diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index b42f91fcc8..6e05a8972b 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
         <dependency.cxf.version>3.3.7</dependency.cxf.version>
         <dependency.opencmis.version>1.0.0</dependency.opencmis.version>
         <dependency.pdfbox.version>2.0.21</dependency.pdfbox.version>
-        <dependency.webscripts.version>8.8</dependency.webscripts.version>
+        <dependency.webscripts.version>8.10</dependency.webscripts.version>
         <dependency.bouncycastle.version>1.66</dependency.bouncycastle.version>
         <dependency.mockito-core.version>3.5.11</dependency.mockito-core.version>
         <dependency.org-json.version>20090211</dependency.org-json.version>
diff --git a/remote-api/src/main/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/AuditImpl.java b/remote-api/src/main/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/AuditImpl.java
index fdb865fc99..344bb73520 100644
--- a/remote-api/src/main/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/AuditImpl.java
+++ b/remote-api/src/main/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/impl/AuditImpl.java
@@ -280,21 +280,28 @@ public class AuditImpl implements Audit
 
         // clear null elements
         entriesAudit.removeAll(Collections.singleton(null));
-        int totalItems = entriesAudit.size();
+        int totalRetrievedItems = entriesAudit.size();
+        int end = Math.min(limit - 1, totalRetrievedItems);
+        boolean hasMoreItems = totalRetrievedItems > end;
 
-        if (skipCount >= totalItems)
+        String omitTotalItemsParameter = parameters.getParameter("omitTotalItems");
+        boolean omitTotalItems = (null != omitTotalItemsParameter) && Boolean.parseBoolean(omitTotalItemsParameter);
+
+        Integer totalItems;
+
+        if (omitTotalItems)
         {
-            List<AuditEntry> empty = Collections.emptyList();
-            return CollectionWithPagingInfo.asPaged(paging, empty, false, totalItems);
+            totalItems = null;
         }
         else
         {
-            int end = Math.min(limit - 1, totalItems);
-            boolean hasMoreItems = totalItems > end;
-
-            entriesAudit = entriesAudit.subList(skipCount, end);
-            return CollectionWithPagingInfo.asPaged(paging, entriesAudit, hasMoreItems, totalItems);
+            totalItems = hasMoreItems ? getAuditEntriesCountByApp(auditApplication) : totalRetrievedItems;
         }
+
+        entriesAudit = (skipCount >= totalRetrievedItems)
+                        ? Collections.emptyList()
+                        : entriesAudit.subList(skipCount, end);
+        return CollectionWithPagingInfo.asPaged(paging, entriesAudit, hasMoreItems, totalItems);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -882,4 +889,10 @@ public class AuditImpl implements Audit
         }
 
     }
+
+    public int getAuditEntriesCountByApp(AuditService.AuditApplication auditApplication)
+    {
+        final String applicationName = auditApplication.getKey().substring(1);
+        return auditService.getAuditEntriesCountByApp(applicationName);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/remote-api/src/test/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/AuditAppTest.java b/remote-api/src/test/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/AuditAppTest.java
index 630e32d44b..a96d9b6db3 100644
--- a/remote-api/src/test/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/AuditAppTest.java
+++ b/remote-api/src/test/java/org/alfresco/rest/api/tests/AuditAppTest.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 package org.alfresco.rest.api.tests;
 
 import static org.alfresco.rest.api.tests.util.RestApiUtil.toJsonAsStringNonNull;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNull;
@@ -405,6 +406,31 @@ public class AuditAppTest extends AbstractSingleNetworkSiteTest
             validateAuditEntryFields(ae, auditApp);
         }
 
