diff --git a/docs/reference/modules/http.asciidoc b/docs/reference/modules/http.asciidoc
index a83270ec2aace..920f62043cfe2 100644
--- a/docs/reference/modules/http.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/reference/modules/http.asciidoc
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ from the outside. Defaults to the actual port assigned via `http.port`.
 |`http.host` |Used to set the `http.bind_host` and the `http.publish_host` Defaults to `http.host` or `network.host`.
 
 |`http.max_content_length` |The max content of an HTTP request. Defaults to
-`100mb`. If set to greater than `Integer.MAX_VALUE`, it will be reset to 100mb.
+`100mb`.
 
 |`http.max_initial_line_length` |The max length of an HTTP URL. Defaults
 to `4kb`
diff --git a/modules/transport-netty4/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/http/netty4/Netty4HttpServerTransport.java b/modules/transport-netty4/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/http/netty4/Netty4HttpServerTransport.java
index 31b32a8ab948e..ab0c271f3ae4f 100644
--- a/modules/transport-netty4/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/http/netty4/Netty4HttpServerTransport.java
+++ b/modules/transport-netty4/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/http/netty4/Netty4HttpServerTransport.java
@@ -233,11 +233,6 @@ public Netty4HttpServerTransport(Settings settings, NetworkService networkServic
         this.pipeliningMaxEvents = SETTING_PIPELINING_MAX_EVENTS.get(settings);
         this.corsConfig = buildCorsConfig(settings);
 
-        // validate max content length
-        if (maxContentLength.getBytes() > Integer.MAX_VALUE) {
-            logger.warn("maxContentLength[{}] set to high value, resetting it to [100mb]", maxContentLength);
-            maxContentLength = new ByteSizeValue(100, ByteSizeUnit.MB);
-        }
         this.maxContentLength = maxContentLength;
 
         logger.debug("using max_chunk_size[{}], max_header_size[{}], max_initial_line_length[{}], max_content_length[{}], " +
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/http/HttpTransportSettings.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/http/HttpTransportSettings.java
index 315fa5b038bfd..064406f0d389d 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/http/HttpTransportSettings.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/http/HttpTransportSettings.java
@@ -83,7 +83,12 @@ public final class HttpTransportSettings {
             return true;
         }, Property.NodeScope, Property.Deprecated);
     public static final Setting<ByteSizeValue> SETTING_HTTP_MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH =
-        Setting.byteSizeSetting("http.max_content_length", new ByteSizeValue(100, ByteSizeUnit.MB), Property.NodeScope);
+        Setting.byteSizeSetting(
+                "http.max_content_length",
+                new ByteSizeValue(100, ByteSizeUnit.MB),
+                new ByteSizeValue(0, ByteSizeUnit.BYTES),
+                new ByteSizeValue(Integer.MAX_VALUE, ByteSizeUnit.BYTES),
+                Property.NodeScope);
     public static final Setting<ByteSizeValue> SETTING_HTTP_MAX_CHUNK_SIZE =
         Setting.byteSizeSetting("http.max_chunk_size", new ByteSizeValue(8, ByteSizeUnit.KB), Property.NodeScope);
     public static final Setting<ByteSizeValue> SETTING_HTTP_MAX_HEADER_SIZE =