diff --git a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/e918ff30eb42_resize_column_nodes_instance_info.py b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/e918ff30eb42_resize_column_nodes_instance_info.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cc03f3b3bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/alembic/versions/e918ff30eb42_resize_column_nodes_instance_info.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#    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.
+
+"""resize column nodes instance_info
+
+Revision ID: e918ff30eb42
+Revises: b4130a7fc904
+Create Date: 2016-06-28 13:30:19.396203
+
+"""
+
+# revision identifiers, used by Alembic.
+revision = 'e918ff30eb42'
+down_revision = 'b4130a7fc904'
+
+from alembic import op
+from oslo_db.sqlalchemy import types as db_types
+
+
+def upgrade():
+    op.alter_column('nodes', 'instance_info',
+                    existing_type=db_types.JsonEncodedDict.impl,
+                    type_=db_types.JsonEncodedDict(mysql_as_long=True).impl)
diff --git a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/models.py b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/models.py
index 8573fef71d..c64f1a19d4 100644
--- a/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/models.py
+++ b/ironic/db/sqlalchemy/models.py
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ class Node(Base):
     target_provision_state = Column(String(15), nullable=True)
     provision_updated_at = Column(DateTime, nullable=True)
     last_error = Column(Text, nullable=True)
-    instance_info = Column(db_types.JsonEncodedDict)
+    instance_info = Column(db_types.JsonEncodedDict(mysql_as_long=True))
     properties = Column(db_types.JsonEncodedDict)
     driver = Column(String(255))
     driver_info = Column(db_types.JsonEncodedDict)
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/db/sqlalchemy/test_migrations.py b/ironic/tests/unit/db/sqlalchemy/test_migrations.py
index 8bb969ee94..3ae8267af0 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/db/sqlalchemy/test_migrations.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/db/sqlalchemy/test_migrations.py
@@ -698,6 +698,44 @@ class TestMigrationsMySQL(MigrationCheckersMixin,
                           test_base.BaseTestCase):
     FIXTURE = test_fixtures.MySQLOpportunisticFixture
 
+    def _pre_upgrade_e918ff30eb42(self, engine):
+
+        nodes = db_utils.get_table(engine, 'nodes')
+
+        # this should always fail pre-upgrade
+        mediumtext = 'a' * (pow(2, 16) + 1)
+        uuid = uuidutils.generate_uuid()
+        expected_to_fail_data = {'uuid': uuid, 'instance_info': mediumtext}
+        self.assertRaises(db_exc.DBError,
+                          nodes.insert().execute, expected_to_fail_data)
+
+        # this should always work pre-upgrade
+        text = 'a' * (pow(2, 16) - 1)
+        uuid = uuidutils.generate_uuid()
+        valid_pre_upgrade_data = {'uuid': uuid, 'instance_info': text}
+        nodes.insert().execute(valid_pre_upgrade_data)
+
+        return valid_pre_upgrade_data
+
+    def _check_e918ff30eb42(self, engine, data):
+
+        nodes = db_utils.get_table(engine, 'nodes')
+
+        # check that the data for the successful pre-upgrade
+        # entry didn't change
+        node = nodes.select(nodes.c.uuid == data['uuid']).execute().first()
+        self.assertIsNotNone(node)
+        self.assertEqual(data['instance_info'], node['instance_info'])
+
+        # now this should pass post-upgrade
+        test = 'b' * (pow(2, 16) + 1)
+        uuid = uuidutils.generate_uuid()
+        data = {'uuid': uuid, 'instance_info': test}
+        nodes.insert().execute(data)
+
+        node = nodes.select(nodes.c.uuid == uuid).execute().first()
+        self.assertEqual(test, node['instance_info'])
+
 
 class TestMigrationsPostgreSQL(MigrationCheckersMixin,
                                WalkVersionsMixin,
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/bug-1596421-0cb8f59073f56240.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/bug-1596421-0cb8f59073f56240.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9d7b4688bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/bug-1596421-0cb8f59073f56240.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+upgrade:
+  - Extends the ``instance_info`` column in the nodes table for MySQL/MariaDB
+    from up to 64KiB to up to 4GiB (type is changed from TEXT to LONGTEXT).
+    This upgrade will not be executed on PostgreSQL as its TEXT is unlimited.
+fixes:
+  - The config drive passed to the node can now contain more than 64KiB
+    in case of MySQL/MariaDB. For more details see `bug 1596421
+    <https://bugs.launchpad.net/ironic/+bug/1596421>`_.