diff --git a/clipmenu b/clipmenu
index 08b0774..f22990a 100755
--- a/clipmenu
+++ b/clipmenu
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 : "${CM_LAUNCHER=dmenu}"
 : "${CM_DIR="${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR-"${TMPDIR-/tmp}"}"}"
+: "${CM_HISTLENGTH=8}"
 
 major_version=5
 
@@ -44,12 +45,8 @@ if [[ "$CM_LAUNCHER" == rofi-script ]]; then
         chosen_line="${@: -1}"
     fi
 else
-    # It's okay to hardcode `-l 8` here as a sensible default without checking
-    # whether `-l` is also in "$@", because the way that dmenu works allows a later
-    # argument to override an earlier one. That is, if the user passes in `-l`, our
-    # one will be ignored.
     chosen_line=$(
-        list_clips | "$CM_LAUNCHER" -l 8 "$@"
+        list_clips | "$CM_LAUNCHER" -l "${CM_HISTLENGTH}" "$@"
     )
 fi