diff --git a/src/libs/utils/smallstring.h b/src/libs/utils/smallstring.h
index eae9c29dc46..82bf50440fe 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/smallstring.h
+++ b/src/libs/utils/smallstring.h
@@ -240,6 +240,7 @@ public:
                 m_data.allocated.data.capacity = newCapacity;
             } else {
                 const size_type oldSize = size();
+                newCapacity = std::max(newCapacity, oldSize);
                 const char *oldData = data();
 
                 char *newData = Memory::allocate(newCapacity + 1);
diff --git a/tests/unit/unittest/smallstring-test.cpp b/tests/unit/unittest/smallstring-test.cpp
index 05925d72b6c..3bbb10c6539 100644
--- a/tests/unit/unittest/smallstring-test.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit/unittest/smallstring-test.cpp
@@ -815,25 +815,43 @@ TEST(SmallString, EndsWithSmallString)
     ASSERT_TRUE(text.endsWith('h'));
 }
 
-TEST(SmallString, ReserveSmallerThanReference)
+TEST(SmallString, ReserveSmallerThanShortStringCapacity)
 {
     SmallString text("text");
 
     text.reserve(2);
 
-    ASSERT_THAT(text.capacity(), 30);
+    ASSERT_THAT(text.capacity(), AnyOf(30, 4));
 }
 
-TEST(SmallString, ReserveBiggerThanReference)
+TEST(SmallString, ReserveSmallerThanReference)
+{
+    SmallString text("some very very very very very very very very very very very long string");
+
+    text.reserve(35);
+
+    ASSERT_THAT(text.capacity(), 71);
+}
+
+TEST(SmallString, ReserveBiggerThanShortStringCapacity)
 {
     SmallString text("text");
 
     text.reserve(10);
 
-    ASSERT_THAT(text.capacity(), 30);
+    ASSERT_THAT(text.capacity(), AnyOf(30, 10));
 }
 
-TEST(SmallString, ReserveMuchBiggerThanReference)
+TEST(SmallString, ReserveBiggerThanReference)
+{
+    SmallString text("some very very very very very very very very very very very long string");
+
+    text.reserve(35);
+
+    ASSERT_THAT(text.capacity(), 71);
+}
+
+TEST(SmallString, ReserveMuchBiggerThanShortStringCapacity)
 {
     SmallString text("text");