diff --git a/modules/libpref/Preferences.cpp b/modules/libpref/Preferences.cpp
index 3b82f798759f..c7e7fe6ac474 100644
--- a/modules/libpref/Preferences.cpp
+++ b/modules/libpref/Preferences.cpp
@@ -728,7 +728,9 @@ Preferences::GetPreference(PrefSetting* aPref)
   if (!entry)
     return;
 
-  pref_GetPrefFromEntry(entry, aPref);
+  if (pref_EntryHasAdvisablySizedValues(entry)) {
+    pref_GetPrefFromEntry(entry, aPref);
+  }
 }
 
 void
@@ -737,6 +739,11 @@ Preferences::GetPreferences(InfallibleTArray<PrefSetting>* aPrefs)
   aPrefs->SetCapacity(gHashTable->Capacity());
   for (auto iter = gHashTable->Iter(); !iter.Done(); iter.Next()) {
     auto entry = static_cast<PrefHashEntry*>(iter.Get());
+
+    if (!pref_EntryHasAdvisablySizedValues(entry)) {
+      continue;
+    }
+
     dom::PrefSetting *pref = aPrefs->AppendElement();
     pref_GetPrefFromEntry(entry, pref);
   }
diff --git a/modules/libpref/nsPrefBranch.cpp b/modules/libpref/nsPrefBranch.cpp
index 004915e410db..2fd4992c8f6d 100644
--- a/modules/libpref/nsPrefBranch.cpp
+++ b/modules/libpref/nsPrefBranch.cpp
@@ -380,7 +380,10 @@ nsresult nsPrefBranch::CheckSanityOfStringLength(const char* aPrefName, const ui
   if (NS_FAILED(rv)) {
     return rv;
   }
-  nsAutoCString message(nsPrintfCString("Warning: attempting to write %d bytes to preference %s. This is bad for general performance and memory usage. Such an amount of data should rather be written to an external file.",
+  nsAutoCString message(nsPrintfCString("Warning: attempting to write %d bytes to preference %s. This is bad "
+                                        "for general performance and memory usage. Such an amount of data "
+                                        "should rather be written to an external file. This preference will "
+                                        "not be sent to any content processes.",
                                         aLength,
                                         getPrefName(aPrefName)));
   rv = console->LogStringMessage(NS_ConvertUTF8toUTF16(message).get());
diff --git a/modules/libpref/prefapi.cpp b/modules/libpref/prefapi.cpp
index 30927039adad..964fea4ab8b7 100644
--- a/modules/libpref/prefapi.cpp
+++ b/modules/libpref/prefapi.cpp
@@ -366,6 +366,31 @@ pref_savePrefs(PLDHashTable* aTable)
     return savedPrefs;
 }
 
+bool
+pref_EntryHasAdvisablySizedValues(PrefHashEntry* aHashEntry)
+{
+    if (aHashEntry->prefFlags.GetPrefType() != PrefType::String) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    char* stringVal;
+    if (aHashEntry->prefFlags.HasDefault()) {
+        stringVal = aHashEntry->defaultPref.stringVal;
+        if (strlen(stringVal) > MAX_ADVISABLE_PREF_LENGTH) {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (aHashEntry->prefFlags.HasUserValue()) {
+        stringVal = aHashEntry->userPref.stringVal;
+        if (strlen(stringVal) > MAX_ADVISABLE_PREF_LENGTH) {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
+
 static void
 GetPrefValueFromEntry(PrefHashEntry *aHashEntry, dom::PrefSetting* aPref,
                       WhichValue aWhich)
diff --git a/modules/libpref/prefapi_private_data.h b/modules/libpref/prefapi_private_data.h
index f91b0d6c7491..d328df13ee13 100644
--- a/modules/libpref/prefapi_private_data.h
+++ b/modules/libpref/prefapi_private_data.h
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ pref_SetPref(const mozilla::dom::PrefSetting& aPref);
 int pref_CompareStrings(const void *v1, const void *v2, void* unused);
 PrefHashEntry* pref_HashTableLookup(const char *key);
 
