diff --git a/doc/file.man b/doc/file.man
index bf78c0c..a0a363c 100644
--- a/doc/file.man
+++ b/doc/file.man
@@ -340,12 +340,12 @@ never read them.
 .It Fl P , Fl Fl parameter Ar name=value
 Set various parameter limits.
 .Bl -column "elf_phnum" "Default" "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
+.Bl -column "elf_phnum" "Default" "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX" -offset indent
 .It Sy "Name" Ta Sy "Default" Ta Sy "Explanation"
 .It Li bytes Ta 1M Ta max number of bytes to read from file
 .It Li elf_notes Ta 256 Ta max ELF notes processed
 .It Li elf_phnum Ta 2K Ta max ELF program sections processed
 .It Li elf_shnum Ta 32K Ta max ELF sections processed
-.It Li elf_shsize Ta 128MB Ta max ELF section size processed
 .It Li encoding Ta 65K Ta max number of bytes to determine encoding
 .It Li indir Ta 50 Ta recursion limit for indirect magic
 .It Li name Ta 50 Ta use count limit for name/use magic
diff --git a/src/apprentice.c b/src/apprentice.c
index 7907841..1d862df 100644
--- a/src/apprentice.c
+++ b/src/apprentice.c
@@ -577,7 +577,6 @@ file_ms_alloc(int flags)
 	ms->indir_max = FILE_INDIR_MAX;
 	ms->name_max = FILE_NAME_MAX;
 	ms->elf_shnum_max = FILE_ELF_SHNUM_MAX;
-	ms->elf_shsize_max = FILE_ELF_SHSIZE_MAX;
 	ms->elf_phnum_max = FILE_ELF_PHNUM_MAX;
 	ms->elf_notes_max = FILE_ELF_NOTES_MAX;
 	ms->regex_max = FILE_REGEX_MAX;
diff --git a/src/file.c b/src/file.c
index 31c1035..4fa275c 100644
--- a/src/file.c
+++ b/src/file.c
@@ -156,8 +156,6 @@ file_private struct {
 	    MAGIC_PARAM_ELF_PHNUM_MAX, 0 },
 	{ "elf_shnum", 0, FILE_ELF_SHNUM_MAX, "max ELF sections processed",
 	    MAGIC_PARAM_ELF_SHNUM_MAX, 0 },
-	{ "elf_shsize", 0, FILE_ELF_SHSIZE_MAX, "max ELF section size",
-	    MAGIC_PARAM_ELF_SHSIZE_MAX, 0 },
 	{ "encoding", 0, FILE_ENCODING_MAX, "max bytes to scan for encoding",
 	    MAGIC_PARAM_ENCODING_MAX, 0 },
 	{ "indir", 0, FILE_INDIR_MAX, "recursion limit for indirection",
diff --git a/src/file.h b/src/file.h
index 78f574e..049ef3c 100644
--- a/src/file.h
+++ b/src/file.h
@@ -492,14 +492,12 @@ struct magic_set {
 	uint16_t regex_max;
 	size_t bytes_max;		/* number of bytes to read from file */
 	size_t encoding_max;		/* bytes to look for encoding */
-	size_t	elf_shsize_max;
 #ifndef FILE_BYTES_MAX
 # define FILE_BYTES_MAX (7 * 1024 * 1024)/* how much of the file to look at */
 #endif /* above 0x6ab0f4 map offset for HelveticaNeue.dfont */
 #define	FILE_ELF_NOTES_MAX		256
 #define	FILE_ELF_PHNUM_MAX		2048
 #define	FILE_ELF_SHNUM_MAX		32768
-#define	FILE_ELF_SHSIZE_MAX		(128 * 1024 * 1024)
 #define	FILE_INDIR_MAX			50
 #define	FILE_NAME_MAX			50
 #define	FILE_REGEX_MAX			8192
diff --git a/src/magic.c b/src/magic.c
index 052f997..5084dcc 100644
--- a/src/magic.c
+++ b/src/magic.c
@@ -625,9 +625,6 @@ magic_setparam(struct magic_set *ms, int param, const void *val)
 	case MAGIC_PARAM_ELF_SHNUM_MAX:
 		ms->elf_shnum_max = CAST(uint16_t, *CAST(const size_t *, val));
 		return 0;
-	case MAGIC_PARAM_ELF_SHSIZE_MAX:
-		ms->elf_shsize_max = *CAST(const size_t *, val);
-		return 0;
 	case MAGIC_PARAM_ELF_NOTES_MAX:
 		ms->elf_notes_max = CAST(uint16_t, *CAST(const size_t *, val));
 		return 0;
@@ -664,9 +661,6 @@ magic_getparam(struct magic_set *ms, int param, void *val)
 	case MAGIC_PARAM_ELF_SHNUM_MAX:
 		*CAST(size_t *, val) = ms->elf_shnum_max;
 		return 0;
-	case MAGIC_PARAM_ELF_SHSIZE_MAX:
-		*CAST(size_t *, val) = ms->elf_shsize_max;
-		return 0;
 	case MAGIC_PARAM_ELF_NOTES_MAX:
 		*CAST(size_t *, val) = ms->elf_notes_max;
 		return 0;
diff --git a/src/readelf.c b/src/readelf.c
index a2a66dd..71c0ad1 100644
--- a/src/readelf.c
+++ b/src/readelf.c
@@ -1450,12 +1450,6 @@ doshn(struct magic_set *ms, int clazz, int swap, int fd, off_t off, int num,
 					return -1;
 				return 0;
 			}
-			if (xsh_size > ms->elf_shsize_max) {
-				file_error(ms, errno, "Note section size too "
-				    "big (%ju > %zu)", (uintmax_t)xsh_size,
-				    ms->elf_shsize_max);
-				return -1;
-			}
 			if ((nbuf = malloc(xsh_size)) == NULL) {
 				file_error(ms, errno, "Cannot allocate memory"
 				    " for note");