diff --git a/include/boost/container/allocator_traits.hpp b/include/boost/container/allocator_traits.hpp
index a83ecbf..01be0ef 100644
--- a/include/boost/container/allocator_traits.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/container/allocator_traits.hpp
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ struct allocator_traits
       {  return a.max_size();  }
 
       static size_type priv_max_size(container_detail::false_type, const Allocator &) BOOST_CONTAINER_NOEXCEPT
-      {  return size_type(-1);  }
+      {  return size_type(-1)/sizeof(value_type);  }
 
       static Allocator priv_select_on_container_copy_construction(container_detail::true_type, const Allocator &a)
       {  return a.select_on_container_copy_construction();  }
diff --git a/test/allocator_traits_test.cpp b/test/allocator_traits_test.cpp
index 7da3ee7..47a3764 100644
--- a/test/allocator_traits_test.cpp
+++ b/test/allocator_traits_test.cpp
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ int main()
    CAllocTraits::max_size(c_alloc);
    BOOST_TEST(c_alloc.max_size_called());
 
-   SAllocTraits::max_size(s_alloc);
+   BOOST_TEST(SAllocTraits::size_type(-1)/sizeof(SAllocTraits::value_type) == SAllocTraits::max_size(s_alloc));
 
    //select_on_container_copy_construction
    CAllocTraits::select_on_container_copy_construction(c_alloc);