diff --git a/codec_array.go b/codec_array.go
index 658ae58..3dd82fe 100644
--- a/codec_array.go
+++ b/codec_array.go
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ type arrayDecoder struct {
 	decoder ValDecoder
 }
 
+// Max allocation size for an array due to the limit in number of bits in a heap address:
+// https://github.com/golang/go/blob/7f76c00fc5678fa782708ba8fece63750cb89d03/src/runtime/malloc.go#L183
+var maxAllocSize = uint64(1 << 48)
+
 func (d *arrayDecoder) Decode(ptr unsafe.Pointer, r *Reader) {
 	var size int
 	sliceType := d.typ
@@ -51,6 +55,10 @@ func (d *arrayDecoder) Decode(ptr unsafe.Pointer, r *Reader) {
 
 		start := size
 		size += int(l)
+		if size > int(maxAllocSize) {
+			r.ReportError("decode array", "size exceeded max allocation size")
+			return
+		}
 		sliceType.UnsafeGrow(ptr, size)
 
 		for i := start; i < size; i++ {
diff --git a/decoder_array_test.go b/decoder_array_test.go
index 57107ba..f50ec3b 100644
--- a/decoder_array_test.go
+++ b/decoder_array_test.go
@@ -78,3 +78,16 @@ func TestDecoder_ArraySliceItemError(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 }
+
+func TestDecoder_ArrayMaxAllocationError(t *testing.T) {
+	defer ConfigTeardown()
+	data := []byte{0x2, 0x0, 0xe9, 0xe9, 0xe9, 0xe9, 0xe9, 0xe9, 0xe9, 0xe9, 0x0}
+	schema := `{"type":"array", "items": { "type": "boolean" }}`
+	dec, err := avro.NewDecoder(schema, bytes.NewReader(data))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	var got []bool
+	err = dec.Decode(&got)
+
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}