diff --git a/development/Win32/packaging/dtl/dt2dv.c b/development/Win32/packaging/dtl/dt2dv.c
index a4ab23a9c6..440388c5a7 100644
--- a/development/Win32/packaging/dtl/dt2dv.c
+++ b/development/Win32/packaging/dtl/dt2dv.c
@@ -2223,7 +2223,7 @@ xfer_len_string
 /* transfer (length and) quoted string from dtl to dvi file, */
 /* return number of bytes written to dvi file. */
 {
-  U4 k, k2;
+  U4 k, k2, lstr_maxsize;
   Lstring lstr;
 
   if (debug)
@@ -2232,12 +2232,13 @@ xfer_len_string
     fprintf (stderr, "(xfer_len_string) : entering xfer_len_string.\n");
   }
 
-  init_Lstring (&lstr, LSIZE);
-
   /* k[n] : length of special string */
 
   k = get_unsigned (dtl);
 
+  lstr_maxsize = (k > LSIZE) ? k : LSIZE;
+  init_Lstring (&lstr, lstr_maxsize);
+
   if (debug)
   {
     PRINT_PROGNAME;