diff --git a/akka-http-core/src/main/resources/reference.conf b/akka-http-core/src/main/resources/reference.conf
index 2173c7ec21..4cd7e35465 100644
--- a/akka-http-core/src/main/resources/reference.conf
+++ b/akka-http-core/src/main/resources/reference.conf
@@ -196,10 +196,17 @@ akka.http {
     max-header-name-length     = 64
     max-header-value-length    = 8k
     max-header-count           = 64
-    max-content-length         = 8m
     max-chunk-ext-length       = 256
     max-chunk-size             = 1m
 
+    # Maximum content length which should not be exceeded by incoming HttpRequests.
+    # For file uploads which use the entityBytes Source of an incoming HttpRequest it is safe to
+    # set this to a very high value (or to `infinite` if feeling very adventurous) as the streaming
+    # upload will be back-pressured properly by Akka Streams.
+    # Please note however that this setting is a global property, and is applied to all incoming requests,
+    # not only file uploads consumed in a streaming fashion, so pick this limit wisely.
+    max-content-length         = 8m
+
     # Sets the strictness mode for parsing request target URIs.
     # The following values are defined:
     #
diff --git a/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/ParserSettings.scala b/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/ParserSettings.scala
index 63e424b4b4..99b74b19a6 100644
--- a/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/ParserSettings.scala
+++ b/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/ParserSettings.scala
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ object ParserSettings extends SettingsCompanion[ParserSettings]("akka.http.parsi
       c getIntBytes "max-header-name-length",
       c getIntBytes "max-header-value-length",
       c getIntBytes "max-header-count",
-      c getBytes "max-content-length",
+      c getPossiblyInfiniteBytes "max-content-length",
       c getIntBytes "max-chunk-ext-length",
       c getIntBytes "max-chunk-size",
       Uri.ParsingMode(c getString "uri-parsing-mode"),
diff --git a/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/impl/util/EnhancedConfig.scala b/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/impl/util/EnhancedConfig.scala
index 09cb967eea..6ba6263783 100644
--- a/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/impl/util/EnhancedConfig.scala
+++ b/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/impl/util/EnhancedConfig.scala
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ private[http] class EnhancedConfig(val underlying: Config) extends AnyVal {
     case x          ⇒ getIntBytes(path)
   }
 
-  def getPossiblyInfiniteLongBytes(path: String): Long = underlying.getString(path) match {
+  def getPossiblyInfiniteBytes(path: String): Long = underlying.getString(path) match {
     case "infinite" ⇒ Long.MaxValue
-    case x          ⇒ getIntBytes(path)
+    case x          ⇒ underlying.getBytes(path)
   }
 }