diff --git a/plugins/observability/langfuse/__init__.py b/plugins/observability/langfuse/__init__.py
index edd7f3cca9..d5b83d1d6a 100644
--- a/plugins/observability/langfuse/__init__.py
+++ b/plugins/observability/langfuse/__init__.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import atexit
 import contextlib
+import functools
 import json
 import logging
 import os
@@ -383,18 +384,26 @@ def _normalize_payload(value: Any, *, tool_name: str = "", args: Any = None) ->
     return normalized
 
 
+@functools.lru_cache(maxsize=8)
+def _resolve_max_depth(configured_depth: str) -> int:
+    """Parse ``HERMES_LANGFUSE_MAX_DEPTH``; an invalid value warns ONCE per distinct value.
+    Cached on the raw string (not at import) so a long-lived process still picks up a changed
+    env var, while a bad value no longer logs one warning per captured prompt/tool payload."""
+    try:
+        max_depth = int(configured_depth)
+        if max_depth < 0:
+            raise ValueError
+        return max_depth
+    except ValueError:
+        logger.warning("Invalid HERMES_LANGFUSE_MAX_DEPTH=%r; use a non-negative integer. Falling back to 4.", configured_depth)
+        return 4
+
+
 def _safe_value(value: Any, *, max_chars: Optional[int] = None, depth: int = 0,
                 parse_json_strings: bool = False, max_depth: Optional[int] = None) -> Any:
     max_chars = max_chars if max_chars is not None else int(_env("HERMES_LANGFUSE_MAX_CHARS", "12000") or "12000")
     if max_depth is None:
-        configured_depth = _env("HERMES_LANGFUSE_MAX_DEPTH", "4") or "4"
-        try:
-            max_depth = int(configured_depth)
-            if max_depth < 0:
-                raise ValueError
-        except ValueError:
-            logger.warning("Invalid HERMES_LANGFUSE_MAX_DEPTH=%r; use a non-negative integer. Falling back to 4.", configured_depth)
-            max_depth = 4
+        max_depth = _resolve_max_depth(_env("HERMES_LANGFUSE_MAX_DEPTH", "4") or "4")
     if depth > max_depth:
         return "<max-depth>"
     if value is None or isinstance(value, (int, float, bool)):
diff --git a/tests/plugins/test_langfuse_max_depth.py b/tests/plugins/test_langfuse_max_depth.py
index d57a100bae..91691e50bb 100644
--- a/tests/plugins/test_langfuse_max_depth.py
+++ b/tests/plugins/test_langfuse_max_depth.py
@@ -49,3 +49,22 @@ def test_invalid_max_depth_warns_and_preserves_default_capture(monkeypatch, capl
     assert len(caplog.records) == 1
     assert "HERMES_LANGFUSE_MAX_DEPTH" in caplog.text
     assert "non-negative integer" in caplog.text
+
+
+def test_invalid_max_depth_warns_once_per_value_not_per_payload(monkeypatch, caplog):
+    """A bad ``HERMES_LANGFUSE_MAX_DEPTH`` must not log one warning per captured prompt/tool payload
+    for the life of the process; a changed (still bad) value gets its own single warning."""
+    plugin = importlib.import_module("plugins.observability.langfuse")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_LANGFUSE_CAPTURE", "full")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_LANGFUSE_MAX_DEPTH", "abc")
+    payload = {"result": {"data": [{"index": 0}]}}
+
+    for _ in range(5):
+        plugin._capture_content(payload)
+        plugin._capture_content(payload, tool_result_of=("example", {}))
+    assert sum("HERMES_LANGFUSE_MAX_DEPTH" in r.getMessage() for r in caplog.records) == 1
+
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_LANGFUSE_MAX_DEPTH", "-7")
+    for _ in range(3):
+        plugin._capture_content(payload)
+    assert sum("HERMES_LANGFUSE_MAX_DEPTH" in r.getMessage() for r in caplog.records) == 2