diff --git a/http/handler.go b/http/handler.go
index c370656fa..f8188e8fd 100644
--- a/http/handler.go
+++ b/http/handler.go
@@ -1449,16 +1449,25 @@ func (h *Handler) handleGetTranslateData(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request)
 	}
 
 	// Copy from reader to client until store or client disconnect.
-	buf := make([]byte, translateStoreBufferSize)
+	useBufferSize := translateStoreBufferSize
+	buf := make([]byte, useBufferSize)
 	for {
 		// Read from store.
 		n, err := rdr.Read(buf)
 		if err == io.EOF {
 			return
+		} else if err == pilosa.ErrTranslateReadTargetUndersized {
+			// Increase the buffer size and try to read again.
+			useBufferSize *= 2
+			buf = make([]byte, useBufferSize)
+			continue
 		} else if err != nil {
 			h.logger.Printf("http: translate store read error: %s", err)
 			return
 		} else if n == 0 {
+			// Reset the default buffer size.
+			useBufferSize = translateStoreBufferSize
+			buf = make([]byte, useBufferSize)
 			continue
 		}
 
diff --git a/translate.go b/translate.go
index 2c3125ad9..b86041e3d 100644
--- a/translate.go
+++ b/translate.go
@@ -29,10 +29,11 @@ const (
 )
 
 var (
-	ErrTranslateStoreClosed       = errors.New("pilosa: translate store closed")
-	ErrTranslateStoreReaderClosed = errors.New("pilosa: translate store reader closed")
-	ErrReplicationNotSupported    = errors.New("pilosa: replication not supported")
-	ErrTranslateStoreReadOnly     = errors.New("pilosa: translate store could not find or create key, translate store read only")
+	ErrTranslateStoreClosed          = errors.New("pilosa: translate store closed")
+	ErrTranslateStoreReaderClosed    = errors.New("pilosa: translate store reader closed")
+	ErrReplicationNotSupported       = errors.New("pilosa: replication not supported")
+	ErrTranslateStoreReadOnly        = errors.New("pilosa: translate store could not find or create key, translate store read only")
+	ErrTranslateReadTargetUndersized = errors.New("pilosa: translate read target is undersized")
 )
 
 // TranslateStore is the storage for translation string-to-uint64 values.
@@ -1089,8 +1090,13 @@ func (r *translateFileReader) read(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
 		return 0, nil
 	}
 
-	// Shorten buffer to maximum read size.
-	if max := sz - r.offset; int64(len(p)) > max {
+	if max := sz - r.offset; max > int64(len(p)) {
+		// If p is not large enough to hold a single entry,
+		// return an error so the client can increase the
+		// size of p and try again.
+		return 0, ErrTranslateReadTargetUndersized
+	} else if int64(len(p)) > max {
+		// Shorten buffer to maximum read size.
 		p = p[:max]
 	}