diff --git a/lapi.c b/lapi.c
index bb76b15a..69b890cd 100644
--- a/lapi.c
+++ b/lapi.c
@@ -781,7 +781,7 @@ LUA_API int lua_rawgetp (lua_State *L, int idx, const void *p) {
 }
 
 
-LUA_API void lua_createtable (lua_State *L, int narray, int nrec) {
+LUA_API void lua_createtable (lua_State *L, unsigned narray, unsigned nrec) {
   Table *t;
   lua_lock(L);
   t = luaH_new(L);
diff --git a/ltable.c b/ltable.c
index 353e567b..b86e2281 100644
--- a/ltable.c
+++ b/ltable.c
@@ -61,18 +61,25 @@ typedef union {
 
 
 /*
-** MAXABITS is the largest integer such that MAXASIZE fits in an
+** MAXABITS is the largest integer such that 2^MAXABITS fits in an
 ** unsigned int.
 */
 #define MAXABITS	cast_int(sizeof(int) * CHAR_BIT - 1)
 
 
 /*
-** MAXASIZE is the maximum size of the array part. It is the minimum
-** between 2^MAXABITS and the maximum size that, measured in bytes,
-** fits in a 'size_t'.
+** MAXASIZEB is the maximum number of elements in the array part such
+** that the size of the array fits in 'size_t'.
 */
-#define MAXASIZE	luaM_limitN(1u << MAXABITS, TValue)
+#define MAXASIZEB	((MAX_SIZET/sizeof(ArrayCell)) * NM)
+
+
+/*
+** MAXASIZE is the maximum size of the array part. It is the minimum
+** between 2^MAXABITS and MAXASIZEB.
+*/
+#define MAXASIZE  \
+    (((1u << MAXABITS) < MAXASIZEB) ? (1u << MAXABITS) : cast_uint(MAXASIZEB))
 
 /*
 ** MAXHBITS is the largest integer such that 2^MAXHBITS fits in a
@@ -663,6 +670,8 @@ void luaH_resize (lua_State *L, Table *t, unsigned int newasize,
   Table newt;  /* to keep the new hash part */
   unsigned int oldasize = setlimittosize(t);
   ArrayCell *newarray;
+  if (newasize > MAXASIZE)
+    luaG_runerror(L, "table overflow");
   /* create new hash part with appropriate size into 'newt' */
   newt.flags = 0;
   setnodevector(L, &newt, nhsize);
diff --git a/ltablib.c b/ltablib.c
index c8838963..2ba31a4f 100644
--- a/ltablib.c
+++ b/ltablib.c
@@ -59,8 +59,10 @@ static void checktab (lua_State *L, int arg, int what) {
 
 
 static int tcreate (lua_State *L) {
-  int sizeseq = (int)luaL_checkinteger(L, 1);
-  int sizerest = (int)luaL_optinteger(L, 2, 0);
+  lua_Unsigned sizeseq = (lua_Unsigned)luaL_checkinteger(L, 1);
+  lua_Unsigned sizerest = (lua_Unsigned)luaL_optinteger(L, 2, 0);
+  luaL_argcheck(L, sizeseq <= UINT_MAX, 1, "out of range");
+  luaL_argcheck(L, sizerest <= UINT_MAX, 2, "out of range");
   lua_createtable(L, sizeseq, sizerest);
   return 1;
 }
diff --git a/lua.h b/lua.h
index 58f31646..b8e0c571 100644
--- a/lua.h
+++ b/lua.h
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ LUA_API int (lua_rawget) (lua_State *L, int idx);
 LUA_API int (lua_rawgeti) (lua_State *L, int idx, lua_Integer n);
 LUA_API int (lua_rawgetp) (lua_State *L, int idx, const void *p);
 
-LUA_API void  (lua_createtable) (lua_State *L, int narr, int nrec);
+LUA_API void  (lua_createtable) (lua_State *L, unsigned narr, unsigned nrec);
 LUA_API void *(lua_newuserdatauv) (lua_State *L, size_t sz, int nuvalue);
 LUA_API int   (lua_getmetatable) (lua_State *L, int objindex);
 LUA_API int  (lua_getiuservalue) (lua_State *L, int idx, int n);
diff --git a/manual/manual.of b/manual/manual.of
index aaaf15b7..cdd54f66 100644
--- a/manual/manual.of
+++ b/manual/manual.of
@@ -3234,7 +3234,7 @@ Values at other positions are not affected.
 
 }
 
-@APIEntry{void lua_createtable (lua_State *L, int nseq, int nrec);|
+@APIEntry{void lua_createtable (lua_State *L, unsigned nseq, unsigned nrec);|
 @apii{0,1,m}
 
 Creates a new empty table and pushes it onto the stack.
diff --git a/testes/sort.lua b/testes/sort.lua
index 7e566a5a..442b3129 100644
--- a/testes/sort.lua
+++ b/testes/sort.lua
@@ -3,33 +3,6 @@
 
 print "testing (parts of) table library"
 
-do print "testing 'table.create'"
-  collectgarbage()
-  local m = collectgarbage("count") * 1024
-  local t = table.create(10000)
-  local memdiff = collectgarbage("count") * 1024 - m
-  assert(memdiff > 10000 * 4)
-  for i = 1, 20 do
-    assert(#t == i - 1)
-    t[i] = 0
-  end
-  for i = 1, 20 do  t[#t + 1] = i * 10  end
-  assert(#t == 40 and t[39] == 190)
-  assert(not T or T.querytab(t) == 10000)
-  t = nil
-  collectgarbage()
-  m = collectgarbage("count") * 1024
-  t = table.create(0, 1024)
-  memdiff = collectgarbage("count") * 1024 - m
-  assert(memdiff > 1024 * 12)
-  assert(not T or select(2, T.querytab(t)) == 1024)
-end
-
-
-print "testing unpack"
-
-local unpack = table.unpack
-
 local maxI = math.maxinteger
 local minI = math.mininteger
 
@@ -40,6 +13,38 @@ local function checkerror (msg, f, ...)
 end
 
 
+do print "testing 'table.create'"
+  local N = 10000
+  collectgarbage()
+  local m = collectgarbage("count") * 1024
+  local t = table.create(N)
+  local memdiff = collectgarbage("count") * 1024 - m
+  assert(memdiff > N * 4)
+  for i = 1, 20 do
+    assert(#t == i - 1)
+    t[i] = 0
+  end
+  for i = 1, 20 do  t[#t + 1] = i * 10  end
+  assert(#t == 40 and t[39] == 190)
+  assert(not T or T.querytab(t) == N)
+  t = nil
+  collectgarbage()
+  m = collectgarbage("count") * 1024
+  t = table.create(0, 1024)
+  memdiff = collectgarbage("count") * 1024 - m
+  assert(memdiff > 1024 * 12)
+  assert(not T or select(2, T.querytab(t)) == 1024)
+
+  checkerror("table overflow", table.create, (1<<31) + 1)
+  checkerror("table overflow", table.create, 0, (1<<31) + 1)
+end
+
+
+print "testing unpack"
+
+local unpack = table.unpack
+
+
 checkerror("wrong number of arguments", table.insert, {}, 2, 3, 4)
 
 local x,y,z,a,n