diff --git a/admin/tool/xmldb/actions/edit_field/edit_field.js b/admin/tool/xmldb/actions/edit_field/edit_field.js
index b5a45c1377cf8..57dcfcaa2b2da 100644
--- a/admin/tool/xmldb/actions/edit_field/edit_field.js
+++ b/admin/tool/xmldb/actions/edit_field/edit_field.js
@@ -75,20 +75,24 @@ function transformForm(event) {
     switch (typeField.value) {
         case '1':  // XMLDB_TYPE_INTEGER
             lengthTip.innerHTML = ' 1...20';
+            lengthField.disabled = false;
             decimalsTip.innerHTML = '';
             decimalsField.disabled = true;
             decimalsField.value = '';
             break;
         case '2':  // XMLDB_TYPE_NUMBER
             lengthTip.innerHTML = ' 1...20';
+            lengthField.disabled = false;
             decimalsTip.innerHTML = ' 0...length or empty';
             break;
         case '3':  // XMLDB_TYPE_FLOAT
             lengthTip.innerHTML = ' 1...20 or empty';
+            lengthField.disabled = false;
             decimalsTip.innerHTML = ' 0...length or empty';
             break;
         case '4':  // XMLDB_TYPE_CHAR
             lengthTip.innerHTML = ' 1...1333'; // Hardcoded, yes!
+            lengthField.disabled = false;
             decimalsTip.innerHTML = '';
             decimalsField.disabled = true;
             decimalsField.value = '';
@@ -96,7 +100,8 @@ function transformForm(event) {
             sequenceField.value = '0';
             break;
         case '5':  // XMLDB_TYPE_TEXT
-            lengthTip.innerHTML = ' small, medium, big';
+            lengthTip.innerHTML = '';
+            lengthField.disabled = true;
             decimalsTip.innerHTML = '';
             decimalsField.disabled = true;
             decimalsField.value = '';
@@ -106,7 +111,8 @@ function transformForm(event) {
             defaultField.value = '';
             break;
         case '6':  // XMLDB_TYPE_BINARY
-            lengthTip.innerHTML = ' small, medium, big';
+            lengthTip.innerHTML = '';
+            lengthField.disabled = true;
             decimalsTip.innerHTML = '';
             decimalsField.disabled = true;
             decimalsField.value = '';
diff --git a/admin/tool/xmldb/actions/edit_field_save/edit_field_save.class.php b/admin/tool/xmldb/actions/edit_field_save/edit_field_save.class.php
index a1b4a80fd0a2d..90b1433cbb0dd 100644
--- a/admin/tool/xmldb/actions/edit_field_save/edit_field_save.class.php
+++ b/admin/tool/xmldb/actions/edit_field_save/edit_field_save.class.php
@@ -49,8 +49,6 @@ function init() {
             'numberincorrectlength' => 'tool_xmldb',
             'floatincorrectlength' => 'tool_xmldb',
             'charincorrectlength' => 'tool_xmldb',
-            'textincorrectlength' => 'tool_xmldb',
-            'binaryincorrectlength' => 'tool_xmldb',
             'numberincorrectdecimals' => 'tool_xmldb',
             'floatincorrectdecimals' => 'tool_xmldb',
             'defaultincorrect' => 'tool_xmldb',
@@ -201,28 +199,8 @@ function invoke() {
                 }
             }
         }
-        // Text checks
-        if ($type == XMLDB_TYPE_TEXT) {
-            if ($length != 'small' &&
-                $length != 'medium' &&
-                $length != 'big') {
-                $errors[] = $this->str['textincorrectlength'];
-            }
-            if ($default !== NULL && $default !== '') {
-                if (substr($default, 0, 1) == "'" ||
-                    substr($default, -1, 1) == "'") {
-                    $errors[] = $this->str['defaultincorrect'];
-                }
-            }
-        }
-        // Binary checks
-        if ($type == XMLDB_TYPE_BINARY) {
-            if ($length != 'small' &&
-                $length != 'medium' &&
-                $length != 'big') {
-                $errors[] = $this->str['binaryincorrectlength'];
-            }
-        }
+        // No text checks
+        // No binary checks
 
         if (!empty($errors)) {
