diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b99aeec..bbf96c9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 * refactor: rename the term 'safe' to 'large'
 * refactor(`RecollectionDecorator`): rename `withCriteria` to `applyCriteria`
 * refactor: rename the term 'large' to 'basic'
+* cleanup: Basic classes do not require soft and hard limits
+* cleanup: orderBy should be non-empty-array
 
 ## 0.3.0
 
diff --git a/packages/collections-common/src/Configuration.php b/packages/collections-common/src/Configuration.php
index a12fe70..7b479d8 100644
--- a/packages/collections-common/src/Configuration.php
+++ b/packages/collections-common/src/Configuration.php
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ final class Configuration
     /**
      * The default order by clause for the collection.
      *
-     * @var array<string,Order>
+     * @var non-empty-array<string,Order>
      */
     public static array $defaultOrderBy = ['id' => Order::Descending];
 }
diff --git a/packages/collections-domain/src/BasicCriteriaRecollection.php b/packages/collections-domain/src/BasicCriteriaRecollection.php
index 18c5ca1..fab644f 100644
--- a/packages/collections-domain/src/BasicCriteriaRecollection.php
+++ b/packages/collections-domain/src/BasicCriteriaRecollection.php
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 use Rekalogika\Domain\Collections\Common\CountStrategy;
 use Rekalogika\Domain\Collections\Common\Trait\BasicReadableCollectionTrait;
 use Rekalogika\Domain\Collections\Common\Trait\CountableTrait;
-use Rekalogika\Domain\Collections\Common\Trait\ItemsWithSafeguardTrait;
 use Rekalogika\Domain\Collections\Common\Trait\PageableTrait;
 use Rekalogika\Domain\Collections\Common\Trait\ReadableRecollectionTrait;
 use Rekalogika\Domain\Collections\Trait\ExtraLazyDetectorTrait;
@@ -42,9 +41,6 @@ class BasicCriteriaRecollection implements BasicReadableRecollection, \Countable
     /** @use PageableTrait<TKey,T> */
     use PageableTrait;
 
-    /** @use ItemsWithSafeguardTrait<TKey,T> */
-    use ItemsWithSafeguardTrait;
-
     /** @use BasicReadableCollectionTrait<TKey,T> */
     use BasicReadableCollectionTrait;
 
@@ -66,8 +62,6 @@ class BasicCriteriaRecollection implements BasicReadableRecollection, \Countable
      * @param ReadableCollection<TKey,T> $collection
      * @param int<1,max> $itemsPerPage
      * @param null|int<0,max> $count
-     * @param null|int<1,max> $softLimit
-     * @param null|int<1,max> $hardLimit
      */
     public function __construct(
         ReadableCollection $collection,
@@ -75,8 +69,6 @@ public function __construct(
         private readonly int $itemsPerPage = 50,
         private readonly CountStrategy $countStrategy = CountStrategy::Restrict,
         private ?int &$count = null,
-        private readonly ?int $softLimit = null,
-        private readonly ?int $hardLimit = null,
     ) {
         // save collection
 
@@ -101,17 +93,13 @@ public function __construct(
      * @param null|Collection<TKey,T> $collection
      * @param null|int<1,max> $itemsPerPage
      * @param null|int<0,max> $count
-     * @param null|int<1,max> $softLimit
-     * @param null|int<1,max> $hardLimit
      */
     protected function with(
         ?ReadableCollection $collection = null,
         ?Criteria $criteria = null,
         ?int $itemsPerPage = 50,
-        ?CountStrategy $countStrategy = CountStrategy::Restrict,
+        ?CountStrategy $countStrategy = null,
         ?int &$count = null,
-        ?int $softLimit = null,
-        ?int $hardLimit = null,
     ): static {
         $count = $count ?? $this->count;
 
@@ -122,8 +110,6 @@ protected function with(
             itemsPerPage: $itemsPerPage ?? $this->itemsPerPage,
             countStrategy: $countStrategy ?? $this->countStrategy,
             count: $count,
-            softLimit: $softLimit ?? $this->softLimit,
-            hardLimit: $hardLimit ?? $this->hardLimit,
         );
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/collections-domain/src/BasicRecollectionDecorator.php b/packages/collections-domain/src/BasicRecollectionDecorator.php
index d2ecd02..b3aac80 100644
--- a/packages/collections-domain/src/BasicRecollectionDecorator.php
+++ b/packages/collections-domain/src/BasicRecollectionDecorator.php
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 use Rekalogika\Domain\Collections\Common\Trait\BasicReadableCollectionTrait;
 use Rekalogika\Domain\Collections\Common\Trait\BasicWritableCollectionTrait;
 use Rekalogika\Domain\Collections\Common\Trait\CountableTrait;
-use Rekalogika\Domain\Collections\Common\Trait\ItemsWithSafeguardTrait;
 use Rekalogika\Domain\Collections\Common\Trait\PageableTrait;
 use Rekalogika\Domain\Collections\Common\Trait\ReadableRecollectionTrait;
 use Rekalogika\Domain\Collections\Trait\ExtraLazyDetectorTrait;
@@ -43,9 +42,6 @@ class BasicRecollectionDecorator implements BasicRecollection, \Countable
     /** @use PageableTrait<TKey,T> */
     use PageableTrait;
 
