diff --git a/Create.c b/Create.c
index 2e3d723..6349f86 100644
--- a/Create.c
+++ b/Create.c
@@ -387,14 +387,14 @@ int Create(struct supertype *st, char *mddev,
 			if (strcmp(st->ss->name, "1.x") == 0 &&
 			    st->minor_version >= 1)
 				/* metadata at front */
-				warn |= check_partitions(fd, dname, 0);
+				warn |= check_partitions(fd, dname, 0, 0);
 			else if (level == 1 || level == LEVEL_CONTAINER
 				    || (level == 0 && raiddisks == 1))
 				/* partitions could be meaningful */
-				warn |= check_partitions(fd, dname, freesize*2);
+				warn |= check_partitions(fd, dname, freesize*2, size*2);
 			else
 				/* partitions cannot be meaningful */
-				warn |= check_partitions(fd, dname, 0);
+				warn |= check_partitions(fd, dname, 0, 0);
 			if (strcmp(st->ss->name, "1.x") == 0 &&
 			    st->minor_version >= 1 &&
 			    did_default &&
diff --git a/mdadm.h b/mdadm.h
index fa84ad2..d3ed50a 100644
--- a/mdadm.h
+++ b/mdadm.h
@@ -1079,7 +1079,9 @@ extern int parse_layout_faulty(char *layout);
 extern int check_ext2(int fd, char *name);
 extern int check_reiser(int fd, char *name);
 extern int check_raid(int fd, char *name);
-extern int check_partitions(int fd, char *dname, unsigned long long freesize);
+extern int check_partitions(int fd, char *dname,
+			    unsigned long long freesize,
+			    unsigned long long size);
 
 extern int get_mdp_major(void);
 extern int dev_open(char *dev, int flags);
diff --git a/util.c b/util.c
index c22bb3b..cc6ccb4 100644
--- a/util.c
+++ b/util.c
@@ -1370,7 +1370,8 @@ static int get_last_partition_end(int fd, unsigned long long *endofpart)
 	return retval;
 }
 
-int check_partitions(int fd, char *dname, unsigned long long freesize)
+int check_partitions(int fd, char *dname, unsigned long long freesize,
+			unsigned long long size)
 {
 	/*
 	 * Check where the last partition ends
@@ -1393,6 +1394,12 @@ int check_partitions(int fd, char *dname, unsigned long long freesize)
 				Name ": metadata will over-write last partition on %s.\n",
 				dname);
 			return 1;
+		} else if (size && endofpart > size) {
+			/* partitions will be truncated in new device */
+			fprintf(stderr,
+				Name ": array size is too small to cover all partitions on %s.\n",
+				dname);
+			return 1;
 		}
 	}
 	return 0;