diff --git a/zerver/tests/test_message_fetch.py b/zerver/tests/test_message_fetch.py
index cb6c44dc85..ebfb460586 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/test_message_fetch.py
+++ b/zerver/tests/test_message_fetch.py
@@ -3655,13 +3655,16 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(ZulipTestCase):
         )
         self.assertEqual(final_dict["content"], "<p>test content</p>")
 
-    def common_check_get_messages_query(
-        self, query_params: Dict[str, object], expected: str
-    ) -> None:
+    def common_check_get_messages_query(self, query_params: Dict[str, Any], expected: str) -> None:
         user_profile = self.example_user("hamlet")
         request = HostRequestMock(query_params, user_profile)
         with queries_captured() as queries:
-            get_messages_backend(request, user_profile)
+            get_messages_backend(
+                request,
+                user_profile,
+                num_before=query_params["num_before"],
+                num_after=query_params["num_after"],
+            )
 
         for query in queries:
             sql = str(query.sql)
@@ -3721,7 +3724,12 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(ZulipTestCase):
         )
         request = HostRequestMock(query_params, user_profile)
 
-        payload = get_messages_backend(request, user_profile)
+        payload = get_messages_backend(
+            request,
+            user_profile,
+            num_before=10,
+            num_after=10,
+        )
         result = orjson.loads(payload.content)
         self.assertEqual(result["anchor"], first_message_id)
         self.assertEqual(result["found_newest"], True)
@@ -3758,7 +3766,12 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(ZulipTestCase):
         )
         request = HostRequestMock(query_params, user_profile)
 
-        payload = get_messages_backend(request, user_profile)
+        payload = get_messages_backend(
+            request,
+            user_profile,
+            num_before=10,
+            num_after=10,
+        )
         result = orjson.loads(payload.content)
         self.assertEqual(result["anchor"], first_message_id)
 
@@ -3771,7 +3784,12 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(ZulipTestCase):
         )
         request = HostRequestMock(query_params, user_profile)
 
-        payload = get_messages_backend(request, user_profile)
+        payload = get_messages_backend(
+            request,
+            user_profile,
+            num_before=10,
+            num_after=10,
+        )
         result = orjson.loads(payload.content)
         self.assertEqual(result["anchor"], 0)
 
@@ -3785,7 +3803,12 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(ZulipTestCase):
         )
         request = HostRequestMock(query_params, user_profile)
 
-        payload = get_messages_backend(request, user_profile)
+        payload = get_messages_backend(
+            request,
+            user_profile,
+            num_before=10,
+            num_after=10,
+        )
         result = orjson.loads(payload.content)
         self.assertEqual(result["anchor"], LARGER_THAN_MAX_MESSAGE_ID)
 
@@ -3799,7 +3822,12 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(ZulipTestCase):
         )
         request = HostRequestMock(query_params, user_profile)
 
-        payload = get_messages_backend(request, user_profile)
+        payload = get_messages_backend(
+            request,
+            user_profile,
+            num_before=10,
+            num_after=10,
+        )
         result = orjson.loads(payload.content)
         self.assertEqual(result["anchor"], 0)
 
@@ -3813,7 +3841,12 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(ZulipTestCase):
         )
         request = HostRequestMock(query_params, user_profile)
 
-        payload = get_messages_backend(request, user_profile)
+        payload = get_messages_backend(
+            request,
+            user_profile,
+            num_before=10,
+            num_after=10,
+        )
         result = orjson.loads(payload.content)
         self.assertEqual(result["anchor"], LARGER_THAN_MAX_MESSAGE_ID)
 
@@ -3842,7 +3875,12 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(ZulipTestCase):
         request = HostRequestMock(query_params, user_profile)
 
         with queries_captured() as all_queries:
-            get_messages_backend(request, user_profile)
+            get_messages_backend(
+                request,
+                user_profile,
+                num_before=10,
+                num_after=10,
+            )
 
         # Verify the query for old messages looks correct.
         queries = [q for q in all_queries if "/* get_messages */" in q.sql]
@@ -3889,7 +3927,12 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(ZulipTestCase):
         first_visible_message_id = first_unread_message_id + 2
         with first_visible_id_as(first_visible_message_id):
             with queries_captured() as all_queries:
-                get_messages_backend(request, user_profile)
+                get_messages_backend(
+                    request,
+                    user_profile,
+                    num_before=10,
+                    num_after=10,
+                )
 
         queries = [q for q in all_queries if "/* get_messages */" in q.sql]
         self.assert_length(queries, 1)
@@ -3913,7 +3956,12 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(ZulipTestCase):
         request = HostRequestMock(query_params, user_profile)
 
         with queries_captured() as all_queries:
-            get_messages_backend(request, user_profile)
+            get_messages_backend(
+                request,
+                user_profile,
+                num_before=10,
+                num_after=10,
+            )
 
         queries = [q for q in all_queries if "/* get_messages */" in q.sql]
         self.assert_length(queries, 1)
@@ -3927,7 +3975,12 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(ZulipTestCase):
         first_visible_message_id = 5
         with first_visible_id_as(first_visible_message_id):
             with queries_captured() as all_queries:
-                get_messages_backend(request, user_profile)
+                get_messages_backend(
+                    request,
+                    user_profile,
+                    num_before=10,
+                    num_after=10,
+                )
             queries = [q for q in all_queries if "/* get_messages */" in q.sql]
             sql = queries[0].sql
             self.assertNotIn("AND message_id <=", sql)
@@ -3966,7 +4019,12 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(ZulipTestCase):
         request = HostRequestMock(query_params, user_profile)
 
         with queries_captured() as all_queries:
-            get_messages_backend(request, user_profile)
+            get_messages_backend(
+                request,
+                user_profile,
+                num_before=0,
+                num_after=0,
+            )
 
         # Do some tests on the main query, to verify the muting logic
         # runs on this code path.
diff --git a/zilencer/management/commands/profile_request.py b/zilencer/management/commands/profile_request.py
index 40f6071cd1..92e9e58714 100644
--- a/zilencer/management/commands/profile_request.py
+++ b/zilencer/management/commands/profile_request.py
@@ -21,9 +21,16 @@ class MockSession(SessionBase):
         self.modified = False
 
 
-def profile_request(request: HttpRequest) -> HttpResponseBase:
+def profile_request(request: HttpRequest, num_before: int, num_after: int) -> HttpResponseBase:
     def get_response(request: HttpRequest) -> HttpResponseBase:
-        return prof.runcall(get_messages_backend, request, request.user, apply_markdown=True)
+        return prof.runcall(
+            get_messages_backend,
+            request,
+            request.user,
+            num_before=num_before,
+            num_after=num_after,
+            apply_markdown=True,
+        )
 
     prof = cProfile.Profile()
     with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(prefix="profile.data.", delete=False) as stats_file:
@@ -58,4 +65,4 @@ class Command(ZulipBaseCommand):
         mock_request.session = MockSession()
         RequestNotes.get_notes(mock_request).log_data = None
 
-        profile_request(mock_request)
+        profile_request(mock_request, num_before=1200, num_after=200)