Index: src/timeline.c
==================================================================
--- src/timeline.c
+++ src/timeline.c
@@ -1701,11 +1701,11 @@
     zLimit = find_option("count",0,1);
   }
   if( zLimit ){
     n = atoi(zLimit);
   }else{
-    n = 20;
+    n = -20;
   }
   if( g.argc>=4 ){
     k = strlen(g.argv[2]);
     if( strncmp(g.argv[2],"before",k)==0 ){
       mode = 1;
@@ -1778,13 +1778,16 @@
   }
   if( zType && (zType[0]!='a') ){
     blob_appendf(&sql, " AND event.type=%Q ", zType);
   }
   blob_appendf(&sql, " ORDER BY event.mtime DESC");
+  if(n>0){
+    blob_appendf(&sql, " LIMIT %d", n);
+  }
   db_prepare(&q, blob_str(&sql));
   blob_reset(&sql);
-  print_timeline(&q, n, verboseFlag);
+  print_timeline(&q, n<0?-n:0, verboseFlag);
   db_finalize(&q);
 }
 
 /*
 ** This is a version of the "localtime()" function from the standard