Using the explicit formula of P. Gérard, we characterize the zero-dispersion limit for solutions of the Benjamin–Ono equation on the circle \(\mathbb {T}{:}{=}\mathbb {R}/2\pi \mathbb {Z}\) with bounded initial data \(u_0\in L^\infty (\mathbb {T},\mathbb {R})\) . The result generalizes the work of L. Gassot, who focused on periodic bell-shaped data, and complements the work of Gérard and X. Chen who identified the zero-dispersion limit on the line with \(u_0\in L^2\cap L^\infty (\mathbb {R})\) . Here, as well as in the mentioned cases, the characterization agrees with the one first obtained by Miller–Xu for bell-shaped data on the line: The zero-dispersion limit is given as an alternating sum of the branches of the multivalued solution of Burgers’ equation. From this characterization, we compute regularity properties of the zero-dispersion limit, including maximum principles and an Oleinik estimate.