diff --git a/src/util.c b/src/util.c
index 1cc08ba..eee8514 100644
--- a/src/util.c
+++ b/src/util.c
@@ -460,12 +460,12 @@ move_file (char const *from, bool *from_needs_removal,
 
 	  /* FROM contains the contents of the symlink we have patched; need
 	     to convert that back into a symlink. */
-	  char *buffer = xmalloc (PATH_MAX);
+         char *buffer = xmalloc (fromst->st_size + 1);
 	  int fd, size = 0, i;
 
 	  if ((fd = safe_open (from, O_RDONLY | O_BINARY, 0)) < 0)
 	    pfatal ("Can't reopen file %s", quotearg (from));
-	  while ((i = read (fd, buffer + size, PATH_MAX - size)) > 0)
+	  while ((i = read (fd, buffer + size, fromst->st_size - size)) > 0)
 	    size += i;
 	  if (i != 0 || close (fd) != 0)
 	    read_fatal ();
@@ -610,10 +610,10 @@ copy_file (char const *from, char const *to, struct stat *tost,
 
   if (S_ISLNK (mode))
     {
-      char *buffer = xmalloc (PATH_MAX + 1);
+      char *buffer = xmalloc (tost->st_size + 2);
       ssize_t r;
 
-      if ((r = safe_readlink (from, buffer, PATH_MAX)) < 0)
+      if ((r = safe_readlink (from, buffer, tost->st_size)) < 0)
 	pfatal ("Can't read %s %s", "symbolic link", from);
       buffer[r] = '\0';
       if (safe_symlink (buffer, to) != 0)