = {}): Promise<void> {
         this.doneActing = false;
-        logger.info(`Act: ${description}`);
+        const maxSteps = options.maxSteps ?? DEFAULT_MAX_STEPS; // Default to 100 steps
+        let currentStep = 0;
+        
+        logger.info(`Act: ${description} (max steps: ${maxSteps})`);
 
         // for now simply add data to task
         let dataContentParts: MultiMediaContentPart[] = [];
@@ -334,9 +372,9 @@ export class Agent {
         await this._recordConnectorObservations(memory);
         logger.info("Initial observations recorded");
 
-        while (true) {
+        while (!this.doneActing && currentStep < maxSteps) {
             // Removed direct screenshot/tabState access here; it's part of memoryContext via connectors
-            logger.info(`Creating partial recipe`);
+            logger.info(`Creating partial recipe (step ${currentStep + 1}/${maxSteps})`);
 
             let reasoning: string = "";
             let actions: Action[] = [];
@@ -406,9 +444,16 @@ export class Agent {
             if (this.doneActing) {
                 break;
             }
+            
+            currentStep++;
+        }
+        
+        if (currentStep >= maxSteps && !this.doneActing) {
+            logger.warn(`Reached maximum steps limit (${maxSteps}) without completing task: ${description}`);
+            this.events.emit('maxStepsReached', description, maxSteps);
         }
 
-        logger.info(`Done with step`);
+        logger.info(`Done with step after ${currentStep} steps`);
         //this.events.emit('stepSuccess');
         //this.currentTaskMemory = null;
     }
diff --git a/packages/magnitude-core/src/agent/narrator.ts b/packages/magnitude-core/src/agent/narrator.ts
index c2f70ef5..3619e9f2 100644
--- a/packages/magnitude-core/src/agent/narrator.ts
+++ b/packages/magnitude-core/src/agent/narrator.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { Action } from '@/actions/types';
 import { ActOptions, Agent } from '@/agent';
-import { blueBright, bold, cyanBright, gray } from 'ansis';
+import { blueBright, bold, cyanBright, gray, yellow } from 'ansis';
 import { BrowserAgent } from './browserAgent';
 import { z } from 'zod';
 
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ export function narrateAgent(agent: Agent) {
         const actionDefinition = agent.identifyAction(action);
         console.log(bold`  ${actionDefinition.render(action)}`);
     });
+    
+    agent.events.on('maxStepsReached', (task: string, maxSteps: number) => {
+        console.log(yellow(bold(`⚠ [warning] Reached maximum steps limit (${maxSteps}) for task: "${task}"`)));
+    });
 }
 
 export function narrateBrowserAgent(agent: BrowserAgent) {
diff --git a/packages/magnitude-core/src/common/events.ts b/packages/magnitude-core/src/common/events.ts
index b3854348..2d6a33ac 100644
--- a/packages/magnitude-core/src/common/events.ts
+++ b/packages/magnitude-core/src/common/events.ts
@@ -20,4 +20,5 @@ export interface AgentEvents {
     'actionDone': (action: Action) => void;
 
     'tokensUsed': (usage: ModelUsage) => void;
+    'maxStepsReached': (task: string, maxSteps: number) => void;
 }
\ No newline at end of file