diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 311ac3d1..88131743 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ Version 71:
 * Fix spurious on_chunk invocation
 * Call prepare_payload in HTTP example
 * Check trailers in test
+* Fix buffer overflow handling for string_body and mutable_body
 
 WebSockets:
 
diff --git a/example/common/mutable_body.hpp b/example/common/mutable_body.hpp
index f3b755fe..3d441e53 100644
--- a/example/common/mutable_body.hpp
+++ b/example/common/mutable_body.hpp
@@ -109,14 +109,21 @@ struct mutable_body
                 if(*content_length > (std::numeric_limits<
                         std::size_t>::max)())
                 {
-                    ec = boost::system::errc::make_error_code(
-                            boost::system::errc::not_enough_memory);
+                    ec = beast::http::error::buffer_overflow;
+                    return;
+                }
+                try
+                {
+                    body_.reserve(static_cast<
+                        std::size_t>(*content_length));
+                }
+                catch(std::exception const&)
+                {
+                    ec = beast::http::error::buffer_overflow;
                     return;
                 }
-                ec.assign(0, ec.category());
-                body_.reserve(static_cast<
-                    std::size_t>(*content_length));
             }
+            ec.assign(0, ec.category());
         }
 
         template<class ConstBufferSequence>
@@ -132,7 +139,7 @@ struct mutable_body
             {
                 body_.resize(len + n);
             }
-            catch(std::length_error const&)
+            catch(std::exception const&)
             {
                 ec = beast::http::error::buffer_overflow;
                 return 0;
diff --git a/include/beast/http/string_body.hpp b/include/beast/http/string_body.hpp
index f0d79d59..963d48bd 100644
--- a/include/beast/http/string_body.hpp
+++ b/include/beast/http/string_body.hpp
@@ -90,18 +90,21 @@ struct string_body
                 if(*content_length > (std::numeric_limits<
                         std::size_t>::max)())
                 {
-                    ec = make_error_code(
-                        errc::not_enough_memory);
+                    ec = error::buffer_overflow;
+                    return;
+                }
+                try
+                {
+                    body_.reserve(static_cast<
+                        std::size_t>(*content_length));
+                }
+                catch(std::exception const&)
+                {
+                    ec = error::buffer_overflow;
                     return;
                 }
-                ec.assign(0, ec.category());
-                body_.reserve(static_cast<
-                    std::size_t>(*content_length));
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                ec.assign(0, ec.category());
             }
+            ec.assign(0, ec.category());
         }
 
         template<class ConstBufferSequence>
@@ -117,7 +120,7 @@ struct string_body
             {
                 body_.resize(len + n);
             }
-            catch(std::length_error const&)
+            catch(std::exception const&)
             {
                 ec = error::buffer_overflow;
                 return 0;