diff --git a/lang/en/deprecated.txt b/lang/en/deprecated.txt
index ada31e611e0..7da297ae24b 100644
--- a/lang/en/deprecated.txt
+++ b/lang/en/deprecated.txt
@@ -28,3 +28,5 @@ tagtype,core_tag
 manageofficialtags,core_tag
 settypeofficial,core_tag
 filetoolarge,core
+maxbytesforfile,core
+maxbytes,core_error
diff --git a/lang/en/error.php b/lang/en/error.php
index ae0d20756a9..092ec783cf4 100644
--- a/lang/en/error.php
+++ b/lang/en/error.php
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ $string['listupdatefail'] = 'DB operation failed when editing list hierarchy';
 $string['logfilenotavailable'] = 'Logs not available';
 $string['loginasnoenrol'] = 'You cannot use enrol or unenrol when in course "Login as" session';
 $string['loginasonecourse'] = 'You cannot enter this course.<br /> You have to terminate the "Login as" session before entering any other course.';
-$string['maxbytes'] = 'The file is larger than the maximum size allowed.';
+$string['maxbytesfile'] = 'The file {$a->file} is too large. The maximum size you can upload is {$a->size}.';
 $string['maxareabytes'] = 'The file is larger than the space remaining in this area.';
 $string['messagingdisable'] = 'Messaging is disabled on this site';
 $string['mimetexisnotexist'] = 'Your system is not configured to run mimeTeX. You need to download the appropriate executable for you PHP_OS platform from <a href="http://moodle.org/download/mimetex/">http://moodle.org/download/mimetex/</a>, or obtain the C source from <a href="http://www.forkosh.com/mimetex.zip"> http://www.forkosh.com/mimetex.zip</a>, compile it and put the executable into your moodle/filter/tex/ directory.';
@@ -578,3 +578,6 @@ $string['xmldberror'] = 'XMLDB error!';
 $string['alreadyloggedin'] = 'You are already logged in as {$a}, you need to log out before logging in as different user.';
 $string['youcannotdeletecategory'] = 'You cannot delete category \'{$a}\' because you can neither delete the contents, nor move them elsewhere.';
 $string['protected_cc_not_supported'] = 'Protected cartridges not supported.';
+
+// Deprecated since Moodle 3.1.
+$string['maxbytes'] = 'The file is larger than the maximum size allowed.';
diff --git a/lang/en/moodle.php b/lang/en/moodle.php
index 8a06424cefc..237e9205384 100644
--- a/lang/en/moodle.php
+++ b/lang/en/moodle.php
@@ -1096,7 +1096,6 @@ $string['markedthistopic'] = 'This topic is highlighted as the current topic';
 $string['markthistopic'] = 'Highlight this topic as the current topic';
 $string['matchingsearchandrole'] = 'Matching \'{$a->search}\' and {$a->role}';
 $string['maxareabytesreached'] = 'The file (or the total size of several files) is larger than the space remaining in this area.';
-$string['maxbytesforfile'] = 'The file {$a} is larger than the maximum size allowed.';
 $string['maxfilesize'] = 'Maximum size for new files: {$a}';
 $string['maxfilesreached'] = 'You are allowed to attach a maximum of {$a} file(s) to this item';
 $string['maximumchars'] = 'Maximum of {$a} characters';
@@ -2032,3 +2031,4 @@ $string['zippingbackup'] = 'Zipping backup';
 
 // Deprecated since Moodle 3.1.
 $string['filetoolarge'] = 'is too large to upload';
+$string['maxbytesforfile'] = 'The file {$a} is larger than the maximum size allowed.';
diff --git a/lib/form/dndupload.js b/lib/form/dndupload.js
index de0ee972c93..22e8cf3784f 100644
--- a/lib/form/dndupload.js
+++ b/lib/form/dndupload.js
@@ -589,7 +589,11 @@ M.form_dndupload.init = function(Y, options) {
             for (i=0; i<files.length; i++) {
                 if (this.options.maxbytes > 0 && files[i].size > this.options.maxbytes) {
                     // Check filesize before attempting to upload.
-                    this.print_msg(M.util.get_string('maxbytesforfile', 'moodle', files[i].name), 'error');
+                    var maxbytesdisplay = this.display_size(this.options.maxbytes);
+                    this.print_msg(M.util.get_string('maxbytesfile', 'error', {
+                            file: files[i].name,
+                            size: maxbytesdisplay
+                        }), 'error');
                     this.uploadqueue = []; // No uploads if one file is too big.
                     return;
                 }
@@ -606,6 +610,31 @@ M.form_dndupload.init = function(Y, options) {
             return true;
         },
 
