diff --git a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/AccumulatorAdaptor.pm b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/AccumulatorAdaptor.pm
index a360d9090..a23248efd 100644
--- a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/AccumulatorAdaptor.pm
+++ b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/AccumulatorAdaptor.pm
@@ -47,24 +47,6 @@ sub default_table_name {
 }
 
 
-sub slicer {    # take a slice of the hashref (if only we could inline in Perl!)
-    my ($self, $hashref, $fields) = @_;
-
-    my $overflow_limit = $self->overflow_limit();
-
-    return [ map { eval { my $value = $hashref->{$_};
-                          my $ol = $overflow_limit->{$_};
-                          if (defined($ol) and defined($value) and  (length($value) > $ol)) {
-                              $self->db->get_AnalysisDataAdaptor()->store_if_needed($value);
-                          } else {
-                              $value;
-                          }
-                   }
-
-
-             } @$fields ];
-}
-
 sub overflow_limit {
     return {
         'key_signature' => 255,
diff --git a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/AnalysisCtrlRuleAdaptor.pm b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/AnalysisCtrlRuleAdaptor.pm
index 7417185b1..bcce17098 100644
--- a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/AnalysisCtrlRuleAdaptor.pm
+++ b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/AnalysisCtrlRuleAdaptor.pm
@@ -52,6 +52,11 @@ sub default_insertion_method {
     return 'INSERT_IGNORE';
 }
 
+sub overflow_limit {
+    return {
+        'condition_analysis_url' => 255,
+    };
+}
 
 sub object_class {
     return 'Bio::EnsEMBL::Hive::AnalysisCtrlRule';
diff --git a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/AnalysisJobAdaptor.pm b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/AnalysisJobAdaptor.pm
index 2f0e8c035..e346aa37e 100644
--- a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/AnalysisJobAdaptor.pm
+++ b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/AnalysisJobAdaptor.pm
@@ -687,9 +687,7 @@ sub fetch_input_ids_for_job_ids {
         $sth->execute();
 
         while(my ($job_id, $input_id) = $sth->fetchrow_array() ) {
-            if($input_id =~ /^_ext(?:\w+)_data_id (\d+)$/) {
-                $input_id = $self->db->get_AnalysisDataAdaptor->fetch_by_analysis_data_id_TO_data($1);
-            }
+            $input_id = $self->check_and_dereference_analysis_data($input_id);
             $input_ids{$job_id * $id_scale + $id_offset} = $input_id;
         }
     }
diff --git a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/BaseAdaptor.pm b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/BaseAdaptor.pm
index 44d2c5b72..b20dd7336 100644
--- a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/BaseAdaptor.pm
+++ b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/BaseAdaptor.pm
@@ -244,9 +244,7 @@ sub fetch_all {
     while(my $hashref = $sth->fetchrow_hashref) {
 
         foreach my $overflow_key (@overflow_columns) {
-            if($hashref->{$overflow_key} =~ /^_ext(?:\w+)_data_id (\d+)$/) {
-                $hashref->{$overflow_key} = $overflow_adaptor->fetch_by_analysis_data_id_TO_data($1);
-            }
+            $hashref->{$overflow_key} = $self->check_and_dereference_analysis_data($hashref->{$overflow_key});
         }
 
         my $pptr = \$result_struct;
diff --git a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/NakedTableAdaptor.pm b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/NakedTableAdaptor.pm
index c3c302232..d6a5ec5fd 100644
--- a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/NakedTableAdaptor.pm
+++ b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/NakedTableAdaptor.pm
@@ -44,9 +44,21 @@ use base ('Bio::EnsEMBL::Hive::DBSQL::BaseAdaptor');
 
 
 sub slicer {    # take a slice of the hashref (if only we could inline in Perl!)
-    my ($self, $object, $fields) = @_;
+    my ($self, $hashref, $fields) = @_;
+
+    my $overflow_limit = $self->overflow_limit();
+
+    return [ map { eval { my $value = $hashref->{$_};
+                          my $ol = $overflow_limit->{$_};
+                          if (defined($ol) and defined($value) and  (length($value) > $ol)) {
+                              $self->db->get_AnalysisDataAdaptor()->store_if_needed($value);
+                          } else {
+                              $value;
+                          }
+                        }
+
+                 } @$fields ];
 
