diff --git a/libavcodec/avcodec.h b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
index 7ac2adaf66..81052b10ef 100644
--- a/libavcodec/avcodec.h
+++ b/libavcodec/avcodec.h
@@ -3570,6 +3570,14 @@ typedef struct AVCodecContext {
      */
     int trailing_padding;
 
+    /**
+     * The number of pixels per image to maximally accept.
+     *
+     * - decoding: set by user
+     * - encoding: unused
+     */
+    int max_pixels;
+
 } AVCodecContext;
 
 AVRational av_codec_get_pkt_timebase         (const AVCodecContext *avctx);
diff --git a/libavcodec/options_table.h b/libavcodec/options_table.h
index ee79859953..2f5eb252fe 100644
--- a/libavcodec/options_table.h
+++ b/libavcodec/options_table.h
@@ -570,6 +570,7 @@ static const AVOption avcodec_options[] = {
 {"codec_whitelist", "List of decoders that are allowed to be used", OFFSET(codec_whitelist), AV_OPT_TYPE_STRING, { .str = NULL },  CHAR_MIN, CHAR_MAX, A|V|S|D },
 {"pixel_format", "set pixel format", OFFSET(pix_fmt), AV_OPT_TYPE_PIXEL_FMT, {.i64=AV_PIX_FMT_NONE}, -1, INT_MAX, 0 },
 {"video_size", "set video size", OFFSET(width), AV_OPT_TYPE_IMAGE_SIZE, {.str=NULL}, 0, INT_MAX, 0 },
+{"max_pixels", "Maximum number of pixels", OFFSET(max_pixels), AV_OPT_TYPE_INT, {.i64 = INT_MAX }, 0, INT_MAX, A|V|S|D },
 {NULL},
 };
 
diff --git a/libavutil/imgutils.c b/libavutil/imgutils.c
index 37808e53d0..96f2bbdc4f 100644
--- a/libavutil/imgutils.c
+++ b/libavutil/imgutils.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "mathematics.h"
 #include "pixdesc.h"
 #include "rational.h"
+#include "opt.h"
 
 void av_image_fill_max_pixsteps(int max_pixsteps[4], int max_pixstep_comps[4],
                                 const AVPixFmtDescriptor *pixdesc)
@@ -248,7 +249,7 @@ static const AVClass imgutils_class = {
     .parent_log_context_offset = offsetof(ImgUtils, log_ctx),
 };
 
-int av_image_check_size(unsigned int w, unsigned int h, int log_offset, void *log_ctx)
+int av_image_check_size2(unsigned int w, unsigned int h, int64_t max_pixels, enum AVPixelFormat pix_fmt, int log_offset, void *log_ctx)
 {
     ImgUtils imgutils = {
         .class      = &imgutils_class,
@@ -256,11 +257,31 @@ int av_image_check_size(unsigned int w, unsigned int h, int log_offset, void *lo
         .log_ctx    = log_ctx,
     };
 
-    if ((int)w>0 && (int)h>0 && (w+128)*(uint64_t)(h+128) < INT_MAX/8)
-        return 0;
+    if ((int)w<=0 || (int)h<=0 || (w+128)*(uint64_t)(h+128) >= INT_MAX/8) {
+        av_log(&imgutils, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Picture size %ux%u is invalid\n", w, h);
+        return AVERROR(EINVAL);
+    }
 
-    av_log(&imgutils, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Picture size %ux%u is invalid\n", w, h);
-    return AVERROR(EINVAL);
+    if (max_pixels < INT64_MAX) {
+        if (w*(int64_t)h > max_pixels) {
+            av_log(&imgutils, AV_LOG_ERROR,
+                    "Picture size %ux%u exceeds specified max pixel count %"PRId64"\n",
+                    w, h, max_pixels);
+            return AVERROR(EINVAL);
+        }
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int av_image_check_size(unsigned int w, unsigned int h, int log_offset, void *log_ctx)
+{
+    int64_t max = INT64_MAX;
+
+    if (log_ctx)
+        av_opt_get_int(log_ctx, "max_pixels",  AV_OPT_SEARCH_CHILDREN, &max);
+
+    return av_image_check_size2(w, h, max, AV_PIX_FMT_NONE, log_offset, log_ctx);
 }
 
 int av_image_check_sar(unsigned int w, unsigned int h, AVRational sar)
diff --git a/libavutil/imgutils.h b/libavutil/imgutils.h
index 23282a38fa..19f34deced 100644
--- a/libavutil/imgutils.h
+++ b/libavutil/imgutils.h
@@ -192,6 +192,20 @@ int av_image_copy_to_buffer(uint8_t *dst, int dst_size,
 int av_image_check_size(unsigned int w, unsigned int h, int log_offset, void *log_ctx);
 
 /**
+ * Check if the given dimension of an image is valid, meaning that all
+ * bytes of the image can be addressed with a signed int.
+ *
+ * @param w the width of the picture
+ * @param h the height of the picture
+ * @param max_pixels the maximum number of pixels the user wants to accept
+ * @param pix_fmt the pixel format, can be AV_PIX_FMT_NONE if unknown.
+ * @param log_offset the offset to sum to the log level for logging with log_ctx
+ * @param log_ctx the parent logging context, it may be NULL
+ * @return >= 0 if valid, a negative error code otherwise
+ */
+int av_image_check_size2(unsigned int w, unsigned int h, int64_t max_pixels, enum AVPixelFormat pix_fmt, int log_offset, void *log_ctx);
+
+/**
  * Check if the given sample aspect ratio of an image is valid.
  *
  * It is considered invalid if the denominator is 0 or if applying the ratio
diff --git a/tests/ref/fate/api-mjpeg-codec-param b/tests/ref/fate/api-mjpeg-codec-param
index c67d1b1ab0..08313adab3 100644
--- a/tests/ref/fate/api-mjpeg-codec-param
+++ b/tests/ref/fate/api-mjpeg-codec-param
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ stream=0, decode=0
     codec_whitelist=
     pixel_format=yuvj422p
     video_size=400x225
+    max_pixels=2147483647
 stream=0, decode=1
     b=0
     ab=0
@@ -312,3 +313,4 @@ stream=0, decode=1
     codec_whitelist=
     pixel_format=yuvj422p
     video_size=400x225
+    max_pixels=2147483647
diff --git a/tests/ref/fate/api-png-codec-param b/tests/ref/fate/api-png-codec-param
index bd53441894..7a9a921461 100644
--- a/tests/ref/fate/api-png-codec-param
+++ b/tests/ref/fate/api-png-codec-param
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ stream=0, decode=0
     codec_whitelist=
     pixel_format=rgba
     video_size=128x128
+    max_pixels=2147483647
 stream=0, decode=1
     b=0
     ab=0
@@ -312,3 +313,4 @@ stream=0, decode=1
     codec_whitelist=
     pixel_format=rgba
     video_size=128x128
+    max_pixels=2147483647
