diff --git a/lib/format_text/export.c b/lib/format_text/export.c
index 6ece94042..fbb8fb1ee 100644
--- a/lib/format_text/export.c
+++ b/lib/format_text/export.c
@@ -1071,7 +1071,7 @@ size_t text_vg_export_raw(struct volume_group *vg, const char *desc, char **buf,
 		.header = 0,
 		.out_with_comment = &_out_with_comment_raw,
 		.nl = &_nl_raw,
-		.data.buf.size = 65536,	/* Initial metadata limit */
+		.data.buf.size = vg->buffer_size_hint + 16384,	/* Initial metadata limit */
 	};
 
 	_init();
diff --git a/lib/format_text/import.c b/lib/format_text/import.c
index 2687d172e..e4e526354 100644
--- a/lib/format_text/import.c
+++ b/lib/format_text/import.c
@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ struct volume_group *text_read_metadata(struct format_instance *fid,
 
 		(*vsn)->read_desc(vg->vgmem, cft, when, desc);
 		vg->committed_cft = cft; /* Reuse CFT for recreation of committed VG */
+		vg->buffer_size_hint = size + size2;
 		cft = NULL;
 		break;
 	}
diff --git a/lib/metadata/vg.h b/lib/metadata/vg.h
index 8ce57acdc..96ab6a0b2 100644
--- a/lib/metadata/vg.h
+++ b/lib/metadata/vg.h
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ struct volume_group {
 	unsigned needs_backup : 1;
 	unsigned needs_write_and_commit : 1;
 	uint32_t write_count; /* count the number of vg_write calls */
+	uint32_t buffer_size_hint; /* hint with buffer size of parsed VG */
 
 	/*
 	 * The parsed committed (on-disk) copy of this VG; is NULL if this VG is committed