diff --git a/magnolia-templating/src/main/java/info/magnolia/templating/freemarker/AreaDirective.java b/magnolia-templating/src/main/java/info/magnolia/templating/freemarker/AreaDirective.java
index aa2b4b0..7781474 100644
--- a/magnolia-templating/src/main/java/info/magnolia/templating/freemarker/AreaDirective.java
+++ b/magnolia-templating/src/main/java/info/magnolia/templating/freemarker/AreaDirective.java
@@ -33,16 +33,17 @@
  */
 package info.magnolia.templating.freemarker;
 
-import java.io.IOException;
-import java.util.Map;
-
 import freemarker.core.Environment;
 import freemarker.template.TemplateDirectiveBody;
 import freemarker.template.TemplateModel;
 import freemarker.template.TemplateModelException;
+import freemarker.template.TemplateNumberModel;
 import info.magnolia.rendering.template.AreaDefinition;
 import info.magnolia.templating.elements.AreaElement;
 
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.Map;
+
 /**
  * A freemarker directive for rendering an area.
  */
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ public class AreaDirective extends AbstractDirective<AreaElement> {
         String description = string(params, "description", null);
         Boolean editable = bool(params, "editable", (Boolean) null);
         Boolean createAreaNode = bool(params, "createAreaNode", (Boolean) null);
+        Integer maxComponents = integer(params, "maxComponents", null);
 
         Map<String,Object> contextAttributes = (Map<String, Object>) object(params, "contextAttributes");
 
@@ -74,7 +76,16 @@ public class AreaDirective extends AbstractDirective<AreaElement> {
         templatingElement.setDescription(description);
         templatingElement.setEditable(editable);
         templatingElement.setCreateAreaNode(createAreaNode);
+        templatingElement.setMaxComponents(maxComponents);
 
         templatingElement.setContextAttributes(contextAttributes);
     }
+
+    protected Integer integer(Map<String, TemplateModel> params, String key, Integer defaultValue) throws TemplateModelException {
+        final TemplateNumberModel m = _param(params, key, TemplateNumberModel.class, false);
+        if (m == null) {
+            return defaultValue;
+        }
+        return m.getAsNumber().intValue();
+    }
 }