diff --git a/app/__init__.py b/app/__init__.py
index 7169dcd27..c3d48752c 100644
--- a/app/__init__.py
+++ b/app/__init__.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ from notifications_utils.clients.encryption.encryption_client import Encryption
 from notifications_utils import logging, request_helper
 from sqlalchemy import event
 from werkzeug.exceptions import HTTPException as WerkzeugHTTPException
+from werkzeug.exceptions import RequestEntityTooLarge as WerkzeugRequestEntityTooLarge
 from werkzeug.local import LocalProxy
 
 from app.celery.celery import NotifyCelery
@@ -281,6 +282,15 @@ def init_app(app):
         g.start = monotonic()
         g.endpoint = request.endpoint
 
+    @app.before_request
+    def check_content_length():
+        if (
+            request.content_length is not None
+            and current_app.config['MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH'] is not None
+            and request.content_length > current_app.config['MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH']
+        ):
+            raise WerkzeugRequestEntityTooLarge()
+
     @app.after_request
     def after_request(response):
         CONCURRENT_REQUESTS.dec()
diff --git a/tests/app/test_request_size.py b/tests/app/test_request_size.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..650a181c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/app/test_request_size.py
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import pytest
+import json
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('endpoint, max_content_length, expected_status_code', [
+    ("/_status", 5*1024*1024, 413),
+    ("/provider-details", 5*1024*1024, 413),
+    ("/v2/notifications/email", 5*1024*1024, 413),
+
+    ("/_status", None, 200),
+    ("/provider-details", None, 405),
+    ("/v2/notifications/email", None, 401),
+])
+def test_request_status_when_content_length_is_set(
+    notify_api,
+    sample_email_template_with_placeholders,
+    mocker,
+    endpoint,
+    max_content_length,
+    expected_status_code):
+
+    notify_api.config['MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH'] = max_content_length
+    large_name = "J" * (max_content_length or 1 + 1)
+    data = {
+        'email_address': 'ok@ok.com',
+        'template_id': str(sample_email_template_with_placeholders.id),
+        'personalisation': {
+            'name': large_name
+        }
+    }
+    with notify_api.test_client() as client:
+        response = client.post(
+            path=endpoint,
+            data=json.dumps(data),
+            headers=[('Content-Type', 'application/json')])
+
+        assert response.status_code == expected_status_code