diff --git a/p2p/host/resource-manager/limit_defaults.go b/p2p/host/resource-manager/limit_defaults.go
index c111943438..9ef442e44b 100644
--- a/p2p/host/resource-manager/limit_defaults.go
+++ b/p2p/host/resource-manager/limit_defaults.go
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ func (l *LimitVal) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) error {
 	if val == 0 {
 		// If there is an explicit 0 in the JSON we should interpret this as block all.
 		*l = BlockAllLimit
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	*l = LimitVal(val)
@@ -215,6 +216,12 @@ func (l *LimitVal64) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to unmarshal limit value: %w", err)
 		}
 
+		if val == 0 {
+			// If there is an explicit 0 in the JSON we should interpret this as block all.
+			*l = BlockAllLimit64
+			return nil
+		}
+
 		*l = LimitVal64(val)
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -223,8 +230,14 @@ func (l *LimitVal64) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	*l = LimitVal64(i)
 
+	if i == 0 {
+		// If there is an explicit 0 in the JSON we should interpret this as block all.
+		*l = BlockAllLimit64
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	*l = LimitVal64(i)
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/p2p/host/resource-manager/limit_test.go b/p2p/host/resource-manager/limit_test.go
index 1bf5103c59..a719f845d4 100644
--- a/p2p/host/resource-manager/limit_test.go
+++ b/p2p/host/resource-manager/limit_test.go
@@ -227,3 +227,24 @@ func TestSerializeJSON(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.Equal(t, "{\"Streams\":10}", string(out))
 }
+
+func TestWhatIsZeroInResourceLimits(t *testing.T) {
+	l := ResourceLimits{
+		Streams: BlockAllLimit,
+		Memory:  BlockAllLimit64,
+	}
+
+	out, err := json.Marshal(l)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, `{"Streams":"blockAll","Memory":"blockAll"}`, string(out))
+
+	l2 := ResourceLimits{}
+	err = json.Unmarshal([]byte(`{"Streams":0,"Memory":0}`), &l2)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, l, l2)
+
+	l3 := ResourceLimits{}
+	err = json.Unmarshal([]byte(`{"Streams":0,"Memory":"0"}`), &l3)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, l, l3)
+}