diff --git a/packages/apify/src/charging.ts b/packages/apify/src/charging.ts
index 4f1e2c7ad0..c983e1717b 100644
--- a/packages/apify/src/charging.ts
+++ b/packages/apify/src/charging.ts
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ export class ChargingManager {
 
         if (chargedCount === 0) {
             return {
-                eventChargeLimitReached: true,
+                eventChargeLimitReached: count > 0, // Only true if user wanted to charge but couldn't
                 chargedCount: 0,
                 chargeableWithinLimit: calculateChargeableWithinLimit(),
             };
diff --git a/test/apify/charging.test.ts b/test/apify/charging.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b6cc3c6a0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/apify/charging.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import { Actor } from '../../packages/apify/src/index.js';
+import { MemoryStorageEmulator } from '../MemoryStorageEmulator.js';
+
+describe('ChargingManager', () => {
+    const localStorageEmulator = new MemoryStorageEmulator();
+
+    beforeEach(async () => {
+        await localStorageEmulator.init();
+
+        // Set up environment for pay-per-event testing
+        process.env.ACTOR_TEST_PAY_PER_EVENT = '1';
+        process.env.ACTOR_MAX_TOTAL_CHARGE_USD = '10';
+    });
+
+    afterEach(async () => {
+        await Actor.exit({ exit: false });
+        await localStorageEmulator.destroy();
+
+        delete process.env.ACTOR_TEST_PAY_PER_EVENT;
+        delete process.env.ACTOR_MAX_TOTAL_CHARGE_USD;
+    });
+
+    describe('charge()', () => {
+        test('should return eventChargeLimitReached=false when count=0 even after hitting budget limit', async () => {
+            await Actor.init();
+
+            // First, hit the budget limit with a large charge
+            const limitResult = await Actor.charge({
+                eventName: 'test-event-limit',
+                count: 1000,
+            });
+            expect(limitResult.eventChargeLimitReached).toBe(true);
+            expect(limitResult.chargedCount).toBeLessThan(1000);
+
+            // Then verify that count=0 still returns false for eventChargeLimitReached
+            const zeroResult = await Actor.charge({
+                eventName: 'test-event-limit',
+                count: 0,
+            });
+            expect(zeroResult.eventChargeLimitReached).toBe(false);
+            expect(zeroResult.chargedCount).toBe(0);
+        });
+    });
+});