             $tempfield = new xmldb_field($name);
diff --git a/admin/tool/xmldb/lang/en/tool_xmldb.php b/admin/tool/xmldb/lang/en/tool_xmldb.php
index ebb4878285945..a378c268ee4a6 100644
--- a/admin/tool/xmldb/lang/en/tool_xmldb.php
+++ b/admin/tool/xmldb/lang/en/tool_xmldb.php
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 $string['aftertable'] = 'After table:';
 $string['back'] = 'Back';
 $string['backtomainview'] = 'Back to main';
-$string['binaryincorrectlength'] = 'Incorrect length for binary field';
 $string['cannotuseidfield'] = 'Cannot insert the "id" field. It is an autonumeric column';
 $string['completelogbelow'] = '(see the complete log of the search below)';
 $string['confirmdeletefield'] = 'Are you absolutely sure that you want to delete the field:';
@@ -159,7 +158,6 @@
 $string['table'] = 'Table';
 $string['tablenameempty'] = 'The table name cannot be empty';
 $string['tables'] = 'Tables';
-$string['textincorrectlength'] = 'Incorrect length for text field';
 $string['unload'] = 'Unload';
 $string['up'] = 'Up';
 $string['view'] = 'View';
diff --git a/lib/ddl/mysql_sql_generator.php b/lib/ddl/mysql_sql_generator.php
index f09a8f6de88d3..11e241a0de269 100644
--- a/lib/ddl/mysql_sql_generator.php
+++ b/lib/ddl/mysql_sql_generator.php
@@ -202,28 +202,10 @@ public function getTypeSQL($xmldb_type, $xmldb_length=null, $xmldb_decimals=null
                 $dbtype .= '(' . $xmldb_length . ')';
                 break;
             case XMLDB_TYPE_TEXT:
-                if (empty($xmldb_length)) {
-                    $xmldb_length = 'small';
-                }
-                if ($xmldb_length == 'small') {
-                    $dbtype = 'TEXT';
-                } else if ($xmldb_length == 'medium') {
-                    $dbtype = 'MEDIUMTEXT';
-                } else {
-                    $dbtype = 'LONGTEXT';
-                }
+                $dbtype = 'LONGTEXT';
                 break;
             case XMLDB_TYPE_BINARY:
-                if (empty($xmldb_length)) {
-                    $xmldb_length = 'small';
-                }
-                if ($xmldb_length == 'small') {
-                    $dbtype = 'BLOB';
-                } else if ($xmldb_length == 'medium') {
-                    $dbtype = 'MEDIUMBLOB';
-                } else {
-                    $dbtype = 'LONGBLOB';
-                }
+                $dbtype = 'LONGBLOB';
                 break;
             case XMLDB_TYPE_DATETIME:
                 $dbtype = 'DATETIME';
diff --git a/lib/xmldb/xmldb.xsd b/lib/xmldb/xmldb.xsd
index a2079c6dceb99..d30597eae9261 100644
--- a/lib/xmldb/xmldb.xsd
+++ b/lib/xmldb/xmldb.xsd
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 
   <xs:simpleType name="fieldLength" >
     <xs:restriction base="xs:string" >
+    <!-- TODO: Moodle 2.5 - Drop LOB sizes, keep only numbers -->
      <xs:pattern value='(\d+)|(small|medium|big)'/>
     </xs:restriction >
   </xs:simpleType >
diff --git a/lib/xmldb/xmldb_field.php b/lib/xmldb/xmldb_field.php
index e0819fa0084bc..cec73df60b4fe 100644
--- a/lib/xmldb/xmldb_field.php
+++ b/lib/xmldb/xmldb_field.php
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ function setAttributes($type, $precision=null, $unsigned=null, $notnull=null, $s
      * Set all the attributes of one xmldb_field
      *
      * @param string type XMLDB_TYPE_INTEGER, XMLDB_TYPE_NUMBER, XMLDB_TYPE_CHAR, XMLDB_TYPE_TEXT, XMLDB_TYPE_BINARY
-     * @param string precision length for integers and chars, two-comma separated numbers for numbers and 'small', 'medium', 'big' for texts and binaries
+     * @param string precision length for integers and chars, two-comma separated numbers for numbers
      * @param string unsigned XMLDB_UNSIGNED or null (or false)
      * @param string notnull XMLDB_NOTNULL or null (or false)
      * @param string sequence XMLDB_SEQUENCE or null (or false)
