diff --git a/unpack-trees.c b/unpack-trees.c
index 256df47b35..4a6347899c 100644
--- a/unpack-trees.c
+++ b/unpack-trees.c
@@ -1432,15 +1432,18 @@ static int verify_absent_1(const struct cache_entry *ce,
 	if (!len)
 		return 0;
 	else if (len > 0) {
-		char path[PATH_MAX + 1];
-		memcpy(path, ce->name, len);
-		path[len] = 0;
-		if (lstat(path, &st))
-			return error("cannot stat '%s': %s", path,
-					strerror(errno));
+		char *path;
+		int ret;
 
-		return check_ok_to_remove(path, len, DT_UNKNOWN, NULL, &st,
-				error_type, o);
+		path = xmemdupz(ce->name, len);
+		if (lstat(path, &st))
+			ret = error("cannot stat '%s': %s", path,
+					strerror(errno));
+		else
+			ret = check_ok_to_remove(path, len, DT_UNKNOWN, NULL,
+						 &st, error_type, o);
+		free(path);
+		return ret;
 	} else if (lstat(ce->name, &st)) {
 		if (errno != ENOENT)
 			return error("cannot stat '%s': %s", ce->name,