diff --git a/doc/lispref/searching.texi b/doc/lispref/searching.texi
index e759967aa8a..26985b5d267 100644
--- a/doc/lispref/searching.texi
+++ b/doc/lispref/searching.texi
@@ -642,10 +642,10 @@ is omitted, the minimum is 0; if @var{n} is omitted, there is no
 maximum.  For both forms, @var{m} and @var{n}, if specified, may be no
 larger than
 @ifnottex
-2**15 @minus{} 1
+2**16 @minus{} 1
 @end ifnottex
 @tex
-@math{2^{15}-1}
+@math{2^{16}-1}
 @end tex
 .
 
diff --git a/etc/NEWS b/etc/NEWS
index ad315536034..27bde2d147c 100644
--- a/etc/NEWS
+++ b/etc/NEWS
@@ -80,6 +80,13 @@ indirectly, e.g., by checking that functions like
 It blocks line breaking after a one-letter word, also in the case when
 this word is preceded by a non-space, but non-alphanumeric character.
 
++++
+** The limit on repetitions in regexps has been raised to 2^16-1.
+It was previously limited to 2^15-1.  For example, the following
+regular expression was previously invalid, but is now accepted:
+
+   x\{32768\}
+
 
 * Editing Changes in Emacs 27.1
 
diff --git a/lisp/isearch.el b/lisp/isearch.el
index 23dd9afccdb..9297c0f95ba 100644
--- a/lisp/isearch.el
+++ b/lisp/isearch.el
@@ -2858,7 +2858,7 @@ Optional third argument, if t, means if fail just return nil (no error).
      (setq isearch-error (car (cdr lossage)))
      (cond
       ((string-match
-	"\\`Premature \\|\\`Unmatched \\|\\`Invalid "
+	"\\`Premature \\|\\`Unmatched "
 	isearch-error)
        (setq isearch-error "incomplete input"))
       ((and (not isearch-regexp)
diff --git a/src/regex.c b/src/regex.c
index 2185fc97d3b..122cf712422 100644
--- a/src/regex.c
+++ b/src/regex.c
@@ -1194,7 +1194,8 @@ static const char *re_error_msgid[] =
     gettext_noop ("Premature end of regular expression"), /* REG_EEND */
     gettext_noop ("Regular expression too big"), /* REG_ESIZE */
     gettext_noop ("Unmatched ) or \\)"), /* REG_ERPAREN */
-    gettext_noop ("Range striding over charsets") /* REG_ERANGEX  */
+    gettext_noop ("Range striding over charsets"), /* REG_ERANGEX  */
+    gettext_noop ("Invalid content of \\{\\}, repetitions too big") /* REG_ESIZEBR  */
   };
 
 /* Whether to allocate memory during matching.  */
@@ -1915,7 +1916,7 @@ struct range_table_work_area
 	    if (num < 0)						\
 	      num = 0;							\
 	    if (RE_DUP_MAX / 10 - (RE_DUP_MAX % 10 < c - '0') < num)	\
-	      FREE_STACK_RETURN (REG_BADBR);				\
+	      FREE_STACK_RETURN (REG_ESIZEBR);				\
 	    num = num * 10 + c - '0';					\
 	    if (p == pend)						\
 	      FREE_STACK_RETURN (REG_EBRACE);				\
diff --git a/src/regex.h b/src/regex.h
index b4aad6daac9..6974951f575 100644
--- a/src/regex.h
+++ b/src/regex.h
@@ -270,8 +270,10 @@ extern ptrdiff_t emacs_re_safe_alloca;
 #ifdef RE_DUP_MAX
 # undef RE_DUP_MAX
 #endif
-/* If sizeof(int) == 2, then ((1 << 15) - 1) overflows.  */
-#define RE_DUP_MAX (0x7fff)
+/* Repeat counts are stored in opcodes as 2 byte integers.  This was
+   previously limited to 7fff because the parsing code uses signed
+   ints.  But Emacs only runs on 32 bit platforms anyway.  */
+#define RE_DUP_MAX (0xffff)
 
 
 /* POSIX `cflags' bits (i.e., information for `regcomp').  */
@@ -337,7 +339,8 @@ typedef enum
   REG_EEND,		/* Premature end.  */
   REG_ESIZE,		/* Compiled pattern bigger than 2^16 bytes.  */
   REG_ERPAREN,		/* Unmatched ) or \); not returned from regcomp.  */
-  REG_ERANGEX		/* Range striding over charsets.  */
+  REG_ERANGEX,		/* Range striding over charsets.  */
+  REG_ESIZEBR           /* n or m too big in \{n,m\} */
 } reg_errcode_t;
 
 /* This data structure represents a compiled pattern.  Before calling
diff --git a/test/src/regex-tests.el b/test/src/regex-tests.el
index 86aa7d26350..083ed5c4c8c 100644
--- a/test/src/regex-tests.el
+++ b/test/src/regex-tests.el
@@ -677,4 +677,10 @@ This evaluates the PTESTS test cases from glibc."
 This evaluates the TESTS test cases from glibc."
   (should-not (regex-tests-TESTS)))
 
+(ert-deftest regex-repeat-limit ()
+  "Test the #xFFFF repeat limit."
+  (should (string-match "\\`x\\{65535\\}" (make-string 65535 ?x)))
+  (should-not (string-match "\\`x\\{65535\\}" (make-string 65534 ?x)))
+  (should-error (string-match "\\`x\\{65536\\}" "X") :type 'invalid-regexp))
+
 ;;; regex-tests.el ends here