diff --git a/lib/fs.js b/lib/fs.js
index 66113899a5bfdc..40453bc15c1efb 100644
--- a/lib/fs.js
+++ b/lib/fs.js
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@
 
 'use strict';
 
+// Most platforms don't allow reads or writes >= 2 GB.
+// See https://github.com/libuv/libuv/pull/1501.
+const kIoMaxLength = 2 ** 31 - 1;
+
 const {
   Map,
   MathMax,
@@ -52,7 +56,7 @@ const {
 const pathModule = require('path');
 const { isArrayBufferView } = require('internal/util/types');
 const binding = internalBinding('fs');
-const { Buffer, kMaxLength } = require('buffer');
+const { Buffer } = require('buffer');
 const {
   codes: {
     ERR_FS_FILE_TOO_LARGE,
@@ -269,7 +273,7 @@ function readFileAfterStat(err, stats) {
 
   const size = context.size = isFileType(stats, S_IFREG) ? stats[8] : 0;
 
-  if (size > kMaxLength) {
+  if (size > kIoMaxLength) {
     err = new ERR_FS_FILE_TOO_LARGE(size);
     return context.close(err);
   }
@@ -327,7 +331,7 @@ function tryCreateBuffer(size, fd, isUserFd) {
   let threw = true;
   let buffer;
   try {
-    if (size > kMaxLength) {
+    if (size > kIoMaxLength) {
       throw new ERR_FS_FILE_TOO_LARGE(size);
     }
     buffer = Buffer.allocUnsafe(size);
diff --git a/lib/internal/errors.js b/lib/internal/errors.js
index edd286a20afee4..3dda42aef9ef33 100644
--- a/lib/internal/errors.js
+++ b/lib/internal/errors.js
@@ -803,9 +803,7 @@ E('ERR_FALSY_VALUE_REJECTION', function(reason) {
   this.reason = reason;
   return 'Promise was rejected with falsy value';
 }, Error);
-E('ERR_FS_FILE_TOO_LARGE', 'File size (%s) is greater than possible Buffer: ' +
-    `${kMaxLength} bytes`,
-  RangeError);
+E('ERR_FS_FILE_TOO_LARGE', 'File size (%s) is greater than 2 GB', RangeError);
 E('ERR_FS_INVALID_SYMLINK_TYPE',
   'Symlink type must be one of "dir", "file", or "junction". Received "%s"',
   Error); // Switch to TypeError. The current implementation does not seem right
diff --git a/lib/internal/fs/promises.js b/lib/internal/fs/promises.js
index 2fc6f8fb9589e3..e0c4e2ca4a49e7 100644
--- a/lib/internal/fs/promises.js
+++ b/lib/internal/fs/promises.js
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 'use strict';
 
+// Most platforms don't allow reads or writes >= 2 GB.
+// See https://github.com/libuv/libuv/pull/1501.
+const kIoMaxLength = 2 ** 31 - 1;
+
 const {
   MathMax,
   MathMin,
@@ -15,7 +19,7 @@ const {
   S_IFREG
 } = internalBinding('constants').fs;
 const binding = internalBinding('fs');
-const { Buffer, kMaxLength } = require('buffer');
+const { Buffer } = require('buffer');
 const {
   ERR_FS_FILE_TOO_LARGE,
   ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE,
@@ -163,7 +167,7 @@ async function readFileHandle(filehandle, options) {
     size = 0;
   }
 
-  if (size > kMaxLength)
+  if (size > kIoMaxLength)
     throw new ERR_FS_FILE_TOO_LARGE(size);
 
   const chunks = [];
diff --git a/src/node_buffer.cc b/src/node_buffer.cc
index f091ac96209721..9c5e1a8c534d80 100644
--- a/src/node_buffer.cc
+++ b/src/node_buffer.cc
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ using v8::Local;
 using v8::Maybe;
 using v8::MaybeLocal;
 using v8::Nothing;
+using v8::Number;
 using v8::Object;
 using v8::String;
 using v8::Uint32;
@@ -1178,7 +1179,7 @@ void Initialize(Local<Object> target,
 
   target->Set(env->context(),
               FIXED_ONE_BYTE_STRING(env->isolate(), "kMaxLength"),
-              Integer::NewFromUnsigned(env->isolate(), kMaxLength)).Check();
+              Number::New(env->isolate(), kMaxLength)).Check();
 
   target->Set(env->context(),
               FIXED_ONE_BYTE_STRING(env->isolate(), "kStringMaxLength"),
diff --git a/src/node_buffer.h b/src/node_buffer.h
index 11010017ce0df8..606a6f5caa3b11 100644
--- a/src/node_buffer.h
+++ b/src/node_buffer.h
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ namespace node {
 
 namespace Buffer {
 
-static const unsigned int kMaxLength = v8::TypedArray::kMaxLength;
+static const size_t kMaxLength = v8::TypedArray::kMaxLength;
 
 typedef void (*FreeCallback)(char* data, void* hint);
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-fs-util-validateoffsetlengthwrite.js b/test/parallel/test-fs-util-validateoffsetlengthwrite.js
index 49746b0c5dfd8a..57fb7a9bc70674 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-fs-util-validateoffsetlengthwrite.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-fs-util-validateoffsetlengthwrite.js
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@ require('../common');
 
 const assert = require('assert');
 const { validateOffsetLengthWrite } = require('internal/fs/utils');
-const { kMaxLength } = require('buffer');
+
+// Most platforms don't allow reads or writes >= 2 GB.
+// See https://github.com/libuv/libuv/pull/1501.
+const kIoMaxLength = 2 ** 31 - 1;
 
 // RangeError when offset > byteLength
 {
@@ -23,11 +26,11 @@ const { kMaxLength } = require('buffer');
   );
 }
 
-// RangeError when byteLength < kMaxLength, and length > byteLength - offset .
+// RangeError when byteLength < kIoMaxLength, and length > byteLength - offset.
 {
-  const offset = kMaxLength - 150;
+  const offset = kIoMaxLength - 150;
   const length = 200;
-  const byteLength = kMaxLength - 100;
+  const byteLength = kIoMaxLength - 100;
   assert.throws(
     () => validateOffsetLengthWrite(offset, length, byteLength),
     {