diff --git a/src/cursor.cpp b/src/cursor.cpp
index 98983bfd..7928e6d6 100644
--- a/src/cursor.cpp
+++ b/src/cursor.cpp
@@ -131,6 +131,8 @@ static bool create_name_map(Cursor* cur, SQLSMALLINT field_count, bool lower)
 
     bool success = false;
     PyObject *desc = 0, *colmap = 0, *colinfo = 0, *type = 0, *index = 0, *nullable_obj=0;
+    SQLSMALLINT nameLen = 300;
+    ODBCCHAR *szName = NULL;
     SQLRETURN ret;
 
     I(cur->hstmt != SQL_NULL_HANDLE && cur->colinfos != 0);
@@ -148,20 +150,21 @@ static bool create_name_map(Cursor* cur, SQLSMALLINT field_count, bool lower)
 
     desc   = PyTuple_New((Py_ssize_t)field_count);
     colmap = PyDict_New();
-    if (!desc || !colmap)
+    szName = (ODBCCHAR*) pyodbc_malloc((nameLen + 1) * sizeof(ODBCCHAR));
+    if (!desc || !colmap || !szName)
         goto done;
 
     for (int i = 0; i < field_count; i++)
     {
-        ODBCCHAR szName[300];
         SQLSMALLINT cchName;
         SQLSMALLINT nDataType;
         SQLULEN nColSize;           // precision
         SQLSMALLINT cDecimalDigits; // scale
         SQLSMALLINT nullable;
 
+        retry:
         Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
-        ret = SQLDescribeColW(cur->hstmt, (SQLUSMALLINT)(i + 1), (SQLWCHAR*)szName, _countof(szName), &cchName, &nDataType, &nColSize, &cDecimalDigits, &nullable);
+        ret = SQLDescribeColW(cur->hstmt, (SQLUSMALLINT)(i + 1), (SQLWCHAR*)szName, nameLen, &cchName, &nDataType, &nColSize, &cDecimalDigits, &nullable);
         Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
 
         if (cur->cnxn->hdbc == SQL_NULL_HANDLE)
@@ -177,6 +180,16 @@ static bool create_name_map(Cursor* cur, SQLSMALLINT field_count, bool lower)
             goto done;
         }
 
+        // If needed, allocate a bigger column name message buffer and retry.
+        if (cchName > nameLen - 1) {
+            nameLen = cchName + 1;
+            if (!pyodbc_realloc((BYTE**) &szName, (nameLen + 1) * sizeof(ODBCCHAR))) {
+                PyErr_NoMemory();
+                goto done;
+            }
+            goto retry;
+        }
+
         const TextEnc& enc = cur->cnxn->metadata_enc;
 
         // HACK: I don't know the exact issue, but iODBC + Teradata results in either UCS4 data
@@ -289,6 +302,7 @@ static bool create_name_map(Cursor* cur, SQLSMALLINT field_count, bool lower)
     Py_XDECREF(colmap);
     Py_XDECREF(index);
     Py_XDECREF(colinfo);
+    pyodbc_free(szName);
 
     return success;
 }
diff --git a/tests2/accesstests.py b/tests2/accesstests.py
index 2cd0fc55..7e423e4e 100755
--- a/tests2/accesstests.py
+++ b/tests2/accesstests.py
@@ -521,7 +521,21 @@ def test_lower_case(self):
 
         # Put it back so other tests don't fail.
         pyodbc.lowercase = False
-        
+
+    def test_long_column_name(self):
+        "ensure super long column names are handled correctly."
+        c1 = 'abcdefghij' * 50
+        c2 = 'klmnopqrst' * 60
+        self.cursor = self.cnxn.cursor()
+
+        self.cursor.execute("create table t1({} int, {} int)".format(c1, c2))
+        self.cursor.execute("select * from t1")
+
+        names = [ t[0] for t in self.cursor.description ]
+        names.sort()
+
+        self.assertEqual(names, [ c1, c2 ])
+
     def test_row_description(self):
         """
         Ensure Cursor.description is accessible as Row.cursor_description.
diff --git a/tests2/informixtests.py b/tests2/informixtests.py
index 36525e90..0f740167 100755
--- a/tests2/informixtests.py
+++ b/tests2/informixtests.py
@@ -791,7 +791,21 @@ def test_lower_case(self):
 
         # Put it back so other tests don't fail.
         pyodbc.lowercase = False
-        
+
+    def test_long_column_name(self):
+        "ensure super long column names are handled correctly."
+        c1 = 'abcdefghij' * 50
+        c2 = 'klmnopqrst' * 60
+        self.cursor = self.cnxn.cursor()
+
+        self.cursor.execute("create table t1({} int, {} int)".format(c1, c2))
+        self.cursor.execute("select * from t1")
+
+        names = [ t[0] for t in self.cursor.description ]
+        names.sort()
+
+        self.assertEqual(names, [ c1, c2 ])
+
     def test_row_description(self):
         """
         Ensure Cursor.description is accessible as Row.cursor_description.
diff --git a/tests2/sqldwtests.py b/tests2/sqldwtests.py
index 95b50300..5f169938 100644
--- a/tests2/sqldwtests.py
+++ b/tests2/sqldwtests.py
@@ -945,6 +945,20 @@ def test_lower_case(self):
         # Put it back so other tests don't fail.
         pyodbc.lowercase = False
 
