diff --git a/modules/database/src/std/rec/lsiRecord.c b/modules/database/src/std/rec/lsiRecord.c
index 496350875..5ecceab09 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/std/rec/lsiRecord.c
+++ b/modules/database/src/std/rec/lsiRecord.c
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ static long init_record(struct dbCommon *pcommon, int pass)
         if (sizv < 16) {
             sizv = 16;  /* Enforce a minimum size for the VAL field */
             prec->sizv = sizv;
+        } else if (sizv > 0x7fff) {
+            sizv = 0x7fff;  /* SIZV is unsigned, but dbAddr::field_size is signed */
+            prec->sizv = sizv;
         }
 
         prec->val = callocMustSucceed(1, sizv, "lsi::init_record");
diff --git a/modules/database/src/std/rec/lsoRecord.c b/modules/database/src/std/rec/lsoRecord.c
index 0f6d51640..755a0e865 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/std/rec/lsoRecord.c
+++ b/modules/database/src/std/rec/lsoRecord.c
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ static long init_record(struct dbCommon *pcommon, int pass)
         if (sizv < 16) {
             sizv = 16;  /* Enforce a minimum size for the VAL field */
             prec->sizv = sizv;
+        } else if (sizv > 0x7fff) {
+            sizv = 0x7fff;  /* SIZV is unsigned, but dbAddr::field_size is signed */
+            prec->sizv = sizv;
         }
 
         prec->val = callocMustSucceed(1, sizv, "lso::init_record");
diff --git a/modules/database/src/std/rec/lsoRecord.dbd.pod b/modules/database/src/std/rec/lsoRecord.dbd.pod
index 0b3bc06e2..edfc9c4fc 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/std/rec/lsoRecord.dbd.pod
+++ b/modules/database/src/std/rec/lsoRecord.dbd.pod
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ C<supervisory> is specified, DOL is ignored, the current value of VAL is
 written, and VAL can be changed externally via dbPuts at run-time.
 
 The maximum number of characters in VAL is given by SIZV, and cannot be larger
-than 65535.
+than 32767.
 
 DOL can also be a constant instead of a link, in which case VAL is initialized
 to the constant value. Most simple string constants are likely to be interpreted