diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/CommandLineOptionsParser.java b/core/src/main/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/CommandLineOptionsParser.java
index fe27840b7..35e5a8e00 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/CommandLineOptionsParser.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/CommandLineOptionsParser.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 package com.google.googlejavaformat.java;
 
+import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkArgument;
 import static java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets.UTF_8;
 
 import com.google.common.base.CharMatcher;
@@ -93,10 +94,11 @@ static CommandLineOptions parse(Iterable<String> options) {
         case "--skip-reordering-modifiers" -> optionsBuilder.reorderModifiers(false);
         case "--max-line-length" -> {
           int length = parseInteger(it, flag, value);
-          if (length <= 0) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException(
-                String.format("invalid max-line-length: %d (must be positive)", length));
-          }
+          checkArgument(
+              length > 0 && length <= JavaFormatterOptions.Style.MAX_LINE_LENGTH_LIMIT,
+              "invalid max-line-length: %s (must be between 1 and %s)",
+              length,
+              JavaFormatterOptions.Style.MAX_LINE_LENGTH_LIMIT);
           styleBuilder.maxLineLength(length);
         }
         case "-" -> optionsBuilder.stdin(true);
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/JavaFormatterOptions.java b/core/src/main/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/JavaFormatterOptions.java
index c2cdf3d03..65fcce4eb 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/JavaFormatterOptions.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/JavaFormatterOptions.java
@@ -14,11 +14,13 @@
 
 package com.google.googlejavaformat.java;
 
+import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkArgument;
 import static java.util.Objects.requireNonNull;
 
 import com.google.auto.value.AutoBuilder;
 import com.google.errorprone.annotations.CanIgnoreReturnValue;
 import com.google.errorprone.annotations.Immutable;
+import com.google.googlejavaformat.Doc;
 
 /**
  * Options for a google-java-format invocation.
@@ -43,13 +45,21 @@ public record JavaFormatterOptions(boolean formatJavadoc, boolean reorderModifie
   public record Style(
       int indentationMultiplier, int maxLineLength, boolean useTabs, ImportOrder importOrder) {
     public Style {
-      if (maxLineLength <= 0) {
-        throw new IllegalArgumentException(
-            String.format("maxLineLength must be positive, was: %d", maxLineLength));
-      }
+      checkArgument(
+          maxLineLength > 0 && maxLineLength <= MAX_LINE_LENGTH_LIMIT,
+          "maxLineLength must be between 1 and %s, was: %s",
+          MAX_LINE_LENGTH_LIMIT,
+          maxLineLength);
       requireNonNull(importOrder, "importOrder");
     }
 
+    /**
+     * The largest supported {@link #maxLineLength}. Layout widths saturate at {@link
+     * Doc#MAX_LINE_WIDTH}, which is also how forced breaks are represented, so the line length must
+     * be smaller than that.
+     */
+    static final int MAX_LINE_LENGTH_LIMIT = Doc.MAX_LINE_WIDTH - 1;
+
     /** The default Google Java Style configuration. */
     public static final Style GOOGLE = builder().google().build();
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/Main.java b/core/src/main/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/Main.java
index 5efa2d185..19165b24a 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/Main.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/Main.java
@@ -278,9 +278,6 @@ static CommandLineOptions processArgs(String... args) throws UsageException {
     if (parameters.dryRun() && parameters.inPlace()) {
       throw new UsageException("cannot use --dry-run and --in-place at the same time");
     }
-    if (parameters.maxLineLength() <= 0) {
-      throw new UsageException("--max-line-length must be positive");
-    }
     return parameters;
   }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/CommandLineOptionsParserTest.java b/core/src/test/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/CommandLineOptionsParserTest.java
index 4ed61d1b4..d28ee9f3c 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/CommandLineOptionsParserTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/CommandLineOptionsParserTest.java
@@ -249,18 +249,34 @@ public void maxLineLength() {
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void maxLineLengthNonPositive() {
+  public void maxLineLengthOutOfRange() {
     IllegalArgumentException e =
         assertThrows(
             IllegalArgumentException.class,
             () -> CommandLineOptionsParser.parse(Arrays.asList("--max-line-length=0")));
-    assertThat(e).hasMessageThat().contains("invalid max-line-length: 0 (must be positive)");
+    assertThat(e)
+        .hasMessageThat()
+        .contains("invalid max-line-length: 0 (must be between 1 and 999)");
 
     e =
         assertThrows(
             IllegalArgumentException.class,
             () -> CommandLineOptionsParser.parse(Arrays.asList("--max-line-length=-1")));
-    assertThat(e).hasMessageThat().contains("invalid max-line-length: -1 (must be positive)");
+    assertThat(e)
+        .hasMessageThat()
+        .contains("invalid max-line-length: -1 (must be between 1 and 999)");
+
+    e =
+        assertThrows(
+            IllegalArgumentException.class,
+            () -> CommandLineOptionsParser.parse(Arrays.asList("--max-line-length=1000")));
+    assertThat(e)
+        .hasMessageThat()
+        .contains("invalid max-line-length: 1000 (must be between 1 and 999)");
+
+    assertThat(
+            CommandLineOptionsParser.parse(Arrays.asList("--max-line-length=999")).maxLineLength())
+        .isEqualTo(999);
   }
 
   @Test
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/FormatterTest.java b/core/src/test/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/FormatterTest.java
index 7414e4e50..71a286f50 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/FormatterTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/com/google/googlejavaformat/java/FormatterTest.java
@@ -851,15 +851,22 @@ public void maxLineLengthExactBoundary() throws Exception {
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void maxLineLengthNonPositive() {
+  public void maxLineLengthOutOfRange() {
     IllegalArgumentException e =
         assertThrows(
             IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> Style.builder().maxLineLength(0).build());
-    assertThat(e).hasMessageThat().contains("maxLineLength must be positive, was: 0");
+    assertThat(e).hasMessageThat().contains("maxLineLength must be between 1 and 999, was: 0");
 
     e =
         assertThrows(
             IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> Style.builder().maxLineLength(-1).build());
-    assertThat(e).hasMessageThat().contains("maxLineLength must be positive, was: -1");
+    assertThat(e).hasMessageThat().contains("maxLineLength must be between 1 and 999, was: -1");
+
+    e =
+        assertThrows(
+            IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> Style.builder().maxLineLength(1000).build());
+    assertThat(e).hasMessageThat().contains("maxLineLength must be between 1 and 999, was: 1000");
+
+    assertThat(Style.builder().maxLineLength(999).build().maxLineLength()).isEqualTo(999);
   }
 }