diff --git a/DirectXTex/DirectXTex.h b/DirectXTex/DirectXTex.h
index aa1b086..ad49516 100644
--- a/DirectXTex/DirectXTex.h
+++ b/DirectXTex/DirectXTex.h
@@ -172,6 +172,8 @@ namespace DirectX
         DDS_FLAGS_FORCE_DX9_LEGACY      = 0x40000,
             // Force use of legacy header for DDS writer (will fail if unable to write as such)
 
+        DDS_FLAGS_ALLOW_LARGE_FILES     = 0x1000000,
+            // Enables the loader to read large dimension .dds files (i.e. greater than known hardware requirements)
     };
 
     enum WIC_FLAGS : unsigned long
diff --git a/DirectXTex/DirectXTexDDS.cpp b/DirectXTex/DirectXTexDDS.cpp
index 66dfcb5..9a5d323 100644
--- a/DirectXTex/DirectXTexDDS.cpp
+++ b/DirectXTex/DirectXTexDDS.cpp
@@ -525,6 +525,25 @@ namespace
             metadata.SetAlphaMode(TEX_ALPHA_MODE_PREMULTIPLIED);
         }
 
+        // Check for .dds files that exceed known hardware support
+        if (!(flags & DDS_FLAGS_ALLOW_LARGE_FILES))
+        {
+            // 16k is the maximum required resource size supported by Direct3D
+            if (metadata.width > 16384u /* D3D12_REQ_TEXTURE1D_U_DIMENSION, D3D12_REQ_TEXTURE2D_U_OR_V_DIMENSION */
+                || metadata.height > 16384u /* D3D12_REQ_TEXTURE2D_U_OR_V_DIMENSION */
+                || metadata.mipLevels > 15u /* D3D12_REQ_MIP_LEVELS */)
+            {
+                return HRESULT_FROM_WIN32(ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED);
+            }
+
+            // 2048 is the maximum required depth/array size supported by Direct3D
+            if (metadata.arraySize > 2048u /* D3D12_REQ_TEXTURE1D_ARRAY_AXIS_DIMENSION, D3D12_REQ_TEXTURE2D_ARRAY_AXIS_DIMENSION */
+                || metadata.depth > 2048u /* D3D12_REQ_TEXTURE3D_U_V_OR_W_DIMENSION */)
+            {
+                return HRESULT_FROM_WIN32(ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED);
+            }
+        }
+
         return S_OK;
     }
 }
diff --git a/Texassemble/texassemble.cpp b/Texassemble/texassemble.cpp
index c088891..75ce6ee 100644
--- a/Texassemble/texassemble.cpp
+++ b/Texassemble/texassemble.cpp
@@ -1068,7 +1068,7 @@ int __cdecl wmain(_In_ int argc, _In_z_count_(argc) wchar_t* argv[])
             case CMD_V_STRIP:
                 if (_wcsicmp(ext, L".dds") == 0)
                 {
-                    hr = LoadFromDDSFile(pConv->szSrc, DDS_FLAGS_NONE, &info, *image);
+                    hr = LoadFromDDSFile(pConv->szSrc, DDS_FLAGS_ALLOW_LARGE_FILES, &info, *image);
                     if (FAILED(hr))
                     {
                         wprintf(L" FAILED (%x)\n", static_cast<unsigned int>(hr));
@@ -1095,7 +1095,7 @@ int __cdecl wmain(_In_ int argc, _In_z_count_(argc) wchar_t* argv[])
             case CMD_ARRAY_STRIP:
                 if (_wcsicmp(ext, L".dds") == 0)
                 {
-                    hr = LoadFromDDSFile(pConv->szSrc, DDS_FLAGS_NONE, &info, *image);
+                    hr = LoadFromDDSFile(pConv->szSrc, DDS_FLAGS_ALLOW_LARGE_FILES, &info, *image);
                     if (FAILED(hr))
                     {
                         wprintf(L" FAILED (%x)\n", static_cast<unsigned int>(hr));
@@ -1118,7 +1118,7 @@ int __cdecl wmain(_In_ int argc, _In_z_count_(argc) wchar_t* argv[])
             default:
                 if (_wcsicmp(ext, L".dds") == 0)
                 {
-                    hr = LoadFromDDSFile(pConv->szSrc, DDS_FLAGS_NONE, &info, *image);
+                    hr = LoadFromDDSFile(pConv->szSrc, DDS_FLAGS_ALLOW_LARGE_FILES, &info, *image);
                     if (FAILED(hr))
                     {
                         wprintf(L" FAILED (%x)\n", static_cast<unsigned int>(hr));
diff --git a/Texconv/texconv.cpp b/Texconv/texconv.cpp
index 3fc8263..3a41b2a 100644
--- a/Texconv/texconv.cpp
+++ b/Texconv/texconv.cpp
@@ -1672,7 +1672,7 @@ int __cdecl wmain(_In_ int argc, _In_z_count_(argc) wchar_t* argv[])
 
         if (_wcsicmp(ext, L".dds") == 0)
         {
-            DDS_FLAGS ddsFlags = DDS_FLAGS_NONE;
+            DDS_FLAGS ddsFlags = DDS_FLAGS_ALLOW_LARGE_FILES;
             if (dwOptions & (DWORD64(1) << OPT_DDS_DWORD_ALIGN))
                 ddsFlags |= DDS_FLAGS_LEGACY_DWORD;
             if (dwOptions & (DWORD64(1) << OPT_EXPAND_LUMINANCE))
diff --git a/Texdiag/texdiag.cpp b/Texdiag/texdiag.cpp
index dc11a05..ec9273f 100644
--- a/Texdiag/texdiag.cpp
+++ b/Texdiag/texdiag.cpp
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ namespace
 
         if (_wcsicmp(ext, L".dds") == 0)
         {
-            DDS_FLAGS ddsFlags = DDS_FLAGS_NONE;
+            DDS_FLAGS ddsFlags = DDS_FLAGS_ALLOW_LARGE_FILES;
             if (dwOptions & (1 << OPT_DDS_DWORD_ALIGN))
                 ddsFlags |= DDS_FLAGS_LEGACY_DWORD;
             if (dwOptions & (1 << OPT_EXPAND_LUMINANCE))