diff --git a/phpseclib/Net/SFTP.php b/phpseclib/Net/SFTP.php
index 4aa44613..c44f3066 100644
--- a/phpseclib/Net/SFTP.php
+++ b/phpseclib/Net/SFTP.php
@@ -310,6 +310,21 @@ class Net_SFTP extends Net_SSH2
      */
     var $preserveTime = false;
 
+    /**
+     * Arbitrary Length Packets Flag
+     *
+     * Determines whether or not packets of any length should be allowed,
+     * in cases where the server chooses the packet length (such as
+     * directory listings). By default, packets are only allowed to be
+     * 256 * 1024 bytes (SFTP_MAX_MSG_LENGTH from OpenSSH's sftp-common.h)
+     *
+     * @see self::enableArbitraryLengthPackets()
+     * @see self::_get_sftp_packet()
+     * @var bool
+     * @access private
+     */
+    var $allow_arbitrary_length_packets = false;
+
     /**
      * Was the last packet due to the channels being closed or not?
      *
@@ -703,6 +718,16 @@ class Net_SFTP extends Net_SSH2
         $this->canonicalize_paths = true;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Enable arbitrary length packets
+     *
+     * @access public
+     */
+    function enableArbitraryLengthPackets()
+    {
+        $this->allow_arbitrary_length_packets = true;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Enable path canonicalization
      *
@@ -3187,7 +3212,7 @@ class Net_SFTP extends Net_SSH2
 
 
         // 256 * 1024 is what SFTP_MAX_MSG_LENGTH is set to in OpenSSH's sftp-common.h
-        if (!$this->use_request_id && $tempLength > 256 * 1024) {
+        if (!$this->allow_arbitrary_length_packets &&!$this->use_request_id && $tempLength > 256 * 1024) {
             user_error('Invalid SFTP packet size');
             return false;
         }