diff --git a/include/boost/utility/string_ref.hpp b/include/boost/utility/string_ref.hpp
index 6e8ecc5..ffadb2e 100644
--- a/include/boost/utility/string_ref.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/utility/string_ref.hpp
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ namespace boost {
         // capacity
         BOOST_CONSTEXPR size_type size()     const { return len_; }
         BOOST_CONSTEXPR size_type length()   const { return len_; }
-        BOOST_CONSTEXPR size_type max_size() const { return len_; }
+        BOOST_CONSTEXPR size_type max_size() const { return ~static_cast<size_type>(0) / (sizeof(value_type) * 2u); }
         BOOST_CONSTEXPR bool empty()         const { return len_ == 0; }
 
         // element access
diff --git a/include/boost/utility/string_view.hpp b/include/boost/utility/string_view.hpp
index 30837e4..fe1cfa0 100644
--- a/include/boost/utility/string_view.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/utility/string_view.hpp
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ namespace boost {
         // capacity
         BOOST_CONSTEXPR size_type size()     const BOOST_NOEXCEPT { return len_; }
         BOOST_CONSTEXPR size_type length()   const BOOST_NOEXCEPT { return len_; }
-        BOOST_CONSTEXPR size_type max_size() const BOOST_NOEXCEPT { return len_; }
+        BOOST_CONSTEXPR size_type max_size() const BOOST_NOEXCEPT { return ~static_cast<size_type>(0) / (sizeof(value_type) * 2u); }
         BOOST_CONSTEXPR bool empty()         const BOOST_NOEXCEPT { return len_ == 0; }
 
         // element access