MySQL throws the error “Got a packet bigger than ‘max_allowed_packet’ bytes” when the server receives a query larger than the configured packet size.

This usually happens during:

  • Large INSERT or UPDATE queries

  • Importing big SQL dumps

  • Handling large BLOB/TEXT fields

  • Running WordPress/WooCommerce sites with large metadata

  • API-heavy applications with oversized payloads

This error stops the query completely and often breaks backups, migrations, or application functionality.

If you want MySQL experts to handle this safely in production, explore our Linux Server Management or Server Optimization Service.

1. Why This Error Happens

MySQL limits the maximum size of a single packet it can process.

Default values:

  • MySQL: 4MB

  • MariaDB: 16MB

If your application sends a packet larger than that (for example, a massive JSON payload, binary file, or large SQL import), MySQL rejects it and throws:

ERROR 1153 (08S01): Got a packet bigger than 'max_allowed_packet' bytes

This is a server-level limit, not an application bug.

2. Fix: Increase

max_allowed_packet

in my.cnf

Edit:

/etc/my.cnf

Under [mysqld], add or modify:

max_allowed_packet = 256M

Or for high-intensity systems:

max_allowed_packet = 512M

Restart MySQL:

systemctl restart mysqld

MariaDB:

systemctl restart mariadb

Verify value:

mysql -e "SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'max_allowed_packet';"

3. Fix: Increase Packet Limit for Client Tools Too

If you use:

  • mysql

  • mysqldump

  • phpMyAdmin

  • Adminer

  • API clients

…you MUST update client-side settings as well.

For CLI clients:

Edit:

/etc/my.cnf

Add:

[client]
max_allowed_packet = 256M

4. Fix: For phpMyAdmin Users

Update:

php.ini

Set:

upload_max_filesize = 512M
post_max_size = 512M
memory_limit = 1024M

Restart Apache/Nginx + PHP-FPM.

5. Fix: During SQL Import (mysql or mysqldump)

Run import with packet override:

mysql --max_allowed_packet=512M -u root -p database < backup.sql

For mysqldump:

mysqldump --max_allowed_packet=512M -u root -p database > dump.sql

6. Fix: Repair Corrupted or Oversized Rows

If the error appears mid-query, you may have:

  • A corrupted row

  • A binary BLOB too large

  • A broken JSON entry

  • A huge WordPress meta row

Check largest rows:

SELECT table_name, data_length 
FROM information_schema.tables 
ORDER BY data_length DESC 
LIMIT 10;

Check for large meta rows (WordPress):

SELECT meta_key, LENGTH(meta_value) 
FROM wp_postmeta 
ORDER BY LENGTH(meta_value) DESC LIMIT 20;

7. Fix: For WordPress & WooCommerce Sites

Common causes:

  • Oversized WooCommerce session rows

  • Broken serialized data

  • Large plugin-generated meta entries

You can clean them:

DELETE FROM wp_options WHERE option_name LIKE '%_transient_%';
DELETE FROM wp_postmeta WHERE meta_key = '_wc_session_expires';

8. Fix: For Applications Using APIs or BLOBs

Check if your app is sending:

  • Huge JSON payloads

  • Large file uploads inside the query

  • Base64 encoded BLOB chunks

Either:

  • Increase packet size

  • Reduce payload size

  • Use streaming instead of full BLOB insert

9. Fix: For MariaDB Users With Large Joins

MariaDB sometimes hits the limit during large temp table merges.

Increase:

max_heap_table_size = 512M
tmp_table_size = 512M

Restart server.

10. Final Checklist

Before retrying:

  • Restart MySQL

  • Verify max_allowed_packet

  • Verify client packet limits

  • Check php.ini if using phpMyAdmin

  • Check application logs

  • Try re-importing with higher limits

With these steps, 99% of packet-related errors disappear instantly.

If you need help fixing this on a production environment, our team handles it under Emergency Server Support.

Conclusion

The “Got a packet bigger than ‘max_allowed_packet’ bytes” error occurs when MySQL rejects a query that exceeds the allowed packet size. Increasing the limit on both the server and client side usually fixes the issue. For persistent problems, review large BLOBs, corrupted tables, or oversized application data.

For safe database tuning, migration handling, or performance optimization, explore our Server Optimization Service or Linux Server Management.