diff --git a/client/__tests__/e2e/cellxgeneActions.ts b/client/__tests__/e2e/cellxgeneActions.ts
index 2abdd53ee..6192f01f9 100644
--- a/client/__tests__/e2e/cellxgeneActions.ts
+++ b/client/__tests__/e2e/cellxgeneActions.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,18 @@ export async function drag(testId: any, start: any, end: any, lasso = false) {
   await page.mouse.up();
 }
 
+export async function scroll({testId, deltaY, coords}: {testId: string, deltaY: number, coords: number[]}) {
+  const layout = await waitByID(testId);
+  if (layout){
+    const x = coords[0];
+    const y = coords[1];
+    await page.mouse.move(x, y);
+    await page.mouse.down();
+    await page.mouse.up();
+    await page.mouse.wheel({ deltaY });
+  }
+}
+
 export async function keyboardUndo() {
   await page.keyboard.down("MetaLeft");
   await page.keyboard.press("KeyZ");
diff --git a/client/__tests__/e2e/e2e.test.ts b/client/__tests__/e2e/e2e.test.ts
index 83e49aad6..838f81c75 100644
--- a/client/__tests__/e2e/e2e.test.ts
+++ b/client/__tests__/e2e/e2e.test.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import {
   calcDragCoordinates,
   calcTransformDragCoordinates,
   drag,
+  scroll,
   expandCategory,
   subset,
   createGeneset,
@@ -58,6 +59,8 @@ import {
 
 import { datasets } from "./data";
 
+import { scaleMax } from "../../src/util/camera";
+
 const BLUEPRINT_SKELETON_CLASS_NAME = Classes.SKELETON;
 
 // geneset CRUD
@@ -444,6 +447,32 @@ describe("graph overlay", () => {
   });
 });
 
+test("zoom limit is 12x", async () => {
+  await goToPage(pageUrl);
+
+  const category = Object.keys(data.categorical)[0];
+
+  await clickOn(`colorby-${category}`);
+  await clickOn("centroid-label-toggle");
+  await clickOn("mode-pan-zoom");
+
+
+  // @ts-expect-error ts-migrate(7053) FIXME: Element implicitly has an 'any' type because expre... Remove this comment to see the full error message
+  const categoryValue = Object.keys(data.categorical[category])[0];
+  const initialCoordinates = await getElementCoordinates(
+    `${categoryValue}-centroid-label`
+  );
+
+  await tryUntil(async () => {
+    await scroll({testId: "layout-graph", deltaY: -10000, coords: initialCoordinates});
+    await page.waitForTimeout(1000);
+    const newGraph = await page.waitForSelector("[data-test-id^=graph-wrapper-]")
+    const newGraphTestId = await newGraph?.evaluate((el) => el.getAttribute("data-test-id"))    
+    const newDistance = newGraphTestId?.split("distance=").at(-1);
+    expect(parseFloat(newDistance)).toBe(scaleMax);
+  });
+});
+
 test("pan zoom mode resets lasso selection", async () => {
   await goToPage(pageUrl);
 
diff --git a/client/src/components/graph/graph.tsx b/client/src/components/graph/graph.tsx
index f1a896a7a..7409ebcf4 100644
--- a/client/src/components/graph/graph.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/graph/graph.tsx
@@ -126,6 +126,8 @@ class Graph extends React.Component<{}, GraphState> {
     return !shallowEqual(props.watchProps, prevProps.watchProps);
   }
 
+  private graphRef = React.createRef<HTMLDivElement>();
+
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any --- FIXME: disabled temporarily on migrate to TS.
   cachedAsyncProps: any;
 
@@ -264,6 +266,11 @@ class Graph extends React.Component<{}, GraphState> {
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/explicit-module-boundary-types --- FIXME: disabled temporarily on migrate to TS.
   componentDidMount() {
     window.addEventListener("resize", this.handleResize);
+    if (this.graphRef.current) {
+      this.graphRef.current.addEventListener("wheel", this.disableScroll, {
+        passive: false,
+      });
+    }
   }
 
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/explicit-module-boundary-types, @typescript-eslint/ban-types --- FIXME: disabled temporarily on migrate to TS.
@@ -323,6 +330,9 @@ class Graph extends React.Component<{}, GraphState> {
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/explicit-module-boundary-types --- FIXME: disabled temporarily on migrate to TS.
   componentWillUnmount() {
     window.removeEventListener("resize", this.handleResize);
+    if (this.graphRef.current) {
+      this.graphRef.current.removeEventListener("wheel", this.disableScroll);
+    }
   }
 
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/explicit-module-boundary-types --- FIXME: disabled temporarily on migrate to TS.
@@ -496,6 +506,11 @@ class Graph extends React.Component<{}, GraphState> {
     });
   }
 
+  disableScroll = (event: WheelEvent) => {
+    // disables browser scrolling behavior when hovering over the graph
+    event.preventDefault();
+  };
+
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/explicit-module-boundary-types, @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any -- - FIXME: disabled temporarily on migrate to TS.
   setReglCanvas = (canvas: any) => {
     // Ignore null canvas on unmount
@@ -910,6 +925,7 @@ class Graph extends React.Component<{}, GraphState> {
     } = this.props;
     const { modelTF, projectionTF, camera, viewport, regl } = this.state;
     const cameraTF = camera?.view()?.slice();
+
     return (
       <div
         id="graph-wrapper"
@@ -918,6 +934,8 @@ class Graph extends React.Component<{}, GraphState> {
           top: 0,
           left: 0,
         }}
+        data-test-id={`graph-wrapper-distance=${camera?.distance()}`}
+        ref={this.graphRef}
       >
         <GraphOverlayLayer
           // @ts-expect-error ts-migrate(2322) FIXME: Type '{ children: Element; width: any; height: any... Remove this comment to see the full error message
diff --git a/client/src/util/camera.ts b/client/src/util/camera.ts
index 93353c280..1b1fb0816 100644
--- a/client/src/util/camera.ts
+++ b/client/src/util/camera.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ import clamp from "./clamp";
 const EPSILON = 0.000001;
 
 const scaleSpeed = 0.5;
-const scaleMax = 3.0;
+// exporting this for testing
+export const scaleMax = 12.0;
 const scaleMin = 0.5;
 const panBound = 0.8;