Troubleshooting·2024-03-05·4 min read

MySQL Error 1153: Got a Packet Bigger Than 'max_allowed_packet'

Your import fails with ERROR 1153. Here's why it happens and how to fix it without server access.

ERROR 1153 means MySQL received a statement larger than it allows. Imports die mid‑way, often on big INSERT blocks.

Why this happens

MySQL limits the size of a single statement. Large dumps often contain huge INSERT statements that exceed max_allowed_packet.

Splitting reduces statement size and avoids packet limits. See also: MySQL max_allowed_packet Error: What It Means and How to Fix It.

Split your SQL dump

Break huge INSERTs into safe chunks.

No. Splitting the dump avoids oversized statements without changing server settings.

Start with 10–20MB chunks for phpMyAdmin or shared hosting.

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