-    return [ @$object{@$fields} ];
 }
 
 
diff --git a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/ResourceDescriptionAdaptor.pm b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/ResourceDescriptionAdaptor.pm
index 00c773213..feef38a71 100644
--- a/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/ResourceDescriptionAdaptor.pm
+++ b/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Hive/DBSQL/ResourceDescriptionAdaptor.pm
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ sub default_insertion_method {
 sub overflow_limit {
     return {
         'submission_cmd_args' => 255,
+        'worker_cmd_args'     => 255,
     };
 }
 
diff --git a/t/02.api/fetch_and_count_by_multiple_columns.t b/t/02.api/fetch_and_count_by_multiple_columns.t
index 7b2f5c0d6..0df42ab01 100755
--- a/t/02.api/fetch_and_count_by_multiple_columns.t
+++ b/t/02.api/fetch_and_count_by_multiple_columns.t
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ use warnings;
 use Data::Dumper;
 use File::Temp qw{tempdir};
 
-use Test::More tests => 16;
+use Test::More tests => 11;
 
 use Bio::EnsEMBL::Hive::DBSQL::DBAdaptor;
 
@@ -39,9 +39,7 @@ my $pipeline_url      = 'sqlite:///ehive_test_pipeline_db';
 
 my $hive_dba    = init_pipeline('Bio::EnsEMBL::Hive::PipeConfig::LongMult_conf', $pipeline_url, [-hive_force_init => 1]);
 my $ana_a       = $hive_dba->get_AnalysisAdaptor;
-my $job_a       = $hive_dba->get_AnalysisJobAdaptor;
 my $dfr_a       = $hive_dba->get_DataflowRuleAdaptor;
-my $ada_a       = $hive_dba->get_AnalysisDataAdaptor;
 
 is($ana_a->count_all(), 3, 'There are 3 analyses in the pipeline');
 is($ana_a->count_all_by_logic_name('take_b_apart'), 1, 'But only 1 "take_b_apart"');
@@ -61,29 +59,5 @@ is($matching_analyses->[0]->to_analysis_url, 'part_multiply', 'Correct target lo
 
 is($dfr_a->count_all_by_branch_code(1), 3, 'There are 2 #1 branches in the pipeline');
 
-my $long_input_id = sprintf('{ "long_param" => "%s" }', 'tmp' x 1000);
-my $new_job = Bio::EnsEMBL::Hive::AnalysisJob->new(
-    '-input_id'      => $long_input_id,
-    '-analysis_id'   => 1,
-);
-
-# Test the overflow to the analysis_data table
-is($ada_a->count_all(), 0, "Nothing in the analysis_data table (yet)");
-
-$job_a->store($new_job);
-is($ada_a->count_all(), 1, "1 entry in the analysis_data table");
-
-is($ada_a->fetch_by_data_TO_analysis_data_id('unmatched input_id'), undef, 'fetch_by_data_to_analysis_data_id() returns undef when it cannot find the input_id');
-my $ext_data_id = $ada_a->fetch_by_data_TO_analysis_data_id($long_input_id);
-is($ext_data_id, 1, 'analysis_data_id starts at 1');
-
-my $another_job = Bio::EnsEMBL::Hive::AnalysisJob->new(
-    '-input_id'      => $long_input_id,
-    '-analysis_id'   => 2,
-);
-
-$job_a->store($another_job);
-is($ada_a->count_all(), 1, "still 1 entry in the analysis_data table");
-
 done_testing();
 
