diff --git a/include/xkbcommon/xkbcommon-compose.h b/include/xkbcommon/xkbcommon-compose.h
index b28e4f843..69b258d27 100644
--- a/include/xkbcommon/xkbcommon-compose.h
+++ b/include/xkbcommon/xkbcommon-compose.h
@@ -614,6 +614,13 @@ int
 xkb_compose_state_get_utf8(struct xkb_compose_state *state,
                            char *buffer, size_t size);
 
+/**
+ * Maximum size of the string returned by xkb_compose_state_get_utf8().
+ *
+ * @memberof xkb_compose_state
+ */
+#define XKB_COMPOSE_MAX_STRING_SIZE 256
+
 /**
  * Get the result keysym for a composed sequence.
  *
diff --git a/src/compose/parser.c b/src/compose/parser.c
index a34d10b76..7b677316d 100644
--- a/src/compose/parser.c
+++ b/src/compose/parser.c
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ struct production {
     xkb_keysym_t lhs[MAX_LHS_LEN];
     unsigned int len;
     xkb_keysym_t keysym;
-    char string[256];
+    char string[XKB_COMPOSE_MAX_STRING_SIZE];
     /* At least one of these is true. */
     bool has_keysym;
     bool has_string;
@@ -687,8 +687,10 @@ lhs_mod_list_tok: {
             scanner_warn(s, "right-hand side string must not be empty; skipping line");
             goto skip;
         }
-        if (val.string.len >= sizeof(production.string)) {
-            scanner_warn(s, "right-hand side string is too long; skipping line");
+        if (val.string.len > sizeof(production.string)) {
+            scanner_warn(s,
+                         "right-hand side string is too long: expected max: %d, got: %d; "
+                         "skipping line", (int)sizeof(production.string) - 1, (int)val.string.len);
             goto skip;
         }
         strcpy(production.string, val.string.str);
diff --git a/test/compose.c b/test/compose.c
index 7092989ed..a455bc1e8 100644
--- a/test/compose.c
+++ b/test/compose.c
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ test_compose_seq_va(struct xkb_compose_table *table, va_list ap)
 {
     int ret;
     struct xkb_compose_state *state;
-    char buffer[XKB_KEYSYM_NAME_MAX_SIZE];
+    char buffer[MAX(XKB_COMPOSE_MAX_STRING_SIZE, XKB_KEYSYM_NAME_MAX_SIZE)];
 
     state = xkb_compose_state_new(table, XKB_COMPOSE_STATE_NO_FLAGS);
     assert(state);
@@ -772,6 +772,27 @@ test_traverse(struct xkb_context *ctx)
     xkb_compose_table_unref(table);
 }
 
+static void
+test_string_length(struct xkb_context *ctx)
+{
+    // Invalid: empty string
+    const char table_string_1[] = "<a> <b> : \"\" X\n";
+    assert(test_compose_seq_buffer(ctx, table_string_1,
+        XKB_KEY_a, XKB_COMPOSE_FEED_ACCEPTED, XKB_COMPOSE_COMPOSING, "", XKB_KEY_NoSymbol,
+        XKB_KEY_b, XKB_COMPOSE_FEED_ACCEPTED, XKB_COMPOSE_COMPOSED,  "", XKB_KEY_X,
+        XKB_KEY_NoSymbol));
+
+    char long_string[XKB_COMPOSE_MAX_STRING_SIZE] = { 0 };
+    memset(long_string, 0x61, XKB_COMPOSE_MAX_STRING_SIZE - 1);
+    char table_string_2[XKB_COMPOSE_MAX_STRING_SIZE + sizeof(table_string_1) - 1];
+    assert(snprintf_safe(table_string_2, sizeof(table_string_2),
+                         "<a> <b> : \"%s\" X\n", long_string));
+    assert(test_compose_seq_buffer(ctx, table_string_2,
+        XKB_KEY_a, XKB_COMPOSE_FEED_ACCEPTED, XKB_COMPOSE_COMPOSING, "",          XKB_KEY_NoSymbol,
+        XKB_KEY_b, XKB_COMPOSE_FEED_ACCEPTED, XKB_COMPOSE_COMPOSED,  long_string, XKB_KEY_X,
+        XKB_KEY_NoSymbol));
+}
+
 static void
 test_decode_escape_sequences(struct xkb_context *ctx)
 {
@@ -935,6 +956,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
     test_include(ctx);
     test_override(ctx);
     test_traverse(ctx);
+    test_string_length(ctx);
     test_decode_escape_sequences(ctx);
     test_encode_escape_sequences(ctx);
 
diff --git a/tools/tools-common.c b/tools/tools-common.c
index 09045d309..5473eddfa 100644
--- a/tools/tools-common.c
+++ b/tools/tools-common.c
@@ -156,9 +156,7 @@ tools_print_keycode_state(char *prefix,
     xkb_keysym_t sym;
     const xkb_keysym_t *syms;
     int nsyms;
-    // FIXME: this buffer is used for xkb_compose_state_get_utf8,
-    // which can have a length up to 256. Need to import this constant from compose.
-    char s[MAX(16, XKB_KEYSYM_NAME_MAX_SIZE)];
+    char s[MAX(XKB_COMPOSE_MAX_STRING_SIZE, XKB_KEYSYM_NAME_MAX_SIZE)];
     xkb_layout_index_t layout;
     enum xkb_compose_status status;