diff --git a/src/backups.js b/src/backups.js
index 1a9748dc7..41b9d55ff 100644
--- a/src/backups.js
+++ b/src/backups.js
@@ -554,16 +554,17 @@ function saveFsMetadata(dataLayout, metadataFile, callback) {
         symlinks: []
     };
 
+    // we assume small number of files. spawnSync will raise a ENOBUFS error after maxBuffer
     for (let lp of dataLayout.localPaths()) {
-        const emptyDirs = safe.child_process.execSync(`find ${lp} -type d -empty\n`, { encoding: 'utf8' });
+        const emptyDirs = safe.child_process.execSync(`find ${lp} -type d -empty`, { encoding: 'utf8', maxBuffer: 1024 * 1024 * 10 });
         if (emptyDirs === null) return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.FS_ERROR, `Error finding empty dirs: ${safe.error.message}`));
         if (emptyDirs.length) metadata.emptyDirs = metadata.emptyDirs.concat(emptyDirs.trim().split('\n').map((ed) => dataLayout.toRemotePath(ed)));
 
-        const execFiles = safe.child_process.execSync(`find ${lp} -type f -executable\n`, { encoding: 'utf8' });
+        const execFiles = safe.child_process.execSync(`find ${lp} -type f -executable`, { encoding: 'utf8', maxBuffer: 1024 * 1024 * 10 });
         if (execFiles === null) return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.FS_ERROR, `Error finding executables: ${safe.error.message}`));
         if (execFiles.length) metadata.execFiles = metadata.execFiles.concat(execFiles.trim().split('\n').map((ef) => dataLayout.toRemotePath(ef)));
 
-        const symlinks = safe.child_process.execSync(`find ${lp} -type l\n`, { encoding: 'utf8' });
+        const symlinks = safe.child_process.execSync(`find ${lp} -type l`, { encoding: 'utf8', maxBuffer: 1024 * 1024 * 10 });
         if (symlinks === null) return callback(new BoxError(BoxError.FS_ERROR, `Error finding symlinks: ${safe.error.message}`));
         if (symlinks.length) metadata.symlinks = metadata.symlinks.concat(symlinks.trim().split('\n').map((sl) => {
             const target = safe.fs.readlinkSync(sl);