+bool
+pref_EntryHasAdvisablySizedValues(PrefHashEntry* aHashEntry);
+
 void pref_GetPrefFromEntry(PrefHashEntry *aHashEntry,
                            mozilla::dom::PrefSetting* aPref);
 
diff --git a/modules/libpref/test/unit_ipc/test_large_pref.js b/modules/libpref/test/unit_ipc/test_large_pref.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c3c937b43c1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/libpref/test/unit_ipc/test_large_pref.js
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+/* This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+ * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+ * file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. */
+
+// Large preferences should not be set in the child process.
+// Non-string preferences are not tested here, because their behavior
+// should not be affected by this filtering.
+
+var Ci = Components.interfaces;
+var Cc = Components.classes;
+
+function isParentProcess() {
+    let appInfo = Cc["@mozilla.org/xre/app-info;1"];
+    return (!appInfo || appInfo.getService(Ci.nsIXULRuntime).processType == Ci.nsIXULRuntime.PROCESS_TYPE_DEFAULT);
+}
+
+function makeBuffer(length) {
+    let string = "x";
+    while (string.length < length) {
+      string = string + string;
+    }
+    if (string.length > length) {
+      string = string.substring(length - string.length);
+    }
+    return string;
+}
+
+// from prefapi.h
+const MAX_ADVISABLE_PREF_LENGTH = 4 * 1024;
+
+const largeString = makeBuffer(MAX_ADVISABLE_PREF_LENGTH + 1);
+const smallString = makeBuffer(4);
+
+const testValues = [
+  {name: "None", value: undefined},
+  {name: "Small", value: smallString},
+  {name: "Large", value: largeString},
+];
+
+function prefName(def, user) {
+  return "Test.IPC.default" + def.name + "User" + user.name;
+}
+
+function expectedPrefValue(def, user) {
+  if (user.value) {
+    return user.value;
+  }
+  return def.value;
+}
+
+function run_test() {
+  let pb = Cc["@mozilla.org/preferences-service;1"].getService(Ci.nsIPrefBranch);
+  let ps = Cc["@mozilla.org/preferences-service;1"].getService(Ci.nsIPrefService);
+  let defaultBranch = ps.getDefaultBranch("");
+
+  let isParent = isParentProcess();
+  if (isParent) {
+    // Set all combinations of none, small and large, for default and user prefs.
+    for (let def of testValues) {
+      for (let user of testValues) {
+        let currPref = prefName(def, user);
+        if (def.value) {
+          defaultBranch.setCharPref(currPref, def.value);
+        }
+        if (user.value) {
+          pb.setCharPref(currPref, user.value);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    run_test_in_child("test_large_pref.js");
+  }
+
+  // Check that each preference is set or not set, as appropriate.
+  for (let def of testValues) {
+    for (let user of testValues) {
+      if (!def.value && !user.value) {
+        continue;
+      }
+      let pref_name = prefName(def, user);
+      if (isParent || (def.name != "Large" && user.name != "Large")) {
+        do_check_eq(pb.getCharPref(pref_name), expectedPrefValue(def, user));
+      } else {
+        // This is the child, and either the default or user value is
+        // large, so the preference should not be set.
+        let prefExists;
+        try {
+          pb.getCharPref(pref_name);
+          prefExists = true;
+        } catch(e) {
+          prefExists = false;
+        }
+        ok(!prefExists,
+           "Pref " + pref_name + " should not be set in the child");
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/modules/libpref/test/unit_ipc/xpcshell.ini b/modules/libpref/test/unit_ipc/xpcshell.ini
index e24b9a778e37..942aaf5cfe82 100644
--- a/modules/libpref/test/unit_ipc/xpcshell.ini
+++ b/modules/libpref/test/unit_ipc/xpcshell.ini
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ skip-if = toolkit == 'android' || toolkit == 'gonk'
 
 [test_existing_prefs.js]
 [test_initial_prefs.js]
+[test_large_pref.js]
 [test_observed_prefs.js]
 [test_update_prefs.js]
 [test_user_default_prefs.js]