diff --git a/packages/core/strapi/lib/core-api/__tests__/service.test.js b/packages/core/strapi/lib/core-api/__tests__/service.test.js
index d9f48314b8..4f3cf29cdb 100644
--- a/packages/core/strapi/lib/core-api/__tests__/service.test.js
+++ b/packages/core/strapi/lib/core-api/__tests__/service.test.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const _ = require('lodash');
-const { createService, getFetchParams } = require('../service');
+const { createService } = require('../service');
 
 const maxLimit = 50;
 const defaultLimit = 20;
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ describe('Default Service', () => {
         await service.createOrUpdate(input);
 
         expect(strapi.entityService.find).toHaveBeenCalledWith('testModel', {
-          params: { publicationState: 'live', pagination: { limit: defaultLimit } },
+          params: { publicationState: 'live' },
         });
 
         expect(strapi.entityService.create).toHaveBeenCalledWith('testModel', { data: input });
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ describe('Default Service', () => {
 
         expect(strapi.entityService.find).toHaveBeenCalledWith('testModel', {
           populate: undefined,
-          params: { publicationState: 'live', pagination: { limit: defaultLimit } },
+          params: { publicationState: 'live' },
         });
 
         expect(strapi.entityService.update).toHaveBeenCalledWith('testModel', 1, {
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ describe('Default Service', () => {
 
         expect(strapi.entityService.find).toHaveBeenCalledWith('testModel', {
           populate: undefined,
-          params: { publicationState: 'live', pagination: { limit: defaultLimit } },
+          params: { publicationState: 'live' },
         });
 
         expect(strapi.entityService.delete).toHaveBeenCalledWith('testModel', 1);
@@ -146,36 +146,3 @@ describe('Default Service', () => {
     });
   });
 });
-
-describe('getFetchParams', () => {
-  test.each([
-    [`0 if limit is '0'`, { limit: '0', maxLimit }, 0],
-    ['0 if limit is 0', { limit: 0, maxLimit }, 0],
-    [`0 if limit is ''`, { limit: '', maxLimit }, 0],
-    [`1 if limit is '1'`, { limit: '1', maxLimit }, 1],
-    [
-      `${maxLimit} if limit(500) exceeds max allowed limit (${maxLimit})`,
-      { limit: '500', maxLimit },
-      maxLimit,
-    ],
-    [
-      `${maxLimit} if limit is set to -1 and max allowed limit is set (${maxLimit})`,
-      { limit: '-1', maxLimit },
-      maxLimit,
-    ],
-    [`${defaultLimit} (default) if no limit is provided`, { maxLimit }, defaultLimit],
-    [
-      `${defaultLimit} (default) if limit is undefined`,
-      { limit: undefined, maxLimit },
-      defaultLimit,
-    ],
-    ['1000 if limit=1000 and no max allowed limit is set', { limit: 1000 }, 1000],
-  ])('Sets limit parameter to %s', (description, input, expected) => {
-    strapi.config.api.rest.maxLimit = input.maxLimit;
-    expect(getFetchParams({ pagination: { limit: input.limit } })).toMatchObject({
-      pagination: {
-        limit: expected,
-      },
-    });
-  });
-});
diff --git a/packages/core/strapi/lib/core-api/service/collection-type.js b/packages/core/strapi/lib/core-api/service/collection-type.js
index c23bcf0ec0..3838ae9a0b 100644
--- a/packages/core/strapi/lib/core-api/service/collection-type.js
+++ b/packages/core/strapi/lib/core-api/service/collection-type.js
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@ const {
 } = require('@strapi/utils').contentTypes;
 
 const {
-  applyDefaultPagination,
+  getPaginationInfo,
   convertPagedToStartLimit,
   shouldCount,
-  formatPaginationResponse,
+  transformPaginationResponse,
 } = require('./pagination');
 
 const setPublishedAt = data => {
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ const createCollectionTypeService = ({ model, strapi, utils }) => {
     async find(opts = {}) {
       const params = getFetchParams(opts.params);
 
