diff --git a/src/core/org/luaj/vm2/LuaTable.java b/src/core/org/luaj/vm2/LuaTable.java
index c2148b84..054d953d 100644
--- a/src/core/org/luaj/vm2/LuaTable.java
+++ b/src/core/org/luaj/vm2/LuaTable.java
@@ -898,6 +898,11 @@ public class LuaTable extends LuaValue implements Metatable {
 
 	/** Unpack the elements from i to j inclusive */
 	public Varargs unpack(int i, int j) {
+		if (j < i) return NONE;
+		int count = j - i;
+		if (count < 0) throw new LuaError("too many results to unpack: greater " + Integer.MAX_VALUE); // integer overflow
+		int max = 0x00ffffff;
+		if (count >= max) throw new LuaError("too many results to unpack: " + count + " (max is " + max + ')');
 		int n = j + 1 - i;
 		switch (n) {
 		case 0: return NONE;
@@ -906,10 +911,14 @@ public class LuaTable extends LuaValue implements Metatable {
 		default:
 			if (n < 0)
 				return NONE;
-			LuaValue[] v = new LuaValue[n];
-			while (--n >= 0)
-				v[n] = get(i+n);
-			return varargsOf(v);
+			try {
+				LuaValue[] v = new LuaValue[n];
+				while (--n >= 0)
+					v[n] = get(i+n);
+				return varargsOf(v);
+			} catch (OutOfMemoryError e) {
+				throw new LuaError("too many results to unpack [out of memory]: " + n);
+			}
 		}
 	}