diff --git a/ext/standard/file.c b/ext/standard/file.c
index d23a3a7d26c..99ae1969041 100644
--- a/ext/standard/file.c
+++ b/ext/standard/file.c
@@ -990,6 +990,10 @@ PHP_FUNCTION(fgets)
 		} else {
 			return_value->value.str.val = buf;
 			return_value->value.str.len = strlen(return_value->value.str.val);
+			/* resize buffer if it's much larger than the result */
+			if(return_value->value.str.len < len/2) {
+				return_value->value.str.val = erealloc(buf,return_value->value.str.len);
+			}
 		}
 		return_value->type = IS_STRING;
 	}