@@ -97,6 +97,11 @@ function set_attributes($type, $precision=null, $unsigned=null, $notnull=null, $
         $this->sequence = !empty($sequence) ? true : false;
         $this->setDefault($default);
 
+        if ($this->type == XMLDB_TYPE_BINARY || $this->type == XMLDB_TYPE_TEXT) {
+            $this->length = null;
+            $this->decimals = null;
+        }
+
         $this->previous = $previous;
     }
 
@@ -266,19 +271,10 @@ function arr2xmldb_field($xmlarr) {
                     $result = false;
                 }
             }
-        /// Check for big, medium, small to be applied to text and binary
+        /// Remove length from text and binary
             if ($this->type == XMLDB_TYPE_TEXT ||
                 $this->type == XMLDB_TYPE_BINARY) {
-                if (!$length) {
-                    $length == 'big';
-                }
-                if ($length != 'big' &&
-                    $length != 'medium' &&
-                    $length != 'small') {
-                    $this->errormsg = 'Incorrect LENGTH attribute for text and binary fields (only big, medium and small allowed)';
-                    $this->debug($this->errormsg);
-                    $result = false;
-                }
+                $length = null;
             }
         /// Finally, set the length
             $this->length = $length;
@@ -549,36 +545,10 @@ function setFromADOField($adofield) {
             $this->length = $adofield->max_length;
         }
         if ($this->type == XMLDB_TYPE_TEXT) {
-            switch (strtolower($adofield->type)) {
-                case 'tinytext':
-                case 'text':
-                    $this->length = 'small';
-                    break;
-                case 'mediumtext':
-                    $this->length = 'medium';
-                    break;
-                case 'longtext':
-                    $this->length = 'big';
-                    break;
-                default:
-                    $this->length = 'small';
-            }
+            $this->length = null;
         }
         if ($this->type == XMLDB_TYPE_BINARY) {
-            switch (strtolower($adofield->type)) {
-                case 'tinyblob':
-                case 'blob':
-                    $this->length = 'small';
-                    break;
-                case 'mediumblob':
-                    $this->length = 'medium';
-                    break;
-                case 'longblob':
-                    $this->length = 'big';
-                    break;
-                default:
-                    $this->length = 'small';
-            }
+            $this->length = null;
         }
     /// Calculate the decimals of the field
         if ($adofield->max_length > 0 &&
@@ -709,10 +679,6 @@ function readableInfo() {
                 $o .= ')';
             }
         }
-        if ($this->type == XMLDB_TYPE_TEXT ||
-            $this->type == XMLDB_TYPE_BINARY) {
-                $o .= ' (' . $this->length . ')';
-        }
     /// not null
         if ($this->notnull) {
             $o .= ' not null';
diff --git a/lib/xmldb/xmldb_table.php b/lib/xmldb/xmldb_table.php
index a7011e4620b14..2267a7558c279 100644
--- a/lib/xmldb/xmldb_table.php
+++ b/lib/xmldb/xmldb_table.php
@@ -721,7 +721,7 @@ function addFieldInfo($name, $type, $precision=null, $unsigned=null, $notnull=nu
      *
      * @param string name name of the field
      * @param string type XMLDB_TYPE_INTEGER, XMLDB_TYPE_NUMBER, XMLDB_TYPE_CHAR, XMLDB_TYPE_TEXT, XMLDB_TYPE_BINARY
-     * @param string precision length for integers and chars, two-comma separated numbers for numbers and 'small', 'medium', 'big' for texts and binaries
+     * @param string precision length for integers and chars, two-comma separated numbers for numbers
      * @param string unsigned XMLDB_UNSIGNED or null (or false)
      * @param string notnull XMLDB_NOTNULL or null (or false)
      * @param string sequence XMLDB_SEQUENCE or null (or false)