diff --git a/ceilometer/storage/sqlalchemy/migrate_repo/versions/018_resource_resource_metadata_is_text.py b/ceilometer/storage/sqlalchemy/migrate_repo/versions/018_resource_resource_metadata_is_text.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..100924e1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ceilometer/storage/sqlalchemy/migrate_repo/versions/018_resource_resource_metadata_is_text.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+# -*- encoding: utf-8 -*-
+
+# Copyright 2013 OpenStack Foundation
+# All Rights Reserved.
+# Copyright 2013 IBM Corp.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+# not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+# a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+# WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+# License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+
+from sqlalchemy import String
+from sqlalchemy import Text
+from sqlalchemy import MetaData
+from sqlalchemy import Table
+
+
+meta = MetaData()
+
+
+def upgrade(migrate_engine):
+    meta.bind = migrate_engine
+    resource = Table('resource', meta, autoload=True)
+    resource.c.resource_metadata.alter(type=Text)
+
+
+def downgrade(migrate_engine):
+    meta.bind = migrate_engine
+    resource = Table('resource', meta, autoload=True)
+    resource.c.resource_metadata.alter(type=String(5000))
diff --git a/ceilometer/storage/sqlalchemy/models.py b/ceilometer/storage/sqlalchemy/models.py
index bc6abcd81..7d3f6524b 100644
--- a/ceilometer/storage/sqlalchemy/models.py
+++ b/ceilometer/storage/sqlalchemy/models.py
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ class Resource(Base):
     )
     id = Column(String(255), primary_key=True)
     sources = relationship("Source", secondary=lambda: sourceassoc)
-    resource_metadata = Column(JSONEncodedDict(5000))
+    resource_metadata = Column(JSONEncodedDict())
     user_id = Column(String(255), ForeignKey('user.id'))
     project_id = Column(String(255), ForeignKey('project.id'))
     meters = relationship("Meter", backref='resource')