diff --git a/src/sentry/api/paginator.py b/src/sentry/api/paginator.py
index 6e01f307b95496..4c48b1fe8c4d25 100644
--- a/src/sentry/api/paginator.py
+++ b/src/sentry/api/paginator.py
@@ -295,8 +295,12 @@ def get_result(
         if self.on_results:
             results = self.on_results(results)
 
-        if count_hits:
-            hits = self.count_hits(max_hits=MAX_HITS_LIMIT)
+        if known_hits is not None:
+            hits = known_hits
+        elif count_hits:
+            if max_hits is None:
+                max_hits = MAX_HITS_LIMIT
+            hits = self.count_hits(max_hits)
         else:
             hits = None
 
diff --git a/src/sentry/workflow_engine/endpoints/serializers/workflow_group_history_serializer.py b/src/sentry/workflow_engine/endpoints/serializers/workflow_group_history_serializer.py
index 832399e70a5759..23ed916b565600 100644
--- a/src/sentry/workflow_engine/endpoints/serializers/workflow_group_history_serializer.py
+++ b/src/sentry/workflow_engine/endpoints/serializers/workflow_group_history_serializer.py
@@ -128,11 +128,14 @@ def fetch_workflow_groups_paginated(
         .annotate(detector_id=Subquery(group_max_dates.values("detector_id")))
     )
 
+    # Count distinct groups for pagination
+    group_count = qs.count()
+
     return cast(
         CursorResult[Group],
         OffsetPaginator(
             qs,
             order_by=("-count", "-last_triggered"),
             on_results=convert_results,
-        ).get_result(per_page, cursor, count_hits=True),
+        ).get_result(per_page, cursor, known_hits=group_count),
     )
diff --git a/tests/sentry/workflow_engine/endpoints/test_organization_workflow_group_history.py b/tests/sentry/workflow_engine/endpoints/test_organization_workflow_group_history.py
index 9e927aa7f82b95..b706dc7dc39707 100644
--- a/tests/sentry/workflow_engine/endpoints/test_organization_workflow_group_history.py
+++ b/tests/sentry/workflow_engine/endpoints/test_organization_workflow_group_history.py
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ def test_pagination(self) -> None:
             self.user,
             WorkflowGroupHistorySerializer(),
         )
-        assert resp["X-Hits"] == "4"
+        assert resp["X-Hits"] == "2"  # 2 unique groups, not 4 total history records
 
         resp = self.get_success_response(
             self.organization.slug,
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ def test_pagination(self) -> None:
             self.user,
             WorkflowGroupHistorySerializer(),
         )
-        assert resp["X-Hits"] == "4"
+        assert resp["X-Hits"] == "2"  # 2 unique groups, not 4 total history records
 
     def test_invalid_dates_error(self) -> None:
         self.get_error_response(