diff --git a/pkg/gui/context/sub_commits_context.go b/pkg/gui/context/sub_commits_context.go
index 4070f0390..5fdea8e6d 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/context/sub_commits_context.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/context/sub_commits_context.go
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ func NewSubCommitsContext(
 ) *SubCommitsContext {
 	viewModel := &SubCommitsViewModel{
 		BasicViewModel: NewBasicViewModel(getModel),
-		refName:        "",
+		ref:            nil,
+		limitCommits:   true,
 	}
 
 	return &SubCommitsContext{
@@ -60,12 +61,18 @@ func NewSubCommitsContext(
 
 type SubCommitsViewModel struct {
 	// name of the ref that the sub-commits are shown for
-	refName string
+	ref types.Ref
 	*BasicViewModel[*models.Commit]
+
+	limitCommits bool
 }
 
-func (self *SubCommitsViewModel) SetRefName(refName string) {
-	self.refName = refName
+func (self *SubCommitsViewModel) SetRef(ref types.Ref) {
+	self.ref = ref
+}
+
+func (self *SubCommitsViewModel) GetRef() types.Ref {
+	return self.ref
 }
 
 func (self *SubCommitsContext) GetSelectedItemId() string {
@@ -94,5 +101,13 @@ func (self *SubCommitsContext) GetCommits() []*models.Commit {
 }
 
 func (self *SubCommitsContext) Title() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf(self.c.Tr.SubCommitsDynamicTitle, utils.TruncateWithEllipsis(self.refName, 50))
+	return fmt.Sprintf(self.c.Tr.SubCommitsDynamicTitle, utils.TruncateWithEllipsis(self.ref.RefName(), 50))
+}
+
+func (self *SubCommitsContext) SetLimitCommits(value bool) {
+	self.limitCommits = value
+}
+
+func (self *SubCommitsContext) GetLimitCommits() bool {
+	return self.limitCommits
 }
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers.go b/pkg/gui/controllers.go
index d7f6647c7..80b7d9e80 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers.go
@@ -133,7 +133,12 @@ func (gui *Gui) resetControllers() {
 	patchBuildingController := controllers.NewPatchBuildingController(common)
 	snakeController := controllers.NewSnakeController(common, func() *snake.Game { return gui.snakeGame })
 
-	setSubCommits := func(commits []*models.Commit) { gui.State.Model.SubCommits = commits }
+	setSubCommits := func(commits []*models.Commit) {
+		gui.Mutexes.SubCommitsMutex.Lock()
+		defer gui.Mutexes.SubCommitsMutex.Unlock()
+
+		gui.State.Model.SubCommits = commits
+	}
 
 	for _, context := range []controllers.CanSwitchToSubCommits{
 		gui.State.Contexts.Branches,
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/switch_to_sub_commits_controller.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/switch_to_sub_commits_controller.go
index dfc538ee8..2e9d25e09 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/switch_to_sub_commits_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/switch_to_sub_commits_controller.go
@@ -75,7 +75,8 @@ func (self *SwitchToSubCommitsController) viewCommits() error {
 	self.contexts.SubCommits.SetParentContext(self.context)
 	self.contexts.SubCommits.SetWindowName(self.context.GetWindowName())
 	self.contexts.SubCommits.SetTitleRef(ref.Description())
-	self.contexts.SubCommits.SetRefName(ref.RefName())
+	self.contexts.SubCommits.SetRef(ref)
+	self.contexts.SubCommits.SetLimitCommits(true)
 
 	err = self.c.PostRefreshUpdate(self.contexts.SubCommits)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/gui/gui.go b/pkg/gui/gui.go
index bcc3400e3..3dcf146dc 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/gui.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/gui.go
@@ -380,6 +380,7 @@ func NewGui(
 			RefreshingStatusMutex: &deadlock.Mutex{},
 			SyncMutex:             &deadlock.Mutex{},
 			LocalCommitsMutex:     &deadlock.Mutex{},
+			SubCommitsMutex:       &deadlock.Mutex{},
 			SubprocessMutex:       &deadlock.Mutex{},
 			PopupMutex:            &deadlock.Mutex{},
 			PtyMutex:              &deadlock.Mutex{},
diff --git a/pkg/gui/list_context_config.go b/pkg/gui/list_context_config.go
index 71308f90d..a6cc8c42b 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/list_context_config.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/list_context_config.go
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ func (gui *Gui) subCommitsListContext() *context.SubCommitsContext {
 				false,
 			)
 		},
-		nil,
+		OnFocusWrapper(gui.onSubCommitFocus),
 		gui.withDiffModeCheck(gui.subCommitsRenderToMain),
 		nil,
 		gui.c,
diff --git a/pkg/gui/refresh.go b/pkg/gui/refresh.go
index 7f7dc4829..9ee5ea0bd 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/refresh.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/refresh.go
@@ -722,3 +722,25 @@ func (gui *Gui) refreshMergePanel(isFocused bool) error {
 		},
 	})
 }
+
+func (gui *Gui) refreshSubCommitsWithLimit() error {
+	gui.Mutexes.SubCommitsMutex.Lock()
+	defer gui.Mutexes.SubCommitsMutex.Unlock()
+
+	context := gui.State.Contexts.SubCommits
+
+	commits, err := gui.git.Loaders.CommitLoader.GetCommits(
+		git_commands.GetCommitsOptions{
+			Limit:                context.GetLimitCommits(),
+			FilterPath:           gui.State.Modes.Filtering.GetPath(),
+			IncludeRebaseCommits: false,
+			RefName:              context.GetRef().FullRefName(),
+		},
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	gui.State.Model.SubCommits = commits
+
+	return gui.c.PostRefreshUpdate(gui.State.Contexts.SubCommits)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/gui/sub_commits_panel.go b/pkg/gui/sub_commits_panel.go
index f68678008..bcc63bbb7 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/sub_commits_panel.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/sub_commits_panel.go
@@ -1,9 +1,26 @@
 package gui
 
-import "github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/gui/types"
+import (
+	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/gui/types"
+	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/utils"
+)
 
 // list panel functions
 
+func (gui *Gui) onSubCommitFocus() error {
+	context := gui.State.Contexts.SubCommits
+	if context.GetSelectedLineIdx() > COMMIT_THRESHOLD && context.GetLimitCommits() {
+		context.SetLimitCommits(false)
+		go utils.Safe(func() {
+			if err := gui.refreshSubCommitsWithLimit(); err != nil {
+				_ = gui.c.Error(err)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (gui *Gui) subCommitsRenderToMain() error {
 	commit := gui.State.Contexts.SubCommits.GetSelected()
 	var task types.UpdateTask
diff --git a/pkg/gui/types/common.go b/pkg/gui/types/common.go
index a55ead4da..aeb1da4c0 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/types/common.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/types/common.go
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ type Mutexes struct {
 	RefreshingStatusMutex *deadlock.Mutex
 	SyncMutex             *deadlock.Mutex
 	LocalCommitsMutex     *deadlock.Mutex
+	SubCommitsMutex       *deadlock.Mutex
 	SubprocessMutex       *deadlock.Mutex
 	PopupMutex            *deadlock.Mutex
 	PtyMutex              *deadlock.Mutex