diff --git a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/GdbMemoryBlockRetrieval.java b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/GdbMemoryBlockRetrieval.java
index 64e23511a74..994822cf063 100644
--- a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/GdbMemoryBlockRetrieval.java
+++ b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/GdbMemoryBlockRetrieval.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.debug.service.IMemory.IMemoryDMContext;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.debug.service.IMemorySpaces;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb.internal.GdbPlugin;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb.internal.memory.GdbMemoryBlock.MemorySpaceDMContext;
+import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb.service.IGDBMemory;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb.service.IGDBMemory2;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.service.DsfServices;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.service.DsfSession;
@@ -49,6 +50,8 @@ import org.w3c.dom.Element;
 import org.w3c.dom.Node;
 import org.w3c.dom.NodeList;
 
+import com.ibm.icu.text.MessageFormat;
+
 /**
  * A specialization of the DSF memory block retrieval implementation supporting
  * memory spaces. The memory space support is provisional, thus this class is
@@ -173,6 +176,14 @@ public class GdbMemoryBlockRetrieval extends DsfMemoryBlockRetrieval implements
 			}
 		}
 
+		// check for block address exceeding maximum allowed address value
+		int addressSize = getAddressSize(memoryDmc, memorySpaceID);
+		BigInteger endAddress = BigInteger.ONE.shiftLeft(addressSize*8).subtract(BigInteger.ONE);
+		if (endAddress.compareTo(blockAddress) < 0) {
+			throw new DebugException(new Status(IStatus.ERROR, GdbPlugin.PLUGIN_ID, -1, 
+					MessageFormat.format(Messages.Err_ExceedsMaxAddress, expression, endAddress.toString(16)), null));
+		}
+		
 		/*
 		 * At this point, we only resolved the requested memory block
 		 * start address and we have no idea of the block's length.
@@ -403,6 +414,16 @@ public class GdbMemoryBlockRetrieval extends DsfMemoryBlockRetrieval implements
 		return super.getAddressableSize();
 	}
 	
+	
+	private int getAddressSize(IMemoryDMContext aContext, String memorySpaceID) {
+		IGDBMemory memoryService = (IGDBMemory)getServiceTracker().getService();
+		if (memoryService != null && aContext != null) {
+			IMemoryDMContext context = resolveMemSpaceContext(aContext, memorySpaceID);
+			return memoryService.getAddressSize(context);
+		}
+		return super.getAddressSize();
+	}
+
 	private IMemoryDMContext resolveMemSpaceContext(IMemoryDMContext aContext, String aMemorySpaceID) {
 		IMemoryDMContext context = aContext;
 		if (aMemorySpaceID != null && aMemorySpaceID.length() > 0) {
diff --git a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/Messages.java b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/Messages.java
index 83f2cea57b6..627fee0d25a 100644
--- a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/Messages.java
+++ b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/Messages.java
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ public class Messages extends NLS {
         NLS.initializeMessages("org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb.internal.memory.messages", Messages.class); //$NON-NLS-1$
     }
 
-    public static String Err_MemoryServiceNotAvailable;
+    public static String Err_ExceedsMaxAddress;
+	public static String Err_MemoryServiceNotAvailable;
     public static String Err_MemoryReadFailed;
     public static String Err_MemoryWriteFailed;
     public static String Err_InvalidEncodedAddress;
diff --git a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/messages.properties b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/messages.properties
index 9a8f8148b26..ea7e2c1a2a8 100644
--- a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/messages.properties
+++ b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/messages.properties
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #   Freescale Semiconductor - initial API and implementation
 ###############################################################################
 
+Err_ExceedsMaxAddress=Expression value {0} exceeds maximum address 0x{1}
 Err_MemoryServiceNotAvailable=The required DSF memory service is not available.
 Err_MemoryReadFailed=Error reading memory block
 Err_MemoryWriteFailed=Error writing memory block