diff --git a/java/com/google/flatbuffers/ArrayReadWriteBuf.java b/java/com/google/flatbuffers/ArrayReadWriteBuf.java
index 38412e557..b7573d6e1 100644
--- a/java/com/google/flatbuffers/ArrayReadWriteBuf.java
+++ b/java/com/google/flatbuffers/ArrayReadWriteBuf.java
@@ -234,12 +234,18 @@ public class ArrayReadWriteBuf implements ReadWriteBuf {
 
   @Override
   public boolean requestCapacity(int capacity) {
-    if (buffer.length > capacity) {
+    if (capacity < 0) {
+      throw new IllegalArgumentException("Capacity may not be negative (likely a previous int overflow)");
+    }
+    if (buffer.length >= capacity) {
       return true;
     }
     // implemented in the same growing fashion as ArrayList
     int oldCapacity = buffer.length;
     int newCapacity = oldCapacity + (oldCapacity >> 1);
+    if (newCapacity < capacity) {  // Note: this also catches newCapacity int overflow
+      newCapacity = capacity;
+    }
     buffer = Arrays.copyOf(buffer, newCapacity);
     return true;
   }
diff --git a/tests/JavaTest.java b/tests/JavaTest.java
index a0dead964..39c773345 100644
--- a/tests/JavaTest.java
+++ b/tests/JavaTest.java
@@ -1022,13 +1022,14 @@ class JavaTest {
 
     public static void testBuilderGrowth() {
         FlexBuffersBuilder builder = new FlexBuffersBuilder();
-        builder.putString("This is a small string");
+        String someString = "This is a small string";
+        builder.putString(someString);
         ByteBuffer b = builder.finish();
-        TestEq("This is a small string", FlexBuffers.getRoot(b).asString());
+        TestEq(someString, FlexBuffers.getRoot(b).asString());
 
         FlexBuffersBuilder failBuilder = new FlexBuffersBuilder(ByteBuffer.allocate(1));
         try {
-            failBuilder.putString("This is a small string");
+            failBuilder.putString(someString);
             // This should never be reached, it should throw an exception
             // since ByteBuffers do not grow
             assert(false);
@@ -1224,4 +1225,5 @@ class JavaTest {
             System.exit(1);
         }
     }
+
 }