diff --git a/libraries/chain/hive_evaluator.cpp b/libraries/chain/hive_evaluator.cpp
index 0fc371bcb3..b76894ffc8 100644
--- a/libraries/chain/hive_evaluator.cpp
+++ b/libraries/chain/hive_evaluator.cpp
@@ -153,6 +153,11 @@ void witness_set_properties_evaluator::do_apply( const witness_set_properties_op
   if( flags.max_block_changed )
   {
     fc::raw::unpack_from_vector( itr->second, props.maximum_block_size );
+    FC_TODO( "Check and move this to validate after HF 28" );
+    if( _db.is_in_control() || _db.has_hardfork( HIVE_HARDFORK_1_28_MAX_BLOCK_SIZE ) )
+    {
+      FC_ASSERT( props.maximum_block_size <= HIVE_MAX_BLOCK_SIZE, "Max block size cannot be more than 2MiB" );
+    }
   }
 
   itr = o.props.find( "sbd_interest_rate" );
diff --git a/libraries/protocol/hardfork.d/1_28.hf b/libraries/protocol/hardfork.d/1_28.hf
index 700936f4cf..c0c82a3dee 100644
--- a/libraries/protocol/hardfork.d/1_28.hf
+++ b/libraries/protocol/hardfork.d/1_28.hf
@@ -19,5 +19,7 @@ long next_hf_time();
 #define HIVE_HARDFORK_1_28_FIX_CANCEL_POWER_DOWN (HIVE_HARDFORK_1_28)
 // use max mana instead of current when determining strength of vote (issue #609)
 #define HIVE_HARDFORK_1_28_STABLE_VOTE (HIVE_HARDFORK_1_28)
+// block setting of maximum_block_size above limit
+#define HIVE_HARDFORK_1_28_MAX_BLOCK_SIZE (HIVE_HARDFORK_1_28)
 
 #endif
diff --git a/tests/unit/tests/operation_tests.cpp b/tests/unit/tests/operation_tests.cpp
index 21ca4ca087..e2fd2816ef 100644
--- a/tests/unit/tests/operation_tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/unit/tests/operation_tests.cpp
@@ -8372,6 +8372,12 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE( witness_set_properties_validate )
     BOOST_TEST_MESSAGE( "--- success when account subsidy decay is one hour" );
     prop_op.props[ "account_subsidy_decay" ] = fc::raw::pack_to_vector( uint32_t( unit / ((60*60)/HIVE_BLOCK_INTERVAL) ) );
     prop_op.validate();
+
+    BOOST_TEST_MESSAGE( "--- failure when setting maximum_block_size above HIVE_MAX_BLOCK_SIZE" );
+    prop_op.props.clear();
+    prop_op.props[ "key" ] = fc::raw::pack_to_vector( signing_key.get_public_key() );
+    prop_op.props[ "maximum_block_size" ] = fc::raw::pack_to_vector( HIVE_MAX_BLOCK_SIZE + 1 );
+    HIVE_REQUIRE_ASSERT( push_transaction( prop_op, signing_key ), "props.maximum_block_size <= HIVE_MAX_BLOCK_SIZE" );
   }
   FC_LOG_AND_RETHROW()
 }