diff --git a/src/providers/postgres/qgspostgresfeatureiterator.cpp b/src/providers/postgres/qgspostgresfeatureiterator.cpp
index 0ecf3e09595c..82cd6d32609d 100644
--- a/src/providers/postgres/qgspostgresfeatureiterator.cpp
+++ b/src/providers/postgres/qgspostgresfeatureiterator.cpp
@@ -132,7 +132,11 @@ bool QgsPostgresFeatureIterator::nextFeature( QgsFeature& feature )
     QgsDebugMsg( QString( "Finished after %1 features" ).arg( mFetched ) );
     close();
 
-    if ( P->mFeaturesCounted < mFetched )
+    /* only updates the feature count if it was already once.
+     * Otherwise, this would lead to false feature count if
+     * an existing project is open at a restrictive extent.
+     */
+    if ( P->mFeaturesCounted > 0 && P->mFeaturesCounted < mFetched )
     {
       QgsDebugMsg( QString( "feature count adjusted from %1 to %2" ).arg( P->mFeaturesCounted ).arg( mFetched ) );
       P->mFeaturesCounted = mFetched;
diff --git a/src/providers/postgres/qgspostgresprovider.cpp b/src/providers/postgres/qgspostgresprovider.cpp
index 91ab32c64aca..113c99d1acf2 100644
--- a/src/providers/postgres/qgspostgresprovider.cpp
+++ b/src/providers/postgres/qgspostgresprovider.cpp
@@ -1779,7 +1779,8 @@ bool QgsPostgresProvider::addFeatures( QgsFeatureList &flist )
     mConnectionRW->PQexecNR( "DEALLOCATE addfeatures" );
     mConnectionRW->PQexecNR( "COMMIT" );
 
-    mFeaturesCounted += flist.size();
+    if ( mFeaturesCounted >= 0 )
+      mFeaturesCounted += flist.size();
   }
   catch ( PGException &e )
   {
@@ -1835,8 +1836,8 @@ bool QgsPostgresProvider::deleteFeatures( const QgsFeatureIds & id )
       dropOrphanedTopoGeoms();
     }
 
-
-    mFeaturesCounted -= id.size();
+    if ( mFeaturesCounted >= 0 )
+      mFeaturesCounted -= id.size();
   }
   catch ( PGException &e )
   {