diff --git a/audio/2.0/default/Stream.h b/audio/2.0/default/Stream.h
index 82f05a77b4..e29af53184 100644
--- a/audio/2.0/default/Stream.h
+++ b/audio/2.0/default/Stream.h
@@ -49,6 +49,13 @@ using ::android::sp;
 struct Stream : public IStream, public ParametersUtil {
     explicit Stream(audio_stream_t* stream);
 
+    /** 1GiB is the maximum buffer size the HAL client is allowed to request.
+     * This value has been chosen to be under SIZE_MAX and still big enough
+     * for all audio use case.
+     * Keep private for 2.0, put in .hal in 2.1
+     */
+    static constexpr uint32_t MAX_BUFFER_SIZE = 2 << 30 /* == 1GiB */;
+
     // Methods from ::android::hardware::audio::V2_0::IStream follow.
     Return<uint64_t> getFrameSize()  override;
     Return<uint64_t> getFrameCount()  override;
diff --git a/audio/2.0/default/StreamIn.cpp b/audio/2.0/default/StreamIn.cpp
index b81cbb924f..9c933a9201 100644
--- a/audio/2.0/default/StreamIn.cpp
+++ b/audio/2.0/default/StreamIn.cpp
@@ -347,14 +347,10 @@ Return<void> StreamIn::prepareForReading(uint32_t frameSize,
         sendError(Result::INVALID_ARGUMENTS);
         return Void();
     }
-    // A message queue asserts if it can not handle the requested buffer,
-    // thus the client has to guess the maximum size it can handle
-    // Choose an arbitrary margin for the overhead of a message queue
-    size_t metadataOverhead = 100000;
-    if (frameSize >
-        (std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max() - metadataOverhead) / framesCount) {
-        ALOGE("Buffer too big: %u*%u bytes can not fit in a message queue",
-              frameSize, framesCount);
+
+    if (frameSize > Stream::MAX_BUFFER_SIZE / framesCount) {
+        ALOGE("Buffer too big: %u*%u bytes > MAX_BUFFER_SIZE (%u)", frameSize, framesCount,
+              Stream::MAX_BUFFER_SIZE);
         sendError(Result::INVALID_ARGUMENTS);
         return Void();
     }
diff --git a/audio/2.0/default/StreamOut.cpp b/audio/2.0/default/StreamOut.cpp
index 290d0b103c..22dcd0c994 100644
--- a/audio/2.0/default/StreamOut.cpp
+++ b/audio/2.0/default/StreamOut.cpp
@@ -323,14 +323,9 @@ Return<void> StreamOut::prepareForWriting(uint32_t frameSize,
         sendError(Result::INVALID_ARGUMENTS);
         return Void();
     }
-    // A message queue asserts if it can not handle the requested buffer,
-    // thus the client has to guess the maximum size it can handle
-    size_t metadataOverhead =
-        100000;  // Arbitrary margin for the overhead of a message queue
-    if (frameSize >
-        (std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max() - metadataOverhead) / framesCount) {
-        ALOGE("Buffer too big: %u*%u bytes can not fit in a message queue",
-              frameSize, framesCount);
+    if (frameSize > Stream::MAX_BUFFER_SIZE / framesCount) {
+        ALOGE("Buffer too big: %u*%u bytes > MAX_BUFFER_SIZE (%u)", frameSize, framesCount,
+              Stream::MAX_BUFFER_SIZE);
         sendError(Result::INVALID_ARGUMENTS);
         return Void();
     }