diff --git a/bcrypt/bcrypt.go b/bcrypt/bcrypt.go
index addf56b..5577c0f 100644
--- a/bcrypt/bcrypt.go
+++ b/bcrypt/bcrypt.go
@@ -82,11 +82,20 @@ type hashed struct {
 	minor byte
 }
 
+// ErrPasswordTooLong is returned when the password passed to
+// GenerateFromPassword is too long (i.e. > 72 bytes).
+var ErrPasswordTooLong = errors.New("bcrypt: password length exceeds 72 bytes")
+
 // GenerateFromPassword returns the bcrypt hash of the password at the given
 // cost. If the cost given is less than MinCost, the cost will be set to
 // DefaultCost, instead. Use CompareHashAndPassword, as defined in this package,
 // to compare the returned hashed password with its cleartext version.
+// GenerateFromPassword does not accept passwords longer than 72 bytes, which
+// is the longest password bcrypt will operate on.
 func GenerateFromPassword(password []byte, cost int) ([]byte, error) {
+	if len(password) > 72 {
+		return nil, ErrPasswordTooLong
+	}
 	p, err := newFromPassword(password, cost)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/bcrypt/bcrypt_test.go b/bcrypt/bcrypt_test.go
index b7162d8..8b589e3 100644
--- a/bcrypt/bcrypt_test.go
+++ b/bcrypt/bcrypt_test.go
@@ -241,3 +241,10 @@ func TestNoSideEffectsFromCompare(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("got=%q want=%q", got, want)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestPasswordTooLong(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := GenerateFromPassword(make([]byte, 73), 1)
+	if err != ErrPasswordTooLong {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected error: got %q, want %q", err, ErrPasswordTooLong)
+	}
+}