-      const paginationInfo = applyDefaultPagination(params);
+      const paginationInfo = getPaginationInfo(params);
 
       const results = await strapi.entityService.find(uid, {
         params: { ...params, ...convertPagedToStartLimit(paginationInfo) },
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ const createCollectionTypeService = ({ model, strapi, utils }) => {
 
         return {
           results,
-          pagination: formatPaginationResponse(paginationInfo, count),
+          pagination: transformPaginationResponse(paginationInfo, count),
         };
       }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/strapi/lib/core-api/service/pagination.js b/packages/core/strapi/lib/core-api/service/pagination.js
index 12ffdd7a09..bbc744c423 100644
--- a/packages/core/strapi/lib/core-api/service/pagination.js
+++ b/packages/core/strapi/lib/core-api/service/pagination.js
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const _ = require('lodash');
+const { has, toNumber, isUndefined, isPlainObject } = require('lodash/fp');
 
 /**
  * Default limit values from config
  * @return {{maxLimit: number, defaultLimit: number}}
  */
 const getLimitConfigDefaults = () => ({
-  defaultLimit: _.toNumber(strapi.config.get('api.rest.defaultLimit', 25)),
-  maxLimit: _.toNumber(strapi.config.get('api.rest.maxLimit')) || null,
+  defaultLimit: toNumber(strapi.config.get('api.rest.defaultLimit', 25)),
+  maxLimit: toNumber(strapi.config.get('api.rest.maxLimit')) || null,
 });
 
 /**
@@ -33,10 +34,13 @@ const shouldCount = params => {
   return Boolean(strapi.config.get('api.rest.withCount', true));
 };
 
-const applyDefaultPagination = params => {
+const isOffsetPagination = pagination => has('start', pagination) || has('limit', pagination);
+const isPagedPagination = pagination => has('page', pagination) || has('page', pagination);
+
+const getPaginationInfo = params => {
   const { defaultLimit, maxLimit } = getLimitConfigDefaults();
 
-  if (_.isUndefined(params.pagination) || !_.isPlainObject(params.pagination)) {
+  if (isUndefined(params.pagination) || !isPlainObject(params.pagination)) {
     return {
       start: 0,
       limit: defaultLimit,
@@ -45,23 +49,27 @@ const applyDefaultPagination = params => {
 
   const { pagination } = params;
 
-  if (!_.isUndefined(pagination.pageSize) || !_.isUndefined(pagination.page)) {
-    const pageSize = _.isUndefined(pagination.pageSize)
+  if (isOffsetPagination(pagination) && isPagedPagination(pagination)) {
+    throw new Error('Invalid pagination parameters. Expected either start/limit or page/pageSize');
+  }
+
+  if (isPagedPagination(pagination)) {
+    const pageSize = isUndefined(pagination.pageSize)
       ? defaultLimit
-      : Math.max(1, _.toNumber(pagination.pageSize));
+      : Math.max(1, toNumber(pagination.pageSize));
 
     return {
-      page: Math.max(1, _.toNumber(pagination.page || 1)),
+      page: Math.max(1, toNumber(pagination.page || 1)),
       pageSize: applyMaxLimit(pageSize, maxLimit),
     };
   }
 
-  const limit = _.isUndefined(pagination.limit)
+  const limit = isUndefined(pagination.limit)
     ? defaultLimit
-    : Math.max(1, _.toNumber(pagination.limit));
+    : Math.max(1, toNumber(pagination.limit));
 
   return {
-    start: Math.max(0, _.toNumber(pagination.start || 0)),
+    start: Math.max(0, toNumber(pagination.start || 0)),
     limit: applyMaxLimit(limit, maxLimit),
   };
 };
@@ -78,7 +86,7 @@ const convertPagedToStartLimit = pagination => {
   return pagination;
 };
 
-const formatPaginationResponse = (paginationInfo, count) => {
+const transformPaginationResponse = (paginationInfo, count) => {
   if (paginationInfo.page) {
     return {
       ...paginationInfo,
@@ -94,8 +102,8 @@ const formatPaginationResponse = (paginationInfo, count) => {
 };
 
 module.exports = {
-  applyDefaultPagination,
+  getPaginationInfo,
   convertPagedToStartLimit,
+  transformPaginationResponse,
   shouldCount,
-  formatPaginationResponse,
 };
diff --git a/packages/core/strapi/lib/middlewares/parser/index.js b/packages/core/strapi/lib/middlewares/parser/index.js
index 2a2c64f1f3..27c4a3c0d1 100644
--- a/packages/core/strapi/lib/middlewares/parser/index.js
+++ b/packages/core/strapi/lib/middlewares/parser/index.js
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ module.exports = strapi => {
               ],
             });
           }
+
           throw e;
         }
       });