diff --git a/graceful-fs.js b/graceful-fs.js
index 8d5b89e..52d6428 100644
--- a/graceful-fs.js
+++ b/graceful-fs.js
@@ -93,6 +93,13 @@ if (!global[gracefulQueue]) {
   publishQueue(global, fs[gracefulQueue]);
 }
 
+// Node's writeFile/writeAll call the exported fs.write with the full
+// buffer length. fs.write rejects length > INT32_MAX (2GiB - 1), so
+// graceful-fs writeFile fails for buffers >= 2GiB while fs.promises
+// writeFile already chunks. Patch the real fs.write that writeAll uses.
+// See https://github.com/isaacs/node-graceful-fs/issues/256
+patchLargeWrites()
+
 module.exports = patch(clone(fs))
 if (process.env.TEST_GRACEFUL_FS_GLOBAL_PATCH && !fs.__patched) {
     module.exports = patch(fs)
@@ -446,3 +453,198 @@ function retry () {
     retryTimer = setTimeout(retry, 0)
   }
 }
+
+// uv_fs_write / fs.write take a signed 32-bit length.
+var MAX_WRITE = 2147483647
+
+function patchLargeWrites () {
+  if (typeof fs.write === 'function' &&
+      fs.write.toString().indexOf('chunk writes larger than INT32_MAX') === -1) {
+    fs.write = wrapWrite(fs.write)
+  }
+  if (typeof fs.writeSync === 'function' &&
+      fs.writeSync.toString().indexOf('chunk writes larger than INT32_MAX') === -1) {
+    fs.writeSync = wrapWriteSync(fs.writeSync)
+  }
+}
+
+function isBinaryWriteTarget (buffer) {
+  return buffer != null &&
+    typeof buffer !== 'string' &&
+    typeof buffer.byteLength === 'number'
+}
+
+function copyWriteSymbols (from, to) {
+  if (typeof Object.getOwnPropertySymbols !== 'function')
+    return
+  var symbols = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(from)
+  for (var i = 0; i < symbols.length; i++) {
+    var desc = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(from, symbols[i])
+    if (desc)
+      Object.defineProperty(to, symbols[i], desc)
+  }
+}
+
+function parseBinaryWrite (buffer, offset, length, position, callback) {
+  if (typeof offset === 'function') {
+    return {
+      offset: 0,
+      length: buffer.byteLength,
+      position: null,
+      cb: offset
+    }
+  }
+  if (typeof length === 'function') {
+    var off1 = typeof offset === 'number' ? offset : 0
+    return {
+      offset: off1,
+      length: buffer.byteLength - off1,
+      position: null,
+      cb: length
+    }
+  }
+  var off = typeof offset === 'number' ? offset : 0
+  var len = typeof length === 'number' ? length : buffer.byteLength - off
+  if (typeof position === 'function') {
+    return {
+      offset: off,
+      length: len,
+      position: null,
+      cb: position
+    }
+  }
+  return {
+    offset: off,
+    length: len,
+    position: typeof position === 'number' ? position : null,
+    cb: callback
+  }
+}
+
+function writeLarge (writeFn, fd, buffer, offset, length, position, callback) {
+  var remaining = length
+  var bufOffset = offset
+  var filePos = position
+  var total = 0
+
+  function onWrite (er, written) {
+    if (er) {
+      if (typeof callback === 'function')
+        callback(er, total, buffer)
+      return
+    }
+    written = written || 0
+    total += written
+    remaining -= written
+    bufOffset += written
+    if (typeof filePos === 'number')
+      filePos += written
+    if (remaining <= 0) {
+      if (typeof callback === 'function')
+        callback(null, total, buffer)
+      return
+    }
+    if (written === 0) {
+      if (typeof callback === 'function')
+        callback(null, total, buffer)
+      return
+    }
+    doWrite()
+  }
+
+  function doWrite () {
+    var chunk = remaining > MAX_WRITE ? MAX_WRITE : remaining
+    writeFn.call(fs, fd, buffer, bufOffset, chunk, filePos, onWrite)
+  }
+
+  doWrite()
+}
+
