diff --git a/issuance/cert.go b/issuance/cert.go
index 9be35237c9a..13b62bebe14 100644
--- a/issuance/cert.go
+++ b/issuance/cert.go
@@ -46,6 +46,14 @@ type ProfileConfig struct {
 	MaxValidityPeriod   config.Duration
 	MaxValidityBackdate config.Duration
 
+	// MaxCertificateSize causes rejection at the linting stage of any certificate
+	// that would be bigger than this many bytes. This should be considered a backstop
+	// and should be set higher than the corresponding limits at the WFE
+	// (MaxCumulativeIdentifierLength) and the RA (MaxNames * 253, per-profile),
+	// plus the longest possible signature size, plus some extra for certificate
+	// fields.
+	MaxCertificateSize int
+
 	// LintConfig is a path to a zlint config file, which can be used to control
 	// the behavior of zlint's "customizable lints".
 	LintConfig string
@@ -64,6 +72,8 @@ type Profile struct {
 	maxBackdate time.Duration
 	maxValidity time.Duration
 
+	maxCertificateSize int
+
 	lints lint.Registry
 }
 
@@ -96,6 +106,7 @@ func NewProfile(profileConfig ProfileConfig) (*Profile, error) {
 		omitSKID:            profileConfig.OmitSKID,
 		maxBackdate:         profileConfig.MaxValidityBackdate.Duration,
 		maxValidity:         profileConfig.MaxValidityPeriod.Duration,
+		maxCertificateSize:  profileConfig.MaxCertificateSize,
 		lints:               lints,
 	}
 
@@ -361,6 +372,10 @@ func (i *Issuer) Prepare(prof *Profile, req *IssuanceRequest) ([]byte, *issuance
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("tbsCertificate linting failed: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	if prof.maxCertificateSize > 0 && len(lintCertBytes) > prof.maxCertificateSize {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("linting certificate too big (%d > %d)", len(lintCertBytes), prof.maxCertificateSize)
+	}
+
 	if len(req.precertDER) > 0 {
 		err = precert.Correspond(req.precertDER, lintCertBytes)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/issuance/cert_test.go b/issuance/cert_test.go
index 4e986290d39..aff11940203 100644
--- a/issuance/cert_test.go
+++ b/issuance/cert_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"crypto/x509"
 	"crypto/x509/pkix"
 	"encoding/base64"
+	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
@@ -395,6 +396,40 @@ func TestIssue(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestIssueCertTooBig(t *testing.T) {
+	fc := clock.NewFake()
+	signer, err := newIssuer(defaultIssuerConfig(), issuerCert, issuerSigner, fc)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("newIssuer: %s", err)
+	}
+	pk, err := ecdsa.GenerateKey(elliptic.P256(), rand.Reader)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ecdsa.GenerateKey: %s", err)
+	}
+	var dnsNames []string
+	for i := 0; i < 1000; i++ {
+		dnsNames = append(dnsNames, fmt.Sprintf("%d.example.com", i))
+	}
+	profile := defaultProfile()
+	profile.maxCertificateSize = 1000
+	_, _, err = signer.Prepare(profile, &IssuanceRequest{
+		PublicKey:       MarshalablePublicKey{pk.Public()},
+		SubjectKeyId:    goodSKID,
+		Serial:          []byte{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9},
+		DNSNames:        dnsNames,
+		NotBefore:       fc.Now(),
+		NotAfter:        fc.Now().Add(time.Hour - time.Second),
+		IncludeCTPoison: true,
+	})
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("signer.Prepare of big cert: got nil error, want an error")
+	}
+	expected := "linting certificate too big"
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), expected) {
+		t.Errorf("signer.Prepare of big cert: got %q, want %q", err, expected)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestIssueDNSNamesOnly(t *testing.T) {
 	fc := clock.NewFake()
 	signer, err := newIssuer(defaultIssuerConfig(), issuerCert, issuerSigner, fc)
diff --git a/test/config-next/ca.json b/test/config-next/ca.json
index bfec4b2556b..f31478380ec 100644
--- a/test/config-next/ca.json
+++ b/test/config-next/ca.json
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
 					"omitSKID": false,
 					"maxValidityPeriod": "7776000s",
 					"maxValidityBackdate": "1h5m",
+					"maxCertificateSize": 10000,
 					"lintConfig": "test/config-next/zlint.toml",
 					"ignoredLints": [
 						"w_subject_common_name_included",
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@
 					"omitSKID": true,
 					"maxValidityPeriod": "160h",
 					"maxValidityBackdate": "1h5m",
+					"maxCertificateSize": 10000,
 					"lintConfig": "test/config-next/zlint.toml",
 					"ignoredLints": [
 						"w_ext_subject_key_identifier_missing_sub_cert",
@@ -82,6 +84,7 @@
 					"omitSKID": true,
 					"maxValidityPeriod": "583200s",
 					"maxValidityBackdate": "1h5m",
+					"maxCertificateSize": 10000,
 					"lintConfig": "test/config-next/zlint.toml",
 					"ignoredLints": [
 						"w_ext_subject_key_identifier_missing_sub_cert",