diff --git a/t/02.api/overflow.t b/t/02.api/overflow.t
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..aecbb564b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/02.api/overflow.t
@@ -0,0 +1,176 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env perl
+# Copyright [1999-2015] Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and the EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute
+# Copyright [2016-2018] EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute
+# 
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+# 
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+# 
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+
+use strict;
+use warnings;
+
+use Data::Dumper;
+use File::Temp qw{tempdir};
+
+use Test::More tests => 18;
+
+use Bio::EnsEMBL::Hive::DBSQL::DBAdaptor;
+
+use Bio::EnsEMBL::Hive::Utils::Test qw(init_pipeline);
+
+# eHive needs this to initialize the pipeline (and run db_cmd.pl)
+use Cwd            ();
+use File::Basename ();
+$ENV{'EHIVE_ROOT_DIR'} ||= File::Basename::dirname( File::Basename::dirname( File::Basename::dirname( Cwd::realpath($0) ) ) );
+
+my $dir = tempdir CLEANUP => 1;
+chdir $dir;
+
+my $pipeline_url      = 'sqlite:///ehive_test_pipeline_db';
+
+my $hive_dba    = init_pipeline('Bio::EnsEMBL::Hive::PipeConfig::LongMult_conf', $pipeline_url, [-hive_force_init => 1]);
+
+my $job_a       = $hive_dba->get_AnalysisJobAdaptor;
+my $rcl_a       = $hive_dba->get_ResourceClassAdaptor;
+my $rde_a       = $hive_dba->get_ResourceDescriptionAdaptor;
+my $dfr_a       = $hive_dba->get_DataflowRuleAdaptor;
+my $ada_a       = $hive_dba->get_AnalysisDataAdaptor;
+my $acu_a       = $hive_dba->get_AccumulatorAdaptor;
+my $acr_a       = $hive_dba->get_AnalysisCtrlRuleAdaptor;
+
+my $long_input_id = sprintf('{ "long_param" => "%s" }', 'tmp' x 1000);
+my $new_job = Bio::EnsEMBL::Hive::AnalysisJob->new(
+    '-input_id'      => $long_input_id,
+    '-analysis_id'   => 1,
+);
+
+# Test the overflow into the analysis_data table
+# Test overflow for input_id
+is($ada_a->count_all(), 0, "Nothing in the analysis_data table (yet)");
+
+$job_a->store($new_job);
+is($ada_a->count_all(), 1, "1 entry in the analysis_data table");
+
+is($ada_a->fetch_by_data_TO_analysis_data_id('unmatched input_id'), undef, 'fetch_by_data_to_analysis_data_id() returns undef when it cannot find the input_id');
+my $ext_data_id = $ada_a->fetch_by_data_TO_analysis_data_id($long_input_id);
+is($ext_data_id, 1, 'analysis_data_id starts at 1');
+
+my $fan_job = Bio::EnsEMBL::Hive::AnalysisJob->new(
+    '-input_id'      => $long_input_id,
+    '-analysis_id'   => 2,
+);
+
+$job_a->store($fan_job);
+is($ada_a->count_all(), 1, "still 1 entry in the analysis_data table");
+
+# Test overflow for resource description args
+
+my $new_rc = ($rcl_a->create_new(
+    '-name' => 'testresourceclass',
+))[0];
+
+my $long_sca = 'sc' x 129;
+my $long_wca = 'wc' x 129;
+my $new_rd = $rde_a->create_new(
+    '-resource_class_id'   => $new_rc->dbID(),
+    '-meadow_type'         => 'test_meadow',
+    '-submission_cmd_args' => $long_sca,
+    '-worker_cmd_args'     => $long_wca,
+);
+
+is($ada_a->count_all(), 3, "New resource description overflowed two entries to analysis_data, total 3");