+        // MNT-21936 Audit query Rest API does not return the correct totalItems
+        int auditEntriesTotalItems = auditEntries.getPaging().getTotalItems();
+
+        // set maxItems to 1
+        Map<String, String> params = new HashMap<>();
+        params.put("maxItems","1");
+
+        auditEntries = auditAppsProxy.getAuditAppEntries(auditApp.getId(), params,
+            HttpServletResponse.SC_OK);
+
+        int AuditEntriesTotalItemsAfterLimit = auditEntries.getPaging().getTotalItems();
+        int retrievedAuditEntriesCount = auditEntries.getPaging().getCount();
+        // When totalItems are retrieved using getAuditEntriesCountByApp() method that was introduced in MNT-21936
+        // 2 audit entries will be created.
+        assertEquals(auditEntriesTotalItems + 2, AuditEntriesTotalItemsAfterLimit);
+        assertEquals(1, retrievedAuditEntriesCount);
+
+        // set omitTotalItems to true.
+        params.put("omitTotalItems", "true");
+        auditEntries = auditAppsProxy.getAuditAppEntries(auditApp.getId(), params,
+            HttpServletResponse.SC_OK);
+
+        // verify that totalItems is null.
+        assertNull(auditEntries.getPaging().getTotalItems());
+
         // Negative tests
         // 401
         setRequestContext(networkOne.getId(), networkAdmin, "wrongPassword");
diff --git a/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/audit/AuditComponent.java b/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/audit/AuditComponent.java
index 88ffcbb65d..49e400b582 100644
--- a/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/audit/AuditComponent.java
+++ b/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/audit/AuditComponent.java
@@ -261,4 +261,15 @@ public interface AuditComponent
      * @return                              a map containing min/max and the associated value
      */
     HashMap<String, Long> getAuditMinMaxByApp(String applicationName, List<String> extremes);
+
+    /**
+     * Issue an audit query to retrieve count of records for a given application.
+     *
+     * @param applicationName             the name of the application
+     * @return                  a map containing min/max and the associated value
+     */
+    default int getAuditEntriesCountByApp(String applicationName)
+    {
+        return -1;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/audit/AuditComponentImpl.java b/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/audit/AuditComponentImpl.java
index 89d9d6a623..18b464c674 100644
--- a/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/audit/AuditComponentImpl.java
+++ b/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/audit/AuditComponentImpl.java
@@ -941,4 +941,18 @@ public class AuditComponentImpl implements AuditComponent
 
         return auditDAO.getAuditMinMaxByApp(applicationId, extremes);
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public int getAuditEntriesCountByApp(String applicationName)
+    {
+        // Get the id for the application
+        AuditApplication app = auditModelRegistry.getAuditApplicationByName(applicationName);
+        Long applicationId = app.getApplicationId();
+        if (applicationId == null)
+        {
+            throw new AuditException("No persisted instance exists for audit application: " + app);
+        }
+
+        return auditDAO.getAuditEntriesCountByApp(applicationId);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/audit/AuditServiceImpl.java b/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/audit/AuditServiceImpl.java
index 51150e709a..0b96cc9304 100644
--- a/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/audit/AuditServiceImpl.java
+++ b/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/audit/AuditServiceImpl.java
@@ -177,4 +177,13 @@ public class AuditServiceImpl implements AuditService
     {
         return auditComponent.getAuditMinMaxByApp(applicationName, extremes);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     */
+    @Override
+    public int getAuditEntriesCountByApp(String applicationName)
+    {
+        return auditComponent.getAuditEntriesCountByApp(applicationName);
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/domain/audit/AuditDAO.java b/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/domain/audit/AuditDAO.java
index a435d04485..22180ea78b 100644
--- a/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/domain/audit/AuditDAO.java
+++ b/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/domain/audit/AuditDAO.java
@@ -233,4 +233,15 @@ public interface AuditDAO
      * @return                  a map containing min/max and the associated value
      */
     HashMap<String, Long> getAuditMinMaxByApp(long appId, List<String> extremes);
+
+    /**
+     * Issue an audit query to retrieve count of records for a given application.
+     *
+     * @param applicationId             the database id of the application
+     * @return                  a map containing min/max and the associated value
+     */
+    default int getAuditEntriesCountByApp(long applicationId)
+    {
+        return -1;
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/domain/audit/ibatis/AuditDAOImpl.java b/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/domain/audit/ibatis/AuditDAOImpl.java
index 8137c0fec8..58c97a9fa6 100644
--- a/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/domain/audit/ibatis/AuditDAOImpl.java
+++ b/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/repo/domain/audit/ibatis/AuditDAOImpl.java
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ public class AuditDAOImpl extends AbstractAuditDAOImpl
     private static final String DELETE_ENTRIES_BY_ID = "alfresco.audit.delete_AuditEntriesById";
     private static final String INSERT_ENTRY = "alfresco.audit.insert.insert_AuditEntry";
     private static final String SELECT_MINMAX_ENTRY_FOR_APP = "alfresco.audit.select_MinMaxAuditEntryId";
+    private static final String SELECT_COUNT_ENTRIES_FOR_APP = "alfresco.audit.select_CountAuditEntryId";
     
