diff --git a/src/libopensc/iso7816.c b/src/libopensc/iso7816.c
index 600d3dc5..4defc7f0 100644
--- a/src/libopensc/iso7816.c
+++ b/src/libopensc/iso7816.c
@@ -29,6 +29,43 @@
 #include "asn1.h"
 #include "iso7816.h"
 
+
+static void fixup_transceive_length(const struct sc_card *card,
+	   	struct sc_apdu *apdu)
+{
+	size_t max_send_size;
+	size_t max_recv_size;
+
+	assert(card != NULL && apdu != NULL);
+
+	max_send_size = card->max_send_size;
+	max_recv_size = card->max_recv_size;
+
+	if (card->caps & SC_CARD_CAP_APDU_EXT) {
+		if (!max_send_size)
+			max_send_size = 65535;
+		if (!max_recv_size)
+			max_recv_size = 65536;
+	} else {
+		if (!max_send_size)
+			max_send_size = 255;
+		if (!max_recv_size)
+			max_recv_size = 256;
+	}
+
+	if (apdu->lc > max_send_size) {
+		/* The lower layers will automatically do chaining */
+		apdu->flags |= SC_APDU_FLAGS_CHAINING;
+	}
+
+	if (apdu->le > max_recv_size) {
+		/* The lower layers will automatically do a GET RESPONSE, if possible.
+		 * All other workarounds must be carried out by the upper layers. */
+		apdu->le = max_recv_size;
+	}
+}
+
+
 static const struct sc_card_error iso7816_errors[] = {
 	{ 0x6200, SC_ERROR_CARD_CMD_FAILED,	"Warning: no information given, non-volatile memory is unchanged" },
 	{ 0x6281, SC_ERROR_CORRUPTED_DATA,	"Part of returned data may be corrupted" },
@@ -121,12 +158,12 @@ iso7816_read_binary(struct sc_card *card, unsigned int idx, u8 *buf, size_t coun
 		return SC_ERROR_OFFSET_TOO_LARGE;
 	}
 
-	assert(count <= (card->max_recv_size > 0 ? card->max_recv_size : 256));
 	sc_format_apdu(card, &apdu, SC_APDU_CASE_2, 0xB0, (idx >> 8) & 0x7F, idx & 0xFF);
 	apdu.le = count;
 	apdu.resplen = count;
 	apdu.resp = buf;
 
+	fixup_transceive_length(card, &apdu);
 	r = sc_transmit_apdu(card, &apdu);
 	LOG_TEST_RET(ctx, r, "APDU transmit failed");
 	if (apdu.resplen == 0)
@@ -166,6 +203,7 @@ iso7816_read_record(struct sc_card *card,
 	apdu.resplen = count;
 	apdu.resp = buf;
 
+	fixup_transceive_length(card, &apdu);
 	r = sc_transmit_apdu(card, &apdu);
 	LOG_TEST_RET(card->ctx, r, "APDU transmit failed");
 	if (apdu.resplen == 0)
@@ -191,6 +229,7 @@ iso7816_write_record(struct sc_card *card, unsigned int rec_nr,
 	apdu.datalen = count;
 	apdu.data = buf;
 
+	fixup_transceive_length(card, &apdu);
 	r = sc_transmit_apdu(card, &apdu);
 	LOG_TEST_RET(card->ctx, r, "APDU transmit failed");
 	r = sc_check_sw(card, apdu.sw1, apdu.sw2);
@@ -214,6 +253,7 @@ iso7816_append_record(struct sc_card *card,
 	apdu.datalen = count;
 	apdu.data = buf;
 
+	fixup_transceive_length(card, &apdu);
 	r = sc_transmit_apdu(card, &apdu);
 	LOG_TEST_RET(card->ctx, r, "APDU transmit failed");
 	r = sc_check_sw(card, apdu.sw1, apdu.sw2);
@@ -239,6 +279,7 @@ iso7816_update_record(struct sc_card *card, unsigned int rec_nr,
 	apdu.datalen = count;
 	apdu.data = buf;
 