+
+# Test overflow for to_analysis_urls
+
+my $long_struct_name = 'ta' x 129;
+my $long_to_analysis_url = ':////accu?' . $long_struct_name; 
+my $new_dfr = ($dfr_a->create_new(
+    '-from_analysis_id'  => 1,
+    '-to_analysis_url'   => $long_to_analysis_url,
+    '-branch_code'       => 3,
+))[0];
+
+is($ada_a->count_all(), 4, "New to_analysis_url overflowed an entry to analysis_data, total 4");
+
+# Test overflow for condition analysis urls
+
+my $long_cau = 'cau' x 86;
+my $ctrled_analysis_id = 1;
+my $new_acr = $acr_a->create_new(
+    'condition_analysis_url' => $long_cau,
+    'ctrled_analysis_id'        => $ctrled_analysis_id,
+);
+
+is($ada_a->count_all(), 5, "New condition_analysis_url overflowed an entry to analysis_data, total 5");
+
+# Test overflow for accu key_signatures
+# Note: AccumulatorAdaptor will complain if storing an accu without a proper fan job 
+# and semaphored funnel job
+
+my $accu_funnel_job =  Bio::EnsEMBL::Hive::AnalysisJob->new(
+    '-input_id'      => {},
+    '-analysis_id'   => 3,
+);
+$job_a->store($accu_funnel_job);
+
+my $accu_fan_job =  Bio::EnsEMBL::Hive::AnalysisJob->new(
+    '-input_id'      => {},
+    '-analysis_id'   => 2,
+    '-semaphored_job_id' => $accu_funnel_job->dbID, 
+);
+$job_a->store($accu_fan_job);
+
+my $new_accu = Bio::EnsEMBL::Hive::Accumulator->new(
+    -adaptor            => $acu_a,
+    -struct_name        => $long_struct_name,
+    -signature_template => '{key}',
+);
+
+my $long_key_signature = 'ks' x 129;
+my $long_output_id = [ { 'key' => $long_key_signature,
+                         $long_struct_name => 1, } ];
+$new_accu->dataflow(
+    $long_output_id,
+    $accu_fan_job    
+);
+
+is($ada_a->count_all(), 7, "Overflow for long struct_name and key_signature in accu");
+
+# Test retrieval of overflow data
+
+my $fetched_rds = $rde_a->fetch_all();
+my $rd_with_long_args;
+foreach my $fetched_rd (@$fetched_rds) {
+    if ($fetched_rd->resource_class_id() == $new_rc->dbID) {
+        $rd_with_long_args = $fetched_rd;
+    }
+}
+
+is($rd_with_long_args->submission_cmd_args, $long_sca, "Retrieved long submission_cmd_args");
+is($rd_with_long_args->worker_cmd_args, $long_wca, "Retrieved long worker_cmd_args");
+
+my $fetched_dfr = $dfr_a->fetch_by_dbID($new_dfr->dbID);
+is ($fetched_dfr->to_analysis_url, $long_to_analysis_url, "Retrieved long to_analysis_url");
+
+my $fetched_acr = $acr_a->fetch_by_ctrled_analysis_id($ctrled_analysis_id);
+is ($fetched_acr->condition_analysis_url, $long_cau, "Retrieved long condition_analysis_url");
+
+# $fetched_accu_structures->{$receiving_job_id}->{$struct_name}->{$key_signature} = value
+my $fetched_accu_structures = $acu_a->fetch_structures_for_job_ids($accu_funnel_job->dbID);
+my $fetched_accu_hash = $fetched_accu_structures->{$accu_funnel_job->dbID};
+my $fetched_struct_name = (keys(%$fetched_accu_hash))[0];
+my $fetched_key_signature = (keys(%$fetched_accu_hash->{$fetched_struct_name}))[0];
+
+is ($fetched_struct_name, $long_struct_name, "fetched long struct_name from accu");
+is ($fetched_key_signature, $long_key_signature, "fetched long key_signature from accu");
+
+done_testing();