     @SuppressWarnings("unused")
     private static final String SELECT_ENTRIES_SIMPLE = "alfresco.audit.select_AuditEntriesSimple";
@@ -223,6 +224,17 @@ public class AuditDAOImpl extends AbstractAuditDAOImpl
         return result;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public int getAuditEntriesCountByApp(long applicationId)
+    {
+        Map<String, Object> params = new HashMap<>();
+        params.put("auditAppId", applicationId);
+
+        int result = template.selectOne(SELECT_COUNT_ENTRIES_FOR_APP, params);
+
+        return result;
+    }
+
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     @Override
     protected void findAuditEntries(
diff --git a/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/service/cmr/audit/AuditService.java b/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/service/cmr/audit/AuditService.java
index 24bfd36e1a..7f1e2ab264 100644
--- a/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/service/cmr/audit/AuditService.java
+++ b/repository/src/main/java/org/alfresco/service/cmr/audit/AuditService.java
@@ -241,4 +241,15 @@ public interface AuditService
      * @return                              a map containing min/max and the associated value
      */
     HashMap<String, Long> getAuditMinMaxByApp(String applicationName, List<String> extremes);
+
+    /**
+     * Issue an audit query to retrieve min / max audit record id for a given application.
+     *
+     * @param applicationName               the name of the application
+     * @return                              a map containing min/max and the associated value
+     */
+    default int getAuditEntriesCountByApp(String applicationName)
+    {
+        return -1;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/repository/src/main/resources/alfresco/ibatis/org.alfresco.repo.domain.dialect.Dialect/audit-common-SqlMap.xml b/repository/src/main/resources/alfresco/ibatis/org.alfresco.repo.domain.dialect.Dialect/audit-common-SqlMap.xml
index 85ffdfe12d..b9adc28823 100644
--- a/repository/src/main/resources/alfresco/ibatis/org.alfresco.repo.domain.dialect.Dialect/audit-common-SqlMap.xml
+++ b/repository/src/main/resources/alfresco/ibatis/org.alfresco.repo.domain.dialect.Dialect/audit-common-SqlMap.xml
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@
         <parameter property="min" jdbcType="VARCHAR" javaType="String"/>
         <parameter property="max" jdbcType="VARCHAR" javaType="String"/>
     </parameterMap>
+
+    <parameterMap id="parameter_AuditAppId" type="map">
+        <parameter property="auditAppId" jdbcType="BIGINT" javaType="Long"/>
+    </parameterMap>
   
     <!--                -->
     <!-- SQL Snippets   -->
@@ -277,6 +281,16 @@
         <include refid="select_AuditEntriesOrderBySnippet"/>
     </sql>
 
+    <!-- Get the count of audit entries for application -->
+    <select id="select_CountAuditEntryId" parameterMap="parameter_AuditAppId" resultType="int">
+        select
+            COUNT(id)
+        from
+        alf_audit_entry
+        where
+        alf_audit_entry.audit_app_id = #{auditAppId}
+    </select>
+
     <!-- Get the maximum/minimum audit entry id for application -->
     <select id="select_MinMaxAuditEntryId" parameterMap="parameter_IdMinMaxMap" resultMap="result_minMaxMap">
         select