diff --git a/src/jrd/optimizer/Optimizer.cpp b/src/jrd/optimizer/Optimizer.cpp
index afec33c3e83..7d6cf5d02f8 100644
--- a/src/jrd/optimizer/Optimizer.cpp
+++ b/src/jrd/optimizer/Optimizer.cpp
@@ -1508,7 +1508,7 @@ SortedStream* Optimizer::generateSort(const StreamList& streams,
 		const auto* dbb = tdbb->getDatabase();
 		const auto threshold = dbb->dbb_config->getInlineSortThreshold();
 
-		refetchFlag = (totalLength > threshold);
+		refetchFlag = (totalLength > MIN(threshold, MAX_SORT_RECORD / 2));
 	}
 
 	// Check for persistent fields to be excluded from the sort.
diff --git a/src/jrd/val.h b/src/jrd/val.h
index 86da74647ba..a65baf9c92e 100644
--- a/src/jrd/val.h
+++ b/src/jrd/val.h
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class VaryingString : public pool_alloc_rpt<SCHAR, type_str>
 	UCHAR str_data[2];			// one byte for ALLOC and one for the NULL
 };
 
-inline constexpr ULONG MAX_RECORD_SIZE = 65535;
+inline constexpr ULONG MAX_RECORD_SIZE	= 1048576; // 1 MB -- just to protect from possible misuse
 
 namespace Jrd {