diff --git a/module_citeq.lua b/module_citeq.lua
index 219353c..ceead63 100644
--- a/module_citeq.lua
+++ b/module_citeq.lua
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@ end
 -- function to fetch a value to display
 local function makelink(v, out, link, maxpos, wdl, namestyle)
 	local label
+	local max_authors_displayed = 10  -- TODO: this is probably in CS1 config somewhere
+	local item_lookup = false
 	if v.mainsnak.snaktype == "value" then
 		if v.mainsnak.datatype == "wikibase-item" then
 			local qnumber = v.mainsnak.datavalue.value.id
@@ -123,12 +125,15 @@ local function makelink(v, out, link, maxpos, wdl, namestyle)
 				first_names = v.qualifiers.P9687[1].datavalue.value
 			end
 			-- Otherwise, get last name, first name(s) from author item properties
-			last_name   = last_name   or getValue({"P734", qid=qnumber, maxvals=1, ps=2})
-			first_names = first_names or getValue({"P735", qid=qnumber, maxvals=0, ps=2})
-			if first_names then
-				first_names = getStyledNames(first_names, namestyle)
+			-- but this requires a getValue WD item lookup for each author, and
+			-- lookups are limited to 500 per page, so do this after we have the
+			-- "series ordinal" order, then only do the first few since there are
+			-- article items out there with 400+ authors(!)
+			if not last_name or not first_names then
+				item_lookup = true
 			end
 
+			-- use object named as for the label
 			if v.qualifiers and v.qualifiers.P1932 then
 				label = v.qualifiers.P1932[1].datavalue.value  -- "object named as"
 			else
@@ -145,6 +150,16 @@ local function makelink(v, out, link, maxpos, wdl, namestyle)
 				position = tonumber(v.qualifiers.P1545[1].datavalue.value)
 			end
 			maxpos = math.max(maxpos, position)
+
+			-- now try determining first/last names with item lookup, if needed
+			if item_lookup and position <= max_authors_displayed then
+				last_name   = last_name   or getValue({"P734", qid=qnumber, maxvals=1, ps=2})
+				first_names = first_names or getValue({"P735", qid=qnumber, maxvals=0, ps=2})
+			end
+			if first_names then
+				first_names = getStyledNames(first_names, namestyle)
+			end
+
 			if sitelink then
 				-- just the plain name,
 				-- but keep a record of the links, using the same index