diff --git a/lib/libutil/libutil.h b/lib/libutil/libutil.h
index 18fb83ff98cf..4125b1ac1cca 100644
--- a/lib/libutil/libutil.h
+++ b/lib/libutil/libutil.h
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@
 
 #include <sys/cdefs.h>
 
+#define PROPERTY_MAX_NAME	64
+#define PROPERTY_MAX_VALUE	512
+
 /* for properties.c */
 typedef struct _property {
 	struct _property *next;
diff --git a/lib/libutil/property.3 b/lib/libutil/property.3
index 22b6e9998535..6d5cd4ffc72c 100644
--- a/lib/libutil/property.3
+++ b/lib/libutil/property.3
@@ -66,7 +66,9 @@ of error.
 .Fn property_find
 Returns the associated value string for the property named
 .Fa name
-if found, otherwise NULL.
+if found, otherwise NULL.  The value returned may be up to
+.Dv PROPERTY_MAX_VALUE
+bytes in length.
 .Pp
 .Fn properties_free
 is used to free the structure returned by
diff --git a/lib/libutil/property.c b/lib/libutil/property.c
index 23714a0c3daf..ba8eef964d7b 100644
--- a/lib/libutil/property.c
+++ b/lib/libutil/property.c
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
  * OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
  * SUCH DAMAGE.
  *
+ * $FreeBSD$
+ *
  */
 
 #include <ctype.h>
@@ -39,9 +41,6 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <libutil.h>
 
-#define MAX_NAME	64
-#define MAX_VALUE	512
-
 static properties
 property_alloc(char *name, char *value)
 {
@@ -58,8 +57,8 @@ properties
 properties_read(int fd)
 {
     properties head, ptr;
-    char hold_n[MAX_NAME + 1];
-    char hold_v[MAX_VALUE + 1];
+    char hold_n[PROPERTY_MAX_NAME + 1];
+    char hold_v[PROPERTY_MAX_VALUE + 1];
     char buf[BUFSIZ * 4];
     int bp, n, v, max;
     enum { LOOK, COMMENT, NAME, VALUE, MVALUE, COMMIT, FILL, STOP } state;
@@ -97,7 +96,7 @@ properties_read(int fd)
 		continue;
 	    }
 	    else if (isalnum(ch) || ch == '_') {
-		if (n >= MAX_NAME) {
+		if (n >= PROPERTY_MAX_NAME) {
 		    n = 0;
 		    state = COMMENT;
 		}
@@ -146,7 +145,7 @@ properties_read(int fd)
 		state = COMMIT;
 	    }
 	    else {
-		if (v >= MAX_VALUE) {
+		if (v >= PROPERTY_MAX_VALUE) {
 		    state = COMMENT;
 		    v = n = 0;
 		    break;
@@ -158,7 +157,7 @@ properties_read(int fd)
 
 	case MVALUE:
 	    /* multiline value */
-	    if (v >= MAX_VALUE) {
+	    if (v >= PROPERTY_MAX_VALUE) {
 		warn("properties_read: value exceeds max length");
 		state = COMMENT;
 		n = v = 0;