+	fixup_transceive_length(card, &apdu);
 	r = sc_transmit_apdu(card, &apdu);
 	LOG_TEST_RET(card->ctx, r, "APDU transmit failed");
 	r = sc_check_sw(card, apdu.sw1, apdu.sw2);
@@ -255,8 +296,6 @@ iso7816_write_binary(struct sc_card *card,
 	struct sc_apdu apdu;
 	int r;
 
-	assert(count <= (card->max_send_size > 0 ? card->max_send_size : 255));
-
 	if (idx > 0x7fff) {
 		sc_log(card->ctx, "invalid EF offset: 0x%X > 0x7FFF", idx);
 		return SC_ERROR_OFFSET_TOO_LARGE;
@@ -268,6 +307,7 @@ iso7816_write_binary(struct sc_card *card,
 	apdu.datalen = count;
 	apdu.data = buf;
 
+	fixup_transceive_length(card, &apdu);
 	r = sc_transmit_apdu(card, &apdu);
 	LOG_TEST_RET(card->ctx, r, "APDU transmit failed");
 	r = sc_check_sw(card, apdu.sw1, apdu.sw2);
@@ -284,8 +324,6 @@ iso7816_update_binary(struct sc_card *card,
 	struct sc_apdu apdu;
 	int r;
 
-	assert(count <= (card->max_send_size > 0 ? card->max_send_size : 255));
-
 	if (idx > 0x7fff) {
 		sc_log(card->ctx, "invalid EF offset: 0x%X > 0x7FFF", idx);
 		return SC_ERROR_OFFSET_TOO_LARGE;
@@ -296,6 +334,7 @@ iso7816_update_binary(struct sc_card *card,
 	apdu.datalen = count;
 	apdu.data = buf;
 
+	fixup_transceive_length(card, &apdu);
 	r = sc_transmit_apdu(card, &apdu);
 	LOG_TEST_RET(card->ctx, r, "APDU transmit failed");
 	r = sc_check_sw(card, apdu.sw1, apdu.sw2);
@@ -829,6 +868,8 @@ iso7816_compute_signature(struct sc_card *card,
 	apdu.data = data;
 	apdu.lc = datalen;
 	apdu.datalen = datalen;
+
+	fixup_transceive_length(card, &apdu);
 	r = sc_transmit_apdu(card, &apdu);
 	LOG_TEST_RET(card->ctx, r, "APDU transmit failed");
 	if (apdu.sw1 == 0x90 && apdu.sw2 == 0x00) {
@@ -864,19 +905,15 @@ iso7816_decipher(struct sc_card *card,
 	sc_format_apdu(card, &apdu, SC_APDU_CASE_4, 0x2A, 0x80, 0x86);
 	apdu.resp    = out;
 	apdu.resplen = outlen;
-	/* if less than 256 bytes are expected than set Le to 0x00
-	 * to tell the card the we want everything available (note: we
-	 * always have Le <= crgram_len) */
-	apdu.le      = (outlen >= 256 && crgram_len < 256) ? 256 : outlen;
-	/* Use APDU chaining with 2048bit RSA keys if the card does not do extended APDU-s */
-	if ((crgram_len+1 > 255) && !(card->caps & SC_CARD_CAP_APDU_EXT))
-		apdu.flags |= SC_APDU_FLAGS_CHAINING;
+	apdu.le      = outlen;
 
 	sbuf[0] = 0; /* padding indicator byte, 0x00 = No further indication */
 	memcpy(sbuf + 1, crgram, crgram_len);
 	apdu.data = sbuf;
 	apdu.lc = crgram_len + 1;
 	apdu.datalen = crgram_len + 1;
+
+	fixup_transceive_length(card, &apdu);
 	r = sc_transmit_apdu(card, &apdu);
 	sc_mem_clear(sbuf, crgram_len + 1);
 	free(sbuf);