diff --git a/include/file.h b/include/file.h
index 73be69bd..ac6f39e5 100644
--- a/include/file.h
+++ b/include/file.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
  *  file.h: Describes Empire tables (`files' for historical reasons)
  *
  *  Known contributors to this file:
- *     Markus Armbruster, 2005-2012
+ *     Markus Armbruster, 2005-2014
  */
 
 #ifndef FILE_H
@@ -130,6 +130,12 @@ struct emptypedstr {
 /* Create table file, clobbering any existing file */
 #define EFF_CREATE	bit(16)
 
+/*
+ * A value larger than any struct empfile member size where member
+ * cadef is not null.
+ */
+#define EF_WITH_CADEF_MAX_ENTRY_SIZE 1024
+
 /*
  * Empire `file types'
  * These are really table IDs.  Some tables are backed by files, some
diff --git a/src/lib/commands/xdump.c b/src/lib/commands/xdump.c
index 3b245b66..e7b6853b 100644
--- a/src/lib/commands/xdump.c
+++ b/src/lib/commands/xdump.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
  *  xdump.c: Extended dump
  *
  *  Known contributors to this file:
- *     Markus Armbruster, 2004-2011
+ *     Markus Armbruster, 2004-2014
  */
 
 #include <config.h>
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ xditem(struct xdstr *xd, int type, char *arg)
     struct castr *ca;
     struct nstr_item ni;
     int n;
-    char buf[2048];		/* FIXME buffer size? */
+    unsigned char buf[EF_WITH_CADEF_MAX_ENTRY_SIZE];
 
     ca = ef_cadef(type);
     if (!ca)
diff --git a/src/lib/common/filetable.c b/src/lib/common/filetable.c
index 36f687ff..69b4b7c2 100644
--- a/src/lib/common/filetable.c
+++ b/src/lib/common/filetable.c
@@ -27,11 +27,12 @@
  *  filetable.c: Empire game data file descriptions.
  *
  *  Known contributors to this file:
- *     Markus Armbruster, 2005-2013
+ *     Markus Armbruster, 2005-2014
  */
 
 #include <config.h>
 
+#include <assert.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include "commodity.h"
 #include "file.h"
@@ -394,6 +395,11 @@ empfile_init(void)
 void
 empfile_fixup(void)
 {
+    struct empfile *ep;
+
     empfile[EF_SECTOR].nent = WORLD_SZ();
     empfile[EF_MAP].size = empfile[EF_BMAP].size = WORLD_SZ();
+
+    for (ep = empfile; ep->uid >= 0; ep++)
+	assert(!ep->cadef || ep->size <= EF_WITH_CADEF_MAX_ENTRY_SIZE);
 }