diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 62a07f3a..f8a08d99 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 -   If demultiplexing has a success rate lower than 50% the command will exit with a status of 1. This prevents further pipeline stages to be run on
     what is probably bad data.
 -   Clarify that `--min-size` and `--max-size` in the `annotate` stage should not be used at the same time as `--dynamic-filter`.
+-   Setting a lower threshold of 300 edges when `--dynamic-filter` is used in the `annotate` stage, components smaller than that will always
+    be filtered. Note that this can still be overridden by setting `--min-size` explicitly.
+-   Clarify error message when all components are filtered out in the `annotate` stage.
 
 ### Added
 
diff --git a/src/pixelator/annotate/__init__.py b/src/pixelator/annotate/__init__.py
index 747abf33..5b5a6bfe 100644
--- a/src/pixelator/annotate/__init__.py
+++ b/src/pixelator/annotate/__init__.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
     MINIMUM_NBR_OF_CELLS_FOR_ANNOTATION,
 )
 from pixelator.config import AntibodyPanel
+from pixelator.exceptions import PixelatorBaseException
 from pixelator.graph.utils import components_metrics, edgelist_metrics
 from pixelator.pixeldataset import SIZE_DEFINITION, PixelDataset
 from pixelator.pixeldataset.utils import edgelist_to_anndata
@@ -37,6 +38,12 @@
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
+class NoCellsFoundException(PixelatorBaseException):
+    """Raised when no cells are found in the edge list."""
+
+    pass
+
+
 def filter_components_sizes(
     component_sizes: np.ndarray,
     min_size: Optional[int],
@@ -81,7 +88,9 @@ def filter_components_sizes(
         # check if none of the components pass the filters
         n_components = filter_arr.sum()
         if n_components == 0:
-            raise RuntimeError("None of the components pass the filters")
+            raise NoCellsFoundException(
+                "All cells were filtered by the size filters. Consider either setting different size filters or disabling them."
+            )
 
         logger.debug(
             "Filtering resulted in %i components that pass the filters",
@@ -199,8 +208,11 @@ def annotate_components(
     ].sum()
 
     # save the components metrics (raw)
+    component_info_file_path = (
+        Path(output) / f"{output_prefix}.raw_components_metrics.csv.gz"
+    )
     component_metrics.to_csv(
-        Path(output) / f"{output_prefix}.raw_components_metrics.csv.gz",
+        component_info_file_path,
         header=True,
         index=True,
         sep=",",
diff --git a/src/pixelator/annotate/cell_calling.py b/src/pixelator/annotate/cell_calling.py
index dd7aed91..a2009a21 100644
--- a/src/pixelator/annotate/cell_calling.py
+++ b/src/pixelator/annotate/cell_calling.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
     CELL_MAX_SIZE_SMOOTHING_FACTOR,
     CELL_MIN_SIZE_SMOOTHING_FACTOR,
     DISTANCE_DEVIATION_FACTOR,
+    MINIMUM_N_EDGES_CELL_SIZE,
     MINIMUM_NBR_OF_CELLS_FOR_SIZE_LIMIT,
     PRE_FILTER_LIMIT,
 )
@@ -210,4 +211,14 @@ def minimum_der2(df: pd.DataFrame) -> pd.Series:
     bound = potential_bounds[0] if potential_bounds else None
 
     logger.debug("Size limit of %i found", bound)
+
+    if direction == "lower" and bound is not None:
+        if bound < MINIMUM_N_EDGES_CELL_SIZE:
+            logger.warning(
+                "Dynamic minimum component size found is below the minimum size threshold of %s edges. "
+                "Using that as the minimum size to avoid downstream problems.",
+                MINIMUM_N_EDGES_CELL_SIZE,
+            )
+            bound = MINIMUM_N_EDGES_CELL_SIZE
+
     return bound
diff --git a/src/pixelator/annotate/constants.py b/src/pixelator/annotate/constants.py
index c3c05844..b02a56dd 100644
--- a/src/pixelator/annotate/constants.py
+++ b/src/pixelator/annotate/constants.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 MINIMUM_NBR_OF_CELLS_FOR_ANNOTATION = 20
 