+    def test_long_column_name(self):
+        "ensure super long column names are handled correctly."
+        c1 = 'abcdefghij' * 50
+        c2 = 'klmnopqrst' * 60
+        self.cursor = self.cnxn.cursor()
+
+        self.cursor.execute("create table t1({} int, {} int)".format(c1, c2))
+        self.cursor.execute("select * from t1")
+
+        names = [ t[0] for t in self.cursor.description ]
+        names.sort()
+
+        self.assertEqual(names, [ c1, c2 ])
+
     def test_row_description(self):
         """
         Ensure Cursor.description is accessible as Row.cursor_description.
diff --git a/tests2/sqlitetests.py b/tests2/sqlitetests.py
index b402d19e..3512095a 100755
--- a/tests2/sqlitetests.py
+++ b/tests2/sqlitetests.py
@@ -401,7 +401,21 @@ def test_lower_case(self):
 
         # Put it back so other tests don't fail.
         pyodbc.lowercase = False
-        
+
+    def test_long_column_name(self):
+        "ensure super long column names are handled correctly."
+        c1 = 'abcdefghij' * 50
+        c2 = 'klmnopqrst' * 60
+        self.cursor = self.cnxn.cursor()
+
+        self.cursor.execute("create table t1({} int, {} int)".format(c1, c2))
+        self.cursor.execute("select * from t1")
+
+        names = [ t[0] for t in self.cursor.description ]
+        names.sort()
+
+        self.assertEqual(names, [ c1, c2 ])
+
     def test_row_description(self):
         """
         Ensure Cursor.description is accessible as Row.cursor_description.
diff --git a/tests3/accesstests.py b/tests3/accesstests.py
index d33c54ea..c7cf546e 100644
--- a/tests3/accesstests.py
+++ b/tests3/accesstests.py
@@ -482,7 +482,21 @@ def test_lower_case(self):
 
         # Put it back so other tests don't fail.
         pyodbc.lowercase = False
-        
+
+    def test_long_column_name(self):
+        "ensure super long column names are handled correctly."
+        c1 = 'abcdefghij' * 50
+        c2 = 'klmnopqrst' * 60
+        self.cursor = self.cnxn.cursor()
+
+        self.cursor.execute("create table t1({} int, {} int)".format(c1, c2))
+        self.cursor.execute("select * from t1")
+
+        names = [ t[0] for t in self.cursor.description ]
+        names.sort()
+
+        self.assertEqual(names, [ c1, c2 ])
+
     def test_row_description(self):
         """
         Ensure Cursor.description is accessible as Row.cursor_description.
diff --git a/tests3/informixtests.py b/tests3/informixtests.py
index 62aabfec..1ef66f65 100644
--- a/tests3/informixtests.py
+++ b/tests3/informixtests.py
@@ -791,7 +791,21 @@ def test_lower_case(self):
 
         # Put it back so other tests don't fail.
         pyodbc.lowercase = False
-        
+
+    def test_long_column_name(self):
+        "ensure super long column names are handled correctly."
+        c1 = 'abcdefghij' * 50
+        c2 = 'klmnopqrst' * 60
+        self.cursor = self.cnxn.cursor()
+
+        self.cursor.execute("create table t1({} int, {} int)".format(c1, c2))
+        self.cursor.execute("select * from t1")
+
+        names = [ t[0] for t in self.cursor.description ]
+        names.sort()
+
+        self.assertEqual(names, [ c1, c2 ])
+
     def test_row_description(self):
         """
         Ensure Cursor.description is accessible as Row.cursor_description.
diff --git a/tests3/sqldwtests.py b/tests3/sqldwtests.py
index 14405046..a0e78783 100644
--- a/tests3/sqldwtests.py
+++ b/tests3/sqldwtests.py
@@ -899,6 +899,20 @@ def test_lower_case(self):
         # Put it back so other tests don't fail.
         pyodbc.lowercase = False
 
+    def test_long_column_name(self):
+        "ensure super long column names are handled correctly."
+        c1 = 'abcdefghij' * 50
+        c2 = 'klmnopqrst' * 60
+        self.cursor = self.cnxn.cursor()
+
+        self.cursor.execute("create table t1({} int, {} int)".format(c1, c2))
+        self.cursor.execute("select * from t1")
+
+        names = [ t[0] for t in self.cursor.description ]
+        names.sort()
+
+        self.assertEqual(names, [ c1, c2 ])
+
     def test_row_description(self):
         """
         Ensure Cursor.description is accessible as Row.cursor_description.
diff --git a/tests3/sqlitetests.py b/tests3/sqlitetests.py
index 1978269f..21a2157d 100644
--- a/tests3/sqlitetests.py
+++ b/tests3/sqlitetests.py
@@ -383,7 +383,21 @@ def test_lower_case(self):
 
         # Put it back so other tests don't fail.
         pyodbc.lowercase = False
-        
+
+    def test_long_column_name(self):
+        "ensure super long column names are handled correctly."
+        c1 = 'abcdefghij' * 50
+        c2 = 'klmnopqrst' * 60
+        self.cursor = self.cnxn.cursor()
+
+        self.cursor.execute("create table t1({} int, {} int)".format(c1, c2))
+        self.cursor.execute("select * from t1")
+
+        names = [ t[0] for t in self.cursor.description ]
+        names.sort()
+
+        self.assertEqual(names, [ c1, c2 ])
+
     def test_row_description(self):
         """
         Ensure Cursor.description is accessible as Row.cursor_description.