+function writeLargeSync (writeFn, fd, buffer, offset, length, position) {
+  var remaining = length
+  var bufOffset = offset
+  var filePos = position
+  var total = 0
+  while (remaining > 0) {
+    var chunk = remaining > MAX_WRITE ? MAX_WRITE : remaining
+    var written = writeFn.call(fs, fd, buffer, bufOffset, chunk, filePos)
+    written = written || 0
+    total += written
+    remaining -= written
+    bufOffset += written
+    if (typeof filePos === 'number')
+      filePos += written
+    if (written === 0)
+      break
+  }
+  return total
+}
+
+function wrapWrite (fs$write) {
+  function write (fd, buffer, offset, length, position, callback) {
+    // graceful-fs: chunk writes larger than INT32_MAX
+    if (isBinaryWriteTarget(buffer)) {
+      if (offset !== null && typeof offset === 'object') {
+        var cbOpt = length
+        if (typeof cbOpt === 'function') {
+          var ooff = typeof offset.offset === 'number' ? offset.offset : 0
+          var olen = typeof offset.length === 'number' ? offset.length : buffer.byteLength - ooff
+          var opos = typeof offset.position === 'number' ? offset.position : null
+          if (olen > MAX_WRITE) {
+            return writeLarge(fs$write, fd, buffer, ooff, olen, opos, cbOpt)
+          }
+        }
+      } else {
+        var parsed = parseBinaryWrite(buffer, offset, length, position, callback)
+        if (parsed.length > MAX_WRITE && typeof parsed.cb === 'function') {
+          return writeLarge(fs$write, fd, buffer, parsed.offset, parsed.length, parsed.position, parsed.cb)
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    return fs$write.apply(this, arguments)
+  }
+
+  if (Object.setPrototypeOf)
+    Object.setPrototypeOf(write, fs$write)
+  copyWriteSymbols(fs$write, write)
+  if (previousSymbol) {
+    Object.defineProperty(write, previousSymbol, {
+      value: fs$write
+    })
+  }
+  return write
+}
+
+function wrapWriteSync (fs$writeSync) {
+  function writeSync (fd, buffer, offset, length, position) {
+    // graceful-fs: chunk writes larger than INT32_MAX
+    if (isBinaryWriteTarget(buffer)) {
+      if (offset !== null && typeof offset === 'object') {
+        var ooff = typeof offset.offset === 'number' ? offset.offset : 0
+        var olen = typeof offset.length === 'number' ? offset.length : buffer.byteLength - ooff
+        var opos = typeof offset.position === 'number' ? offset.position : null
+        if (olen > MAX_WRITE) {
+          return writeLargeSync(fs$writeSync, fd, buffer, ooff, olen, opos)
+        }
+      } else {
+        var off = typeof offset === 'number' ? offset : 0
+        var len = typeof length === 'number' ? length : buffer.byteLength - off
+        var pos = typeof position === 'number' ? position : null
+        if (len > MAX_WRITE) {
+          return writeLargeSync(fs$writeSync, fd, buffer, off, len, pos)
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    return fs$writeSync.apply(this, arguments)
+  }
+
+  if (Object.setPrototypeOf)
+    Object.setPrototypeOf(writeSync, fs$writeSync)
+  copyWriteSymbols(fs$writeSync, writeSync)
+  if (previousSymbol) {
+    Object.defineProperty(writeSync, previousSymbol, {
+      value: fs$writeSync
+    })
+  }
+  return writeSync
+}
diff --git a/test/write-large-buffer.js b/test/write-large-buffer.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..863c2b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/write-large-buffer.js
@@ -0,0 +1,158 @@
+'use strict'
+
+var fs = require('fs')
+var path = require('path')
+var t = require('tap')
+
+// Must wrap the exported fs.write that writeAll uses *before* loading
+// graceful-fs, so the chunking wrapper captures this spy.
