diff --git a/Sources/NIOFileSystem/ByteCount.swift b/Sources/NIOFileSystem/ByteCount.swift
index 64fe76a309..f6b957700d 100644
--- a/Sources/NIOFileSystem/ByteCount.swift
+++ b/Sources/NIOFileSystem/ByteCount.swift
@@ -80,6 +80,21 @@ public struct ByteCount: Hashable, Sendable {
     }
 }
 
+extension ByteCount {
+    /// A ``ByteCount`` for the maximum amount of bytes that can be written to `ByteBuffer`.
+    internal static var byteBufferCapacity: ByteCount {
+        #if arch(arm) || arch(i386) || arch(arm64_32)
+        // on 32-bit platforms we can't make use of a whole UInt32.max (as it doesn't fit in an Int)
+        let byteBufferMaxIndex = UInt32(Int.max)
+        #else
+        // on 64-bit platforms we're good
+        let byteBufferMaxIndex = UInt32.max
+        #endif
+
+        return ByteCount(bytes: Int64(byteBufferMaxIndex))
+    }
+}
+
 extension ByteCount: AdditiveArithmetic {
     public static var zero: ByteCount { ByteCount(bytes: 0) }
 
diff --git a/Sources/NIOFileSystem/FileHandleProtocol.swift b/Sources/NIOFileSystem/FileHandleProtocol.swift
index d58e33065a..b8d2791c4c 100644
--- a/Sources/NIOFileSystem/FileHandleProtocol.swift
+++ b/Sources/NIOFileSystem/FileHandleProtocol.swift
@@ -328,10 +328,9 @@ extension ReadableFileHandleProtocol {
     ///   - offset: The absolute offset into the file to read from. Defaults to zero.
     ///   - maximumSizeAllowed: The maximum size of file to read, as a ``ByteCount``.
     /// - Returns: The bytes read from the file.
-    /// - Throws: ``FileSystemError`` with code ``FileSystemError/Code-swift.struct/resourceExhausted`` if there
-    ///     are more bytes to read than `maximumBytesAllowed`.
-    ///     ``FileSystemError/Code-swift.struct/unsupported`` if file is unseekable and
-    ///     `offset` is not 0.
+    /// - Throws: ``FileSystemError`` with code ``FileSystemError/Code-swift.struct/resourceExhausted``
+    /// if `maximumSizeAllowed` is more than can be written to `ByteBuffer`. Or if there are more bytes to read than
+    /// `maximumBytesAllowed`.
     public func readToEnd(
         fromAbsoluteOffset offset: Int64 = 0,
         maximumSizeAllowed: ByteCount
@@ -340,6 +339,20 @@ extension ReadableFileHandleProtocol {
         let fileSize = Int64(info.size)
         let readSize = max(Int(fileSize - offset), 0)
 
+        if maximumSizeAllowed > .byteBufferCapacity {
+            throw FileSystemError(
+                code: .resourceExhausted,
+                message: """
+                    The maximum size allowed (\(maximumSizeAllowed)) is more than the maximum \
+                    amount of bytes that can be written to ByteBuffer \
+                    (\(ByteCount.byteBufferCapacity)). You can read the file in smaller chunks by \
+                    calling readChunks().
+                    """,
+                cause: nil,
+                location: .here()
+            )
+        }
+
         if readSize > maximumSizeAllowed.bytes {
             throw FileSystemError(
                 code: .resourceExhausted,
diff --git a/Tests/NIOFileSystemIntegrationTests/FileSystemTests.swift b/Tests/NIOFileSystemIntegrationTests/FileSystemTests.swift
index 397e9b76ca..f0e6aee74a 100644
--- a/Tests/NIOFileSystemIntegrationTests/FileSystemTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/NIOFileSystemIntegrationTests/FileSystemTests.swift
@@ -1803,6 +1803,21 @@ extension FileSystemTests {
             XCTAssertEqual(byteCount, Int(size))
         }
     }
+
+    func testReadMoreThanByteBufferCapacity() async throws {
+        let path = try await self.fs.temporaryFilePath()
+
+        try await self.fs.withFileHandle(forReadingAndWritingAt: path) { fileHandle in
+            await XCTAssertThrowsFileSystemErrorAsync {
+                // Set `maximumSizeAllowed` to 1 byte more than can be written to `ByteBuffer`.
+                try await fileHandle.readToEnd(
+                    maximumSizeAllowed: .byteBufferCapacity + .bytes(1)
+                )
+            } onError: { error in
+                XCTAssertEqual(error.code, .resourceExhausted)
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 #if !canImport(Darwin) && swift(<5.9.2)