diff --git a/lib/libnetlink.c b/lib/libnetlink.c
index be7ac865..1847c0be 100644
--- a/lib/libnetlink.c
+++ b/lib/libnetlink.c
@@ -402,6 +402,64 @@ static void rtnl_dump_error(const struct rtnl_handle *rth,
 	}
 }
 
+static int __rtnl_recvmsg(int fd, struct msghdr *msg, int flags)
+{
+	int len;
+
+	do {
+		len = recvmsg(fd, msg, flags);
+	} while (len < 0 && (errno == EINTR || errno == EAGAIN));
+
+	if (len < 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "netlink receive error %s (%d)\n",
+			strerror(errno), errno);
+		return -errno;
+	}
+
+	if (len == 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "EOF on netlink\n");
+		return -ENODATA;
+	}
+
+	return len;
+}
+
+static int rtnl_recvmsg(int fd, struct msghdr *msg, char **answer)
+{
+	struct iovec *iov = msg->msg_iov;
+	char *buf;
+	int len;
+
+	iov->iov_base = NULL;
+	iov->iov_len = 0;
+
+	len = __rtnl_recvmsg(fd, msg, MSG_PEEK | MSG_TRUNC);
+	if (len < 0)
+		return len;
+
+	buf = malloc(len);
+	if (!buf) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "malloc error: not enough buffer\n");
+		return -ENOMEM;
+	}
+
+	iov->iov_base = buf;
+	iov->iov_len = len;
+
+	len = __rtnl_recvmsg(fd, msg, 0);
+	if (len < 0) {
+		free(buf);
+		return len;
+	}
+
+	if (answer)
+		*answer = buf;
+	else
+		free(buf);
+
+	return len;
+}
+
 int rtnl_dump_filter_l(struct rtnl_handle *rth,
 		       const struct rtnl_dump_filter_arg *arg)
 {
@@ -413,31 +471,18 @@ int rtnl_dump_filter_l(struct rtnl_handle *rth,
 		.msg_iov = &iov,
 		.msg_iovlen = 1,
 	};
-	char buf[32768];
+	char *buf;
 	int dump_intr = 0;
 
-	iov.iov_base = buf;
 	while (1) {
 		int status;
 		const struct rtnl_dump_filter_arg *a;
 		int found_done = 0;
 		int msglen = 0;
 
-		iov.iov_len = sizeof(buf);
-		status = recvmsg(rth->fd, &msg, 0);
-
-		if (status < 0) {
-			if (errno == EINTR || errno == EAGAIN)
-				continue;
-			fprintf(stderr, "netlink receive error %s (%d)\n",
-				strerror(errno), errno);
-			return -1;
-		}
-
-		if (status == 0) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "EOF on netlink\n");
-			return -1;
-		}
+		status = rtnl_recvmsg(rth->fd, &msg, &buf);
+		if (status < 0)
+			return status;
 
 		if (rth->dump_fp)
 			fwrite(buf, 1, NLMSG_ALIGN(status), rth->dump_fp);
@@ -462,8 +507,10 @@ int rtnl_dump_filter_l(struct rtnl_handle *rth,
 
 				if (h->nlmsg_type == NLMSG_DONE) {
 					err = rtnl_dump_done(h);
-					if (err < 0)
+					if (err < 0) {
+						free(buf);
 						return -1;
+					}
 
 					found_done = 1;
 					break; /* process next filter */
@@ -471,19 +518,23 @@ int rtnl_dump_filter_l(struct rtnl_handle *rth,
 
 				if (h->nlmsg_type == NLMSG_ERROR) {
 					rtnl_dump_error(rth, h);
+					free(buf);
 					return -1;
 				}
 
 				if (!rth->dump_fp) {
 					err = a->filter(&nladdr, h, a->arg1);
-					if (err < 0)
+					if (err < 0) {
+						free(buf);
 						return err;
+					}
 				}
 
 skip_it:
 				h = NLMSG_NEXT(h, msglen);
 			}
 		}
+		free(buf);
 
 		if (found_done) {
 			if (dump_intr)
@@ -543,7 +594,7 @@ static int __rtnl_talk(struct rtnl_handle *rtnl, struct nlmsghdr *n,
 		.msg_iov = &iov,
 		.msg_iovlen = 1,
 	};
-	char   buf[32768] = {};
+	char *buf;
 
 	n->nlmsg_seq = seq = ++rtnl->seq;
 
@@ -556,22 +607,12 @@ static int __rtnl_talk(struct rtnl_handle *rtnl, struct nlmsghdr *n,
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	iov.iov_base = buf;
 	while (1) {
-		iov.iov_len = sizeof(buf);
-		status = recvmsg(rtnl->fd, &msg, 0);
+		status = rtnl_recvmsg(rtnl->fd, &msg, &buf);
+
+		if (status < 0)
+			return status;
 
-		if (status < 0) {
-			if (errno == EINTR || errno == EAGAIN)
-				continue;
-			fprintf(stderr, "netlink receive error %s (%d)\n",
-				strerror(errno), errno);
-			return -1;
-		}
-		if (status == 0) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "EOF on netlink\n");
-			return -1;
-		}
 		if (msg.msg_namelen != sizeof(nladdr)) {
 			fprintf(stderr,
 				"sender address length == %d\n",
@@ -585,6 +626,7 @@ static int __rtnl_talk(struct rtnl_handle *rtnl, struct nlmsghdr *n,
 			if (l < 0 || len > status) {
 				if (msg.msg_flags & MSG_TRUNC) {
 					fprintf(stderr, "Truncated message\n");
+					free(buf);
 					return -1;
 				}
 				fprintf(stderr,
@@ -611,6 +653,7 @@ static int __rtnl_talk(struct rtnl_handle *rtnl, struct nlmsghdr *n,
 					if (answer)
 						memcpy(answer, h,
 						       MIN(maxlen, h->nlmsg_len));
+					free(buf);
 					return 0;
 				}
 
@@ -619,12 +662,14 @@ static int __rtnl_talk(struct rtnl_handle *rtnl, struct nlmsghdr *n,
 					rtnl_talk_error(h, err, errfn);
 
 				errno = -err->error;
+				free(buf);
 				return -1;
 			}
 
 			if (answer) {
 				memcpy(answer, h,
 				       MIN(maxlen, h->nlmsg_len));
+				free(buf);
 				return 0;
 			}
 
@@ -633,6 +678,7 @@ static int __rtnl_talk(struct rtnl_handle *rtnl, struct nlmsghdr *n,
 			status -= NLMSG_ALIGN(len);
 			h = (struct nlmsghdr *)((char *)h + NLMSG_ALIGN(len));
 		}
+		free(buf);
 
 		if (msg.msg_flags & MSG_TRUNC) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "Message truncated\n");