diff --git a/g10/build-packet.c b/g10/build-packet.c
index b83ea84a5..14e40a1bf 100644
--- a/g10/build-packet.c
+++ b/g10/build-packet.c
@@ -424,15 +424,21 @@ do_user_id( IOBUF out, int ctb, PKT_user_id *uid )
    * Without forcing HDRLEN to 2 in this case an indeterminate length
    * packet would be written which is not allowed.  Note that we are
    * always called with a CTB indicating an old packet header format,
-   * so that forcing a 2 octet header works.  */
+   * so that forcing a 2 octet header works.  We also check for the
+   * maximum allowed packet size by the parser using an arbitrary
+   * extra 10 bytes for header data. */
   if (uid->attrib_data)
     {
+      if (uid->attrib_len > MAX_ATTR_PACKET_LENGTH - 10)
+        return gpg_error (GPG_ERR_TOO_LARGE);
       hdrlen = uid->attrib_len? 0 : 2;
       write_header2 (out, ctb, uid->attrib_len, hdrlen);
       rc = iobuf_write( out, uid->attrib_data, uid->attrib_len );
     }
   else
     {
+      if (uid->len > MAX_UID_PACKET_LENGTH - 10)
+        return gpg_error (GPG_ERR_TOO_LARGE);
       hdrlen = uid->len? 0 : 2;
       write_header2 (out, ctb, uid->len, hdrlen);
       rc = iobuf_write( out, uid->name, uid->len );
diff --git a/g10/keygen.c b/g10/keygen.c
index c68f1f0b5..6042226e2 100644
--- a/g10/keygen.c
+++ b/g10/keygen.c
@@ -218,18 +218,22 @@ print_status_key_not_created (const char *handle)
 
 
 
-static void
-write_uid( KBNODE root, const char *s )
+static gpg_error_t
+write_uid (kbnode_t root, const char *s)
 {
-    PACKET *pkt = xmalloc_clear(sizeof *pkt );
-    size_t n = strlen(s);
+  PACKET *pkt = xmalloc_clear (sizeof *pkt);
+  size_t n = strlen (s);
 
-    pkt->pkttype = PKT_USER_ID;
-    pkt->pkt.user_id = xmalloc_clear (sizeof *pkt->pkt.user_id + n);
-    pkt->pkt.user_id->len = n;
-    pkt->pkt.user_id->ref = 1;
-    strcpy(pkt->pkt.user_id->name, s);
-    add_kbnode( root, new_kbnode( pkt ) );
+  if (n > MAX_UID_PACKET_LENGTH - 10)
+    return gpg_error (GPG_ERR_INV_USER_ID);
+
+  pkt->pkttype = PKT_USER_ID;
+  pkt->pkt.user_id = xmalloc_clear (sizeof *pkt->pkt.user_id + n);
+  pkt->pkt.user_id->len = n;
+  pkt->pkt.user_id->ref = 1;
+  strcpy (pkt->pkt.user_id->name, s);
+  add_kbnode (root, new_kbnode (pkt));
+  return 0;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -4751,10 +4755,11 @@ do_generate_keypair (ctrl_t ctrl, struct para_data_s *para,
 
   if (!err && (s = get_parameter_value (para, pUSERID)))
     {
-      write_uid (pub_root, s );
-      err = write_selfsigs (ctrl, pub_root, pri_psk,
-                            get_parameter_uint (para, pKEYUSAGE), timestamp,
-                            cache_nonce);
+      err = write_uid (pub_root, s );
+      if (!err)
+        err = write_selfsigs (ctrl, pub_root, pri_psk,
+                              get_parameter_uint (para, pKEYUSAGE), timestamp,
+                              cache_nonce);
     }
 
   /* Write the auth key to the card before the encryption key.  This
diff --git a/g10/packet.h b/g10/packet.h
index d273bb348..b0431d548 100644
--- a/g10/packet.h
+++ b/g10/packet.h
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@
 
 #define DEBUG_PARSE_PACKET 1
 
+/* Maximum length of packets to avoid excessive memory allocation.  */
+#define MAX_KEY_PACKET_LENGTH     (256 * 1024)
+#define MAX_UID_PACKET_LENGTH     (  2 * 1024)
+#define MAX_COMMENT_PACKET_LENGTH ( 64 * 1024)
+#define MAX_ATTR_PACKET_LENGTH    ( 16 * 1024*1024)
 
 /* Constants to allocate static MPI arrays.  */
 #define PUBKEY_MAX_NPKEY  OPENPGP_MAX_NPKEY
diff --git a/g10/parse-packet.c b/g10/parse-packet.c
index 3aa11a45f..2d6ec9205 100644
--- a/g10/parse-packet.c
+++ b/g10/parse-packet.c
@@ -38,12 +38,6 @@
 #include "../common/mbox-util.h"
 
 
-/* Maximum length of packets to avoid excessive memory allocation.  */
-#define MAX_KEY_PACKET_LENGTH     (256 * 1024)
-#define MAX_UID_PACKET_LENGTH     (  2 * 1024)
-#define MAX_COMMENT_PACKET_LENGTH ( 64 * 1024)
-#define MAX_ATTR_PACKET_LENGTH    ( 16 * 1024*1024)
-
 static int mpi_print_mode;
 static int list_mode;
 static estream_t listfp;