diff --git a/Readme.md b/Readme.md
index 048e42f..ec59bb2 100644
--- a/Readme.md
+++ b/Readme.md
@@ -39,6 +39,14 @@ The sent reply would be the object:
 }
 ```
 
+## Options
+
+The plugin accepts an options object with the following properties:
+
++ `bodyLimit` (Default: `1048576`): the maximum amount of bytes to process
+before returning an error. If the limit is exceeded, a `500` error will be
+returned immediately.
+
 ## License
 
 [MIT License](http://jsumners.mit-license.org/)
diff --git a/formbody.js b/formbody.js
index 9aa15f8..7687151 100644
--- a/formbody.js
+++ b/formbody.js
@@ -3,20 +3,37 @@
 const fp = require('fastify-plugin')
 const qs = require('qs')
 
-const internals = {}
-internals.contentParser = function (req, done) {
-  let body = ''
-  req.on('error', done)
-  req.on('data', (data) => { body = body + data })
-  req.on('end', () => { return done(null, qs.parse(body)) })
+const DEFAULT_BODY_LIMIT = 1024 * 1024 // 1 MiB
+const defaults = {
+  bodyLimit: DEFAULT_BODY_LIMIT
 }
 
 function formBodyPlugin (fastify, options, next) {
-  fastify.addContentTypeParser('application/x-www-form-urlencoded', internals.contentParser)
+  const opts = Object.assign({}, defaults, options || {})
+
+  function contentParser (req, done) {
+    const bodyLimit = opts.bodyLimit
+    const tooLargeError = Error('Form data exceeds allowed limit: ' + bodyLimit)
+    const contentLength = (req.headers['content-length'])
+      ? Number.parseInt(req.headers['content-length'], 10)
+      : null
+    if (contentLength > bodyLimit) return done(tooLargeError)
+
+    let body = ''
+    req.on('error', done)
+    req.on('data', (data) => {
+      body = body + data
+      if (body.length > bodyLimit) {
+        return done(tooLargeError)
+      }
+    })
+    req.on('end', () => { return done(null, qs.parse(body)) })
+  }
+
+  fastify.addContentTypeParser('application/x-www-form-urlencoded', contentParser)
   next()
 }
 
 module.exports = fp(formBodyPlugin, {
-  fastify: '>=0.37.0'
+  fastify: '>=0.38.0'
 })
-module.exports.internals = internals
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index eb92c3d..5ed6b4a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
   },
   "homepage": "https://github.com/fastify/fastify-formbody#readme",
   "devDependencies": {
-    "fastify": "^0.37.0",
+    "fastify": "^0.38.0",
     "request": "^2.81.0",
     "snazzy": "^7.0.0",
     "standard": "^10.0.3",
diff --git a/test/integration.test.js b/test/integration.test.js
index af93d0b..38b9751 100644
--- a/test/integration.test.js
+++ b/test/integration.test.js
@@ -2,36 +2,29 @@
 
 const tap = require('tap')
 const test = tap.test
-const fastify = require('fastify')()
+const Fastify = require('fastify')
 const request = require('request')
 const plugin = require('../')
 
-test('successful route', (t) => {
-  t.plan(1)
-  try {
-    fastify.post('/test1', (req, res) => {
+test('succes route succeeds', (t) => {
+  t.plan(3)
+  const fastify = Fastify()
+
+  fastify
+    .register(plugin)
+    .post('/test1', (req, res) => {
       res.send(Object.assign({}, req.body, {message: 'done'}))
     })
-    t.pass()
-  } catch (e) {
-    t.fail(e.message)
-  }
-})
-
-fastify.register(plugin, (err) => { if (err) tap.error(err) })
-
-fastify.listen(0, (err) => {
-  if (err) tap.error(err)
-  fastify.server.unref()
 
-  const reqOpts = {
-    method: 'POST',
-    baseUrl: 'http://localhost:' + fastify.server.address().port
-  }
-  const req = request.defaults(reqOpts)
+  fastify.listen(0, (err) => {
+    if (err) tap.error(err)
+    fastify.server.unref()
 
-  test('success route succeeds', (t) => {
-    t.plan(3)
+    const reqOpts = {
+      method: 'POST',
+      baseUrl: 'http://localhost:' + fastify.server.address().port
+    }
+    const req = request.defaults(reqOpts)
     req({uri: '/test1', form: {foo: 'foo'}}, (err, response, body) => {
       t.error(err)
       t.strictEqual(response.statusCode, 200)
@@ -39,3 +32,31 @@ fastify.listen(0, (err) => {
     })
   })
 })
+
+test('cannot exceed body limit', (t) => {
+  t.plan(3)
+  const fastify = Fastify()
+
+  fastify
+    .register(plugin, {bodyLimit: 10})
+    .post('/limited', (req, res) => {
+      res.send(Object.assign({}, req.body, {message: 'done'}))
+    })
+
+  fastify.listen(0, (err) => {
+    if (err) tap.error(err)
+    fastify.server.unref()
+
+    const reqOpts = {
+      method: 'POST',
+      baseUrl: 'http://localhost:' + fastify.server.address().port
+    }
+    const req = request.defaults(reqOpts)
+    const payload = require('crypto').randomBytes(128).toString('hex')
+    req({uri: '/limited', form: {foo: payload}}, (err, response, body) => {
+      t.error(err)
+      t.strictEqual(response.statusCode, 500)
+      t.is(JSON.parse(body).message, 'Form data exceeds allowed limit: 10')
+    })
+  })
+})