+var INT32_MAX = 2147483647
+var writes = []
+
+function fakeWrite (fd, buffer, offset, length, position, cb) {
+  if (typeof position === 'function') {
+    cb = position
+    position = null
+  }
+  if (typeof length === 'function') {
+    cb = length
+    length = buffer.byteLength - (typeof offset === 'number' ? offset : 0)
+    position = null
+  }
+  if (typeof offset === 'function') {
+    cb = offset
+    offset = 0
+    length = buffer.byteLength
+    position = null
+  }
+  writes.push({
+    offset: offset,
+    length: length,
+    position: position
+  })
+  process.nextTick(function () {
+    cb(null, length, buffer)
+  })
+}
+
+function fakeWriteSync (fd, buffer, offset, length, position) {
+  if (typeof offset !== 'number')
+    offset = 0
+  if (typeof length !== 'number')
+    length = buffer.byteLength - offset
+  writes.push({
+    offset: offset,
+    length: length,
+    position: position,
+    sync: true
+  })
+  return length
+}
+
+fs.write = fakeWrite
+fs.writeSync = fakeWriteSync
+
+var gfs = require('../')
+
+t.test('write() does not chunk lengths at or below INT32_MAX', function (t) {
+  writes.length = 0
+  var buf = Buffer.alloc(16)
+  gfs.write(1, buf, 0, 16, null, function (err, written, buffer) {
+    t.error(err)
+    t.equal(written, 16)
+    t.equal(buffer, buf)
+    t.equal(writes.length, 1)
+    t.equal(writes[0].length, 16)
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('write() chunks length greater than INT32_MAX', function (t) {
+  writes.length = 0
+  var buf = Buffer.alloc(8)
+  gfs.write(1, buf, 0, INT32_MAX + 1, null, function (err, written, buffer) {
+    t.error(err)
+    t.equal(written, INT32_MAX + 1)
+    t.equal(buffer, buf)
+    t.equal(writes.length, 2)
+    t.equal(writes[0].offset, 0)
+    t.equal(writes[0].length, INT32_MAX)
+    t.equal(writes[1].offset, INT32_MAX)
+    t.equal(writes[1].length, 1)
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('write() 5-arg form chunks length greater than INT32_MAX', function (t) {
+  writes.length = 0
+  var buf = Buffer.alloc(8)
+  gfs.write(1, buf, 0, INT32_MAX + 5, function (err, written) {
+    t.error(err)
+    t.equal(written, INT32_MAX + 5)
+    t.equal(writes.length, 2)
+    t.equal(writes[0].length, INT32_MAX)
+    t.equal(writes[1].offset, INT32_MAX)
+    t.equal(writes[1].length, 5)
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('write() options form chunks length greater than INT32_MAX', function (t) {
+  writes.length = 0
+  var buf = Buffer.alloc(8)
+  gfs.write(1, buf, { offset: 0, length: INT32_MAX + 1, position: null }, function (err, written) {
+    t.error(err)
+    t.equal(written, INT32_MAX + 1)
+    t.equal(writes.length, 2)
+    t.equal(writes[0].length, INT32_MAX)
+    t.equal(writes[1].length, 1)
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('writeSync() chunks length greater than INT32_MAX', function (t) {
+  writes.length = 0
+  var buf = Buffer.alloc(8)
+  var written = gfs.writeSync(1, buf, 0, INT32_MAX + 1)
+  t.equal(written, INT32_MAX + 1)
+  t.equal(writes.length, 2)
+  t.equal(writes[0].length, INT32_MAX)
+  t.equal(writes[0].sync, true)
+  t.equal(writes[1].length, 1)
+  t.end()
+})
+
+t.test('string write is not treated as a large binary write', function (t) {
+  writes.length = 0
+  gfs.write(1, 'hello', null, 'utf8', function (err) {
+    t.error(err)
+    t.equal(writes.length, 1)
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('writeFile does not pass length > INT32_MAX to write', function (t) {
+  var buf
+  try {
+    buf = Buffer.allocUnsafe(INT32_MAX + 1)
+  } catch (er) {
+    t.skip('cannot allocate 2GiB buffer: ' + er.message)
+    return t.end()
+  }
+
+  writes.length = 0
+  var file = path.join(t.testdir({}), 'large')
+  gfs.writeFile(file, buf, function (err) {
+    t.error(err)
+    t.ok(writes.length >= 2, 'split into multiple writes, got ' + writes.length)
+    for (var i = 0; i < writes.length; i++) {
+      t.ok(
+        writes[i].length <= INT32_MAX,
+        'chunk ' + i + ' length ' + writes[i].length + ' <= INT32_MAX'
+      )
+    }
+    var total = writes.reduce(function (sum, w) { return sum + w.length }, 0)
+    t.equal(total, INT32_MAX + 1)
+    t.end()
+  })
+})