diff --git a/strbuf.c b/strbuf.c
index 1df674e919..0ffa9cc255 100644
--- a/strbuf.c
+++ b/strbuf.c
@@ -438,12 +438,12 @@ int strbuf_readlink(struct strbuf *sb, const char *path, size_t hint)
 	while (hint < STRBUF_MAXLINK) {
 		int len;
 
-		strbuf_grow(sb, hint);
-		len = readlink(path, sb->buf, hint);
+		strbuf_grow(sb, hint + 1);
+		len = readlink(path, sb->buf, hint + 1);
 		if (len < 0) {
 			if (errno != ERANGE)
 				break;
-		} else if (len < hint) {
+		} else if (len <= hint) {
 			strbuf_setlen(sb, len);
 			return 0;
 		}