diff --git a/kernel/params.c b/kernel/params.c
index 1d6aca288cdcb078ed5a3a6790d9f532f98d8f88..16f269e9ddc9b7d4ed129f98f0deac4965b87507 100644
--- a/kernel/params.c
+++ b/kernel/params.c
@@ -592,11 +592,17 @@ static void __init param_sysfs_builtin(void)
 
 	for (i=0; i < __stop___param - __start___param; i++) {
 		char *dot;
+		size_t kplen;
 
 		kp = &__start___param[i];
+		kplen = strlen(kp->name);
 
 		/* We do not handle args without periods. */
-		dot = memchr(kp->name, '.', MAX_KBUILD_MODNAME);
+		if (kplen > MAX_KBUILD_MODNAME) {
+			DEBUGP("kernel parameter name is too long: %s\n", kp->name);
+			continue;
+		}
+		dot = memchr(kp->name, '.', kplen);
 		if (!dot) {
 			DEBUGP("couldn't find period in %s\n", kp->name);
 			continue;