diff --git a/sha1_file.c b/sha1_file.c
index 00c07f233b..d9b51578cc 100644
--- a/sha1_file.c
+++ b/sha1_file.c
@@ -663,10 +663,26 @@ void release_pack_memory(size_t need)
 		; /* nothing */
 }
 
+static void mmap_limit_check(size_t length)
+{
+	static size_t limit = 0;
+	if (!limit) {
+		limit = git_env_ulong("GIT_MMAP_LIMIT", 0);
+		if (!limit)
+			limit = SIZE_MAX;
+	}
+	if (length > limit)
+		die("attempting to mmap %"PRIuMAX" over limit %"PRIuMAX,
+		    (uintmax_t)length, (uintmax_t)limit);
+}
+
 void *xmmap(void *start, size_t length,
 	int prot, int flags, int fd, off_t offset)
 {
-	void *ret = mmap(start, length, prot, flags, fd, offset);
+	void *ret;
+
+	mmap_limit_check(length);
+	ret = mmap(start, length, prot, flags, fd, offset);
 	if (ret == MAP_FAILED) {
 		if (!length)
 			return NULL;