-    /** @use ItemsWithSafeguardTrait<TKey,T> */
-    use ItemsWithSafeguardTrait;
-
     /** @use BasicWritableCollectionTrait<TKey,T> */
     use BasicWritableCollectionTrait;
 
@@ -65,7 +61,7 @@ class BasicRecollectionDecorator implements BasicRecollection, \Countable
     private readonly Collection&Selectable $collection;
 
     /**
-     * @var array<string,Order>
+     * @var non-empty-array<string,Order>
      */
     private readonly array $orderBy;
 
@@ -73,11 +69,9 @@ class BasicRecollectionDecorator implements BasicRecollection, \Countable
 
     /**
      * @param Collection<TKey,T> $collection
-     * @param null|array<string,Order>|string $orderBy
+     * @param null|non-empty-array<string,Order>|string $orderBy
      * @param int<1,max> $itemsPerPage
      * @param null|int<0,max> $count
-     * @param null|int<1,max> $softLimit
-     * @param null|int<1,max> $hardLimit
      */
     public function __construct(
         Collection $collection,
@@ -85,8 +79,6 @@ public function __construct(
         private readonly int $itemsPerPage = 50,
         private readonly CountStrategy $countStrategy = CountStrategy::Restrict,
         private ?int &$count = null,
-        private readonly ?int $softLimit = null,
-        private readonly ?int $hardLimit = null,
     ) {
         // handle collection
 
@@ -106,6 +98,10 @@ public function __construct(
             $orderBy = [$orderBy => Order::Ascending];
         }
 
+        if (empty($orderBy)) {
+            throw new UnexpectedValueException('The order by clause cannot be empty.');
+        }
+
         $this->orderBy = $orderBy;
 
         $this->criteria = Criteria::create()->orderBy($this->orderBy);
@@ -121,11 +117,9 @@ protected function getDefaultOrderBy(): array|string
 
     /**
      * @param null|Collection<TKey,T> $collection
-     * @param null|array<string,Order>|string $orderBy
+     * @param null|non-empty-array<string,Order>|string $orderBy
      * @param null|int<1,max> $itemsPerPage
      * @param null|int<0,max> $count
-     * @param null|int<1,max> $softLimit
-     * @param null|int<1,max> $hardLimit
      */
     protected function with(
         ?Collection $collection = null,
@@ -133,8 +127,6 @@ protected function with(
         ?int $itemsPerPage = 50,
         ?CountStrategy $countStrategy = CountStrategy::Restrict,
         ?int &$count = null,
-        ?int $softLimit = null,
-        ?int $hardLimit = null,
     ): static {
         $count = $count ?? $this->count;
 
@@ -145,8 +137,6 @@ protected function with(
             itemsPerPage: $itemsPerPage ?? $this->itemsPerPage,
             countStrategy: $countStrategy ?? $this->countStrategy,
             count: $count,
-            softLimit: $softLimit ?? $this->softLimit,
-            hardLimit: $hardLimit ?? $this->hardLimit,
         );
     }
 
@@ -170,8 +160,6 @@ protected function applyCriteria(
             itemsPerPage: $this->itemsPerPage,
             countStrategy: $countStrategy,
             count: $count,
-            softLimit: $this->softLimit,
-            hardLimit: $this->hardLimit,
         );
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/collections-domain/src/RecollectionDecorator.php b/packages/collections-domain/src/RecollectionDecorator.php
index 312a2a8..b638ca7 100644
--- a/packages/collections-domain/src/RecollectionDecorator.php
+++ b/packages/collections-domain/src/RecollectionDecorator.php
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class RecollectionDecorator implements Recollection
     private readonly Collection&Selectable $collection;
 
     /**
-     * @var array<string,Order>
+     * @var non-empty-array<string,Order>
      */
     private readonly array $orderBy;
 
@@ -99,13 +99,17 @@ public function __construct(
             $orderBy = [$orderBy => Order::Ascending];
         }
 
+        if (empty($orderBy)) {
+            throw new UnexpectedValueException('The order by clause cannot be empty.');
+        }
+
         $this->orderBy = $orderBy;
 
         $this->criteria = Criteria::create()->orderBy($this->orderBy);
     }
 
     /**
-     * @return array<string,Order>|string
+     * @return non-empty-array<string,Order>|string
      */
     protected function getDefaultOrderBy(): array|string
     {
@@ -123,8 +127,8 @@ protected function getDefaultOrderBy(): array|string
     protected function with(
         ?Collection $collection = null,
         array|string|null $orderBy = null,
-        ?int $itemsPerPage = 50,
-        ?CountStrategy $countStrategy = CountStrategy::Restrict,
+        ?int $itemsPerPage = null,
+        ?CountStrategy $countStrategy = null,
         ?int &$count = null,
         ?int $softLimit = null,
         ?int $hardLimit = null,