+        /**
+         * Generate the display for file size
+         * @param int size The size to convert to human readable form
+         * @return string
+         */
+        display_size: function(size) {
+            // This is snippet of code (with some changes) is from the display_size function in moodlelib.
+            var gb = M.util.get_string('sizegb'),
+                mb = M.util.get_string('sizemb'),
+                kb = M.util.get_string('sizekb'),
+                b  = M.util.get_string('sizeb');
+
+            if (size >= 1073741824) {
+                size = Math.round(size / 1073741824 * 10) / 10 + gb;
+            } else if (size >= 1048576) {
+                size = Math.round(size / 1048576 * 10) / 10 + mb;
+            } else if (size >= 1024) {
+                size = Math.round(size / 1024 * 10) / 10 + kb;
+            } else {
+                size = parseInt(size, 10) + ' ' + b;
+            }
+
+            return size;
+        },
+
         /**
          * Add a single file to the uploadqueue, whilst checking the maxfiles limit
          * @param File file - the file to add
diff --git a/lib/outputrequirementslib.php b/lib/outputrequirementslib.php
index e79308d7168..b9a25384ce8 100644
--- a/lib/outputrequirementslib.php
+++ b/lib/outputrequirementslib.php
@@ -785,7 +785,8 @@ class page_requirements_manager {
                                     'fullpath' => '/lib/form/dndupload.js',
                                     'requires' => array('node', 'event', 'json', 'core_filepicker'),
                                     'strings'  => array(array('uploadformlimit', 'moodle'), array('droptoupload', 'moodle'), array('maxfilesreached', 'moodle'),
-                                                        array('dndenabled_inbox', 'moodle'), array('fileexists', 'moodle'), array('maxbytesforfile', 'moodle'),
+                                                        array('dndenabled_inbox', 'moodle'), array('fileexists', 'moodle'), array('maxbytesfile', 'error'),
+                                                        array('sizegb', 'moodle'), array('sizemb', 'moodle'), array('sizekb', 'moodle'), array('sizeb', 'moodle'),
                                                         array('maxareabytesreached', 'moodle'), array('serverconnection', 'error'),
                                                     ));
                     break;
diff --git a/repository/lib.php b/repository/lib.php
index a8258a2cd72..201a05fd7fd 100644
--- a/repository/lib.php
+++ b/repository/lib.php
@@ -888,7 +888,9 @@ abstract class repository implements cacheable_object {
         // the file needs to copied to draft area
         $stored_file = self::get_moodle_file($source);
         if ($maxbytes != -1 && $stored_file->get_filesize() > $maxbytes) {
-            throw new file_exception('maxbytes');
+            $maxbytesdisplay = display_size($maxbytes);
+            throw new file_exception('maxbytesfile', (object) array('file' => $filerecord['filename'],
+                                                                    'size' => $maxbytesdisplay));
         }
         // Validate the size of the draft area.
         if (file_is_draft_area_limit_reached($draftitemid, $areamaxbytes, $stored_file->get_filesize())) {
@@ -1699,13 +1701,17 @@ abstract class repository implements cacheable_object {
             // files that are references to local files are already in moodle filepool
             // just validate the size
             if ($maxbytes > 0 && $file->get_filesize() > $maxbytes) {
-                throw new file_exception('maxbytes');
+                $maxbytesdisplay = display_size($maxbytes);
+                throw new file_exception('maxbytesfile', (object) array('file' => $file->get_filename(),
+                                                                        'size' => $maxbytesdisplay));
             }
             return;
         } else {
             if ($maxbytes > 0 && $file->get_filesize() > $maxbytes) {
                 // note that stored_file::get_filesize() also calls synchronisation
-                throw new file_exception('maxbytes');
+                $maxbytesdisplay = display_size($maxbytes);
+                throw new file_exception('maxbytesfile', (object) array('file' => $file->get_filename(),
+                                                                        'size' => $maxbytesdisplay));
             }
             $fs = get_file_storage();
             $contentexists = $fs->content_exists($file->get_contenthash());
diff --git a/repository/repository_ajax.php b/repository/repository_ajax.php
index 0873a4a1987..6547db148fb 100644
--- a/repository/repository_ajax.php
+++ b/repository/repository_ajax.php
@@ -283,7 +283,9 @@ switch ($action) {
 
                 // Check if exceed maxbytes.
                 if ($maxbytes != -1 && filesize($downloadedfile['path']) > $maxbytes) {
-                    throw new file_exception('maxbytes');
+                    $maxbytesdisplay = display_size($maxbytes);
+                    throw new file_exception('maxbytesfile', (object) array('file' => $record->filename,
+                                                                            'size' => $maxbytesdisplay));
                 }
 
                 // Check if we exceed the max bytes of the area.
diff --git a/repository/upload/lib.php b/repository/upload/lib.php
index 2f14477415c..713ffbda9d1 100644
--- a/repository/upload/lib.php
+++ b/repository/upload/lib.php
@@ -191,7 +191,9 @@ class repository_upload extends repository {
         }
 
         if (($maxbytes!==-1) && (filesize($_FILES[$elname]['tmp_name']) > $maxbytes)) {
-            throw new file_exception('maxbytesforfile', $_FILES[$elname]['name']);
+            $maxbytesdisplay = display_size($maxbytes);
+            throw new file_exception('maxbytesfile', (object) array('file' => $record->filename,
+                                                                    'size' => $maxbytesdisplay));
         }
 
         if (file_is_draft_area_limit_reached($record->itemid, $areamaxbytes, filesize($_FILES[$elname]['tmp_name']))) {