diff --git a/linux-user/syscall.c b/linux-user/syscall.c
index ee8899ef3..e868ec6af 100644
--- a/linux-user/syscall.c
+++ b/linux-user/syscall.c
@@ -4949,6 +4949,7 @@ abi_long do_syscall(void *cpu_env, int num, abi_long arg1,
             abi_ulong guest_envp;
             abi_ulong addr;
             char **q;
+            int total_size = 0;
 
             argc = 0;
             guest_argp = arg2;
@@ -4980,6 +4981,7 @@ abi_long do_syscall(void *cpu_env, int num, abi_long arg1,
                     break;
                 if (!(*q = lock_user_string(addr)))
                     goto execve_efault;
+                total_size += strlen(*q) + 1;
             }
             *q = NULL;
 
@@ -4991,9 +4993,16 @@ abi_long do_syscall(void *cpu_env, int num, abi_long arg1,
                     break;
                 if (!(*q = lock_user_string(addr)))
                     goto execve_efault;
+                total_size += strlen(*q) + 1;
             }
             *q = NULL;
 
+            /* This case will not be caught by the host's execve() if its
+               page size is bigger than the target's. */
+            if (total_size > MAX_ARG_PAGES * TARGET_PAGE_SIZE) {
+                ret = -TARGET_E2BIG;
+                goto execve_end;
+            }
             if (!(p = lock_user_string(arg1)))
                 goto execve_efault;
             ret = get_errno(execve(p, argp, envp));