diff --git a/src/rx/xdr.c b/src/rx/xdr.c
index 8ca8a4aec7..c1d07c0945 100644
--- a/src/rx/xdr.c
+++ b/src/rx/xdr.c
@@ -558,6 +558,8 @@ xdr_string(xdrs, cpp, maxsize)
 	u_int size;
 	u_int nodesize;
 
+        if (maxsize > ((~0) >> 1) - 1) maxsize = ((~0) >> 1) - 1;
+
 	/*
 	 * first deal with the length since xdr strings are counted-strings
 	 */
diff --git a/src/rx/xdr_array.c b/src/rx/xdr_array.c
index ea5de24f5f..d49561095b 100644
--- a/src/rx/xdr_array.c
+++ b/src/rx/xdr_array.c
@@ -84,7 +84,10 @@ xdr_array(xdrs, addrp, sizep, maxsize, elsize, elproc)
 	register caddr_t target = *addrp;
 	register u_int c;  /* the actual element count */
 	register bool_t stat = TRUE;
-	register int nodesize;
+	register u_int nodesize;
+
+        i = ((~0) >> 1) / elsize;
+        if (maxsize > i) maxsize = i;
 
 	/* like strings, arrays are really counted arrays */
 	if (! xdr_u_int(xdrs, sizep)) {
diff --git a/src/rx/xdr_arrayn.c b/src/rx/xdr_arrayn.c
index e89322aa86..70cb23f2f3 100644
--- a/src/rx/xdr_arrayn.c
+++ b/src/rx/xdr_arrayn.c
@@ -89,7 +89,10 @@ bool_t xdr_arrayN(xdrs, addrp, sizep, maxsize, elsize, elproc)
 	register caddr_t target = *addrp;
 	register u_int c;  /* the actual element count */
 	register bool_t stat = TRUE;
-	register int nodesize;
+	register u_int nodesize;
+
+        i = ((~0) >> 1) / elsize;
+        if (maxsize > i) maxsize = i;
 
 	/* like strings, arrays are really counted arrays */
 	if (! xdr_u_int(xdrs, sizep)) {