diff --git a/src/lib/net/buffers_net.c b/src/lib/net/buffers_net.c
index db0179b8d3..4dbf491e1a 100644
--- a/src/lib/net/buffers_net.c
+++ b/src/lib/net/buffers_net.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ read_to_chunk(buf_t *buf, chunk_t *chunk, tor_socket_t fd, size_t at_most,
     chunk->datalen += read_result;
     log_debug(LD_NET,"Read %ld bytes. %d on inbuf.", (long)read_result,
               (int)buf->datalen);
-    tor_assert(read_result <= INT_MAX - 1);
+    tor_assert(read_result <= BUF_MAX_LEN);
     return (int)read_result;
   }
 }
@@ -103,9 +103,9 @@ buf_read_from_fd(buf_t *buf, int fd, size_t at_most,
   tor_assert(reached_eof);
   tor_assert(SOCKET_OK(fd));
 
-  if (BUG(buf->datalen > INT_MAX - 1))
+  if (BUG(buf->datalen > BUF_MAX_LEN))
     return -1;
-  if (BUG(buf->datalen > INT_MAX - 1 - at_most))
+  if (BUG(buf->datalen > BUF_MAX_LEN - at_most))
     return -1;
 
   while (at_most > total_read) {
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ buf_read_from_fd(buf_t *buf, int fd, size_t at_most,
     check();
     if (r < 0)
       return r; /* Error */
-    tor_assert(total_read+r <= INT_MAX - 1);
+    tor_assert(total_read+r <= BUF_MAX_LEN);
     total_read += r;
     if ((size_t)r < readlen) { /* eof, block, or no more to read. */
       break;
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ flush_chunk(tor_socket_t fd, buf_t *buf, chunk_t *chunk, size_t sz,
   } else {
     *buf_flushlen -= write_result;
     buf_drain(buf, write_result);
-    tor_assert(write_result <= INT_MAX - 1);
+    tor_assert(write_result <= BUF_MAX_LEN);
     return (int)write_result;
   }
 }
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ buf_flush_to_fd(buf_t *buf, int fd, size_t sz,
     if (r == 0 || (size_t)r < flushlen0) /* can't flush any more now. */
       break;
   }
-  tor_assert(flushed <= INT_MAX - 1);
+  tor_assert(flushed <= BUF_MAX_LEN);
   return (int)flushed;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/tls/buffers_tls.c b/src/lib/tls/buffers_tls.c
index b1e5cb8eed..b92a14d6a1 100644
--- a/src/lib/tls/buffers_tls.c
+++ b/src/lib/tls/buffers_tls.c
@@ -68,9 +68,9 @@ buf_read_from_tls(buf_t *buf, tor_tls_t *tls, size_t at_most)
 
   check_no_tls_errors();
 
-  IF_BUG_ONCE(buf->datalen > INT_MAX - 1)
+  IF_BUG_ONCE(buf->datalen > BUF_MAX_LEN)
     return TOR_TLS_ERROR_MISC;
-  IF_BUG_ONCE(buf->datalen > INT_MAX - 1 - at_most)
+  IF_BUG_ONCE(buf->datalen > BUF_MAX_LEN - at_most)
     return TOR_TLS_ERROR_MISC;
 
   while (at_most > total_read) {
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ buf_read_from_tls(buf_t *buf, tor_tls_t *tls, size_t at_most)
     r = read_to_chunk_tls(buf, chunk, tls, readlen);
     if (r < 0)
       return r; /* Error */
-    tor_assert(total_read+r <= INT_MAX - 1);
+    tor_assert(total_read+r <= BUF_MAX_LEN);
     total_read += r;
     if ((size_t)r < readlen) /* eof, block, or no more to read. */
       break;
@@ -177,6 +177,6 @@ buf_flush_to_tls(buf_t *buf, tor_tls_t *tls, size_t flushlen,
     if (r == 0) /* Can't flush any more now. */
       break;
   } while (sz > 0);
-  tor_assert(flushed <= INT_MAX - 1);
+  tor_assert(flushed <= BUF_MAX_LEN);
   return (int)flushed;
 }