diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index 1fec0cc..3281b1b 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -10,9 +10,6 @@ import (
 
 const (
 	defaultMaxByteSliceSize = 1_048_576 // 1 MiB
-	// Max allocation size for an array due to the limit in number of bits in a heap address:
-	// https://github.com/golang/go/blob/7f76c00fc5678fa782708ba8fece63750cb89d03/src/runtime/malloc.go#L183
-	maxAllocSize = int(1 << 48)
 )
 
 // DefaultConfig is the default API.
diff --git a/config_386.go b/config_386.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a168fd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config_386.go
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+package avro
+
+import "math"
+
+// Max allocation size for an array due to the limit in number of bits in a heap address:
+// https://github.com/golang/go/blob/7f76c00fc5678fa782708ba8fece63750cb89d03/src/runtime/malloc.go#L190
+// 32-bit systems accept the full 32bit address space
+const maxAllocSize = math.MaxInt
diff --git a/config_x64.go b/config_x64.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ee7fef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config_x64.go
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+//go:build !386
+
+package avro
+
+// Max allocation size for an array due to the limit in number of bits in a heap address:
+// https://github.com/golang/go/blob/7f76c00fc5678fa782708ba8fece63750cb89d03/src/runtime/malloc.go#L183
+const maxAllocSize = int(1 << 48)