diff --git a/sys/dev/xen/blkfront/blkfront.c b/sys/dev/xen/blkfront/blkfront.c
index e5c436ff750c..a5e280d1eee4 100644
--- a/sys/dev/xen/blkfront/blkfront.c
+++ b/sys/dev/xen/blkfront/blkfront.c
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ xlvbd_add(struct xb_softc *sc, blkif_sector_t sectors,
 	sc->xb_disk->d_sectorsize = sector_size;
 
 	sc->xb_disk->d_mediasize = sectors * sector_size;
-	sc->xb_disk->d_maxsize = sc->max_request_size - PAGE_SIZE;
+	sc->xb_disk->d_maxsize = sc->max_request_size;
 	sc->xb_disk->d_flags = 0;
 	disk_create(sc->xb_disk, DISK_VERSION_00);
 
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ blkfront_initialize(struct xb_softc *sc)
 	max_ring_page_order = 0;
 	sc->ring_pages = 1;
 	sc->max_request_segments = BLKIF_MAX_SEGMENTS_PER_HEADER_BLOCK;
-	sc->max_request_size = (sc->max_request_segments - 1) * PAGE_SIZE;
+	sc->max_request_size = XBF_SEGS_TO_SIZE(sc->max_request_segments);
 	sc->max_request_blocks = BLKIF_SEGS_TO_BLOCKS(sc->max_request_segments);
 
 	/*
@@ -621,8 +621,8 @@ blkfront_initialize(struct xb_softc *sc)
 	}
 
 	if (sc->max_request_segments > XBF_MAX_SEGMENTS_PER_REQUEST) {
-		device_printf(sc->xb_dev, "Back-end specificed "
-			      "max_requests_segments of %u limited to "
+		device_printf(sc->xb_dev, "Back-end specified "
+			      "max_request_segments of %u limited to "
 			      "front-end limit of %u.\n",
 			      sc->max_request_segments,
 			      XBF_MAX_SEGMENTS_PER_REQUEST);
@@ -630,12 +630,23 @@ blkfront_initialize(struct xb_softc *sc)
 	}
 
 	if (sc->max_request_size > XBF_MAX_REQUEST_SIZE) {
-		device_printf(sc->xb_dev, "Back-end specificed "
+		device_printf(sc->xb_dev, "Back-end specified "
 			      "max_request_size of %u limited to front-end "
 			      "limit of %u.\n", sc->max_request_size,
 			      XBF_MAX_REQUEST_SIZE);
 		sc->max_request_size = XBF_MAX_REQUEST_SIZE;
 	}
+ 
+ 	if (sc->max_request_size > XBF_SEGS_TO_SIZE(sc->max_request_segments)) {
+ 		device_printf(sc->xb_dev, "Back-end specified "
+ 			      "max_request_size of %u limited to front-end "
+ 			      "limit of %u.  (Too few segments.)\n",
+ 			      sc->max_request_size,
+ 			      XBF_SEGS_TO_SIZE(sc->max_request_segments));
+ 		sc->max_request_size =
+ 		    XBF_SEGS_TO_SIZE(sc->max_request_segments);
+ 	}
+
 	sc->max_request_blocks = BLKIF_SEGS_TO_BLOCKS(sc->max_request_segments);
 
 	/* Allocate datastructures based on negotiated values. */
diff --git a/sys/dev/xen/blkfront/block.h b/sys/dev/xen/blkfront/block.h
index 1020b7f80c5c..5aa35ae54270 100644
--- a/sys/dev/xen/blkfront/block.h
+++ b/sys/dev/xen/blkfront/block.h
@@ -34,6 +34,32 @@
 #define __XEN_DRIVERS_BLOCK_H__
 #include <xen/blkif.h>
 
+/**
+ * Given a number of blkif segments, compute the maximum I/O size supported.
+ *
+ * \note This calculation assumes that all but the first and last segments 
+ *       of the I/O are fully utilized.
+ *
+ * \note We reserve a segement from the maximum supported by the transport to
+ *       guarantee we can handle an unaligned transfer without the need to
+ *       use a bounce buffer.
+ */
+#define	XBF_SEGS_TO_SIZE(segs)						\
+	(((segs) - 1) * PAGE_SIZE)
+
+/**
+ * Compute the maximum number of blkif segments requried to represent
+ * an I/O of the given size.
+ *
+ * \note This calculation assumes that all but the first and last segments
+ *       of the I/O are fully utilized.
+ *
+ * \note We reserve a segement to guarantee we can handle an unaligned
+ *       transfer without the need to use a bounce buffer.
+ */
+#define	XBF_SIZE_TO_SEGS(size)						\
+	((size / PAGE_SIZE) + 1)
+
 /**
  * The maximum number of outstanding requests blocks (request headers plus
  * additional segment blocks) we will allow in a negotiated block-front/back
@@ -44,13 +70,9 @@
 /**
  * The maximum mapped region size per request we will allow in a negotiated
  * block-front/back communication channel.
- *
- * \note We reserve a segement from the maximum supported by the transport to
- *       guarantee we can handle an unaligned transfer without the need to
- *       use a bounce buffer..
  */
 #define	XBF_MAX_REQUEST_SIZE						\
-	MIN(MAXPHYS, (BLKIF_MAX_SEGMENTS_PER_REQUEST - 1) * PAGE_SIZE)
+	MIN(MAXPHYS, XBF_SEGS_TO_SIZE(BLKIF_MAX_SEGMENTS_PER_REQUEST))
 
 /**
  * The maximum number of segments (within a request header and accompanying
@@ -59,7 +81,7 @@
  */
 #define	XBF_MAX_SEGMENTS_PER_REQUEST					\
 	(MIN(BLKIF_MAX_SEGMENTS_PER_REQUEST,				\
-	     (XBF_MAX_REQUEST_SIZE / PAGE_SIZE) + 1))
+	     XBF_SIZE_TO_SEGS(XBF_MAX_REQUEST_SIZE)))
 
 /**
  * The maximum number of shared memory ring pages we will allow in a