 # size limit constants
+MINIMUM_N_EDGES_CELL_SIZE = 300
 MINIMUM_NBR_OF_CELLS_FOR_SIZE_LIMIT = 20
 CELL_MIN_SIZE_SMOOTHING_FACTOR = 0.8
 CELL_MAX_SIZE_SMOOTHING_FACTOR = 0
diff --git a/src/pixelator/cli/annotate.py b/src/pixelator/cli/annotate.py
index 6b0760bc..38e0da03 100644
--- a/src/pixelator/cli/annotate.py
+++ b/src/pixelator/cli/annotate.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import click
 
 from pixelator.annotate import annotate_components
+from pixelator.annotate.constants import MINIMUM_N_EDGES_CELL_SIZE
 from pixelator.cli.common import logger, output_option
 from pixelator.config import config, load_antibody_panel
 from pixelator.utils import (
@@ -62,8 +63,9 @@
     type=click.Choice(["both", "min", "max"]),
     help=(
         "Enable the dynamic component size filters. The following modes are available: "
-        "both/max/min. both: estimates both min and max size, min: estimates min size, max: estimates max size. "
-        "Note that this cannot be set at the same time as --min-size or --max-size."
+        "both/max/min. both: estimates both minimum and maximum component size, min: estimates the minimum component "
+        f"size (or uses {MINIMUM_N_EDGES_CELL_SIZE} edges, whichever is smallest), "
+        "max: estimates the maximum component size. Note that this cannot be set at the same time as --min-size or --max-size."
     ),
 )
 @click.option(
diff --git a/tests/annotate/test_annotate.py b/tests/annotate/test_annotate.py
index 22563200..954c7711 100644
--- a/tests/annotate/test_annotate.py
+++ b/tests/annotate/test_annotate.py
@@ -10,7 +10,11 @@
 import pytest
 from anndata import AnnData
 
-from pixelator.annotate import cluster_components, filter_components_sizes
+from pixelator.annotate import (
+    NoCellsFoundException,
+    cluster_components,
+    filter_components_sizes,
+)
 from pixelator.cli.annotate import annotate_components
 from pixelator.config import AntibodyPanel
 from pixelator.pixeldataset.utils import read_anndata
@@ -135,3 +139,28 @@ def test_annotate_adata(edgelist: pd.DataFrame, tmp_path: Path, panel: AntibodyP
     assert (tmp_path / f"{output_prefix}.raw_components_metrics.csv.gz").is_file()
     assert (tmp_path / f"{output_prefix}.annotate.dataset.pxl").is_file()
     assert metrics_file.is_file()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.integration_test
+def test_annotate_adata_should_raise_no_cells_count_exception(
+    edgelist: pd.DataFrame, tmp_path: Path, panel: AntibodyPanel
+):
+    with pytest.raises(NoCellsFoundException) as expected_exception:
+        output_prefix = "test_filtered"
+        metrics_file = tmp_path / "metrics.json"
+        assert not metrics_file.is_file()
+        tmp_edgelist_file = tmp_path / "tmp_edgelist.parquet"
+        edgelist.to_parquet(tmp_edgelist_file, index=False)
+
+        annotate_components(
+            input=str(tmp_edgelist_file),
+            panel=panel,
+            output=str(tmp_path),
+            output_prefix=output_prefix,
+            metrics_file=str(metrics_file),
+            min_size=100_000,  # Nothing should pass this
+            max_size=None,
+            dynamic_filter=None,
+            verbose=True,
+            aggregate_calling=True,
+        )
diff --git a/tests/annotate/test_cell_calling.py b/tests/annotate/test_cell_calling.py
index eab54fb4..c995b5bd 100644
--- a/tests/annotate/test_cell_calling.py
+++ b/tests/annotate/test_cell_calling.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 from pixelator.annotate.cell_calling import (
     find_component_size_limits,
 )
+from pixelator.annotate.constants import MINIMUM_N_EDGES_CELL_SIZE
 
 
 def test_find_component_min_size_limits_signal_and_noise():
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ def test_find_component_min_size_limits_only_signal():
 
     min_bound = find_component_size_limits(np.absolute(test_data), direction="lower")
     assert min_bound > 100
-    assert min_bound < 200
+    assert min_bound <= MINIMUM_N_EDGES_CELL_SIZE
 
 
 def test_find_component_min_size_limits_only_noise():
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ def test_find_component_min_size_limits_only_noise():
     test_data = random_state.poisson(100, 500)
 
     min_bound = find_component_size_limits(np.absolute(test_data), direction="lower")
-    assert min_bound < 100
+    assert min_bound >= MINIMUM_N_EDGES_CELL_SIZE
 
 
 def test_find_component_min_size_limits_signal_and_many_doublets():