diff --git a/src/core/window.c b/src/core/window.c
index df80eadb0..c1cd528af 100644
--- a/src/core/window.c
+++ b/src/core/window.c
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 #include <X11/Xatom.h>
 #include <X11/Xlibint.h> /* For display->resource_mask */
 #include <string.h>
+#include <math.h>
 
 #ifdef HAVE_SHAPE
 #include <X11/extensions/shape.h>
@@ -55,6 +56,10 @@
 
 #include <X11/extensions/Xcomposite.h>
 
+/* Windows that unmaximize to a size bigger than that fraction of the workarea
+ * will be scaled down to that size (while maintaining aspect ratio) */
+#define MAX_UNMAXIMIZED_WINDOW_AREA .8
+
 static int destroying_windows_disallowed = 0;
 
 
@@ -3766,6 +3771,9 @@ meta_window_unmaximize_internal (MetaWindow        *window,
       (unmaximize_vertically   && window->maximized_vertically))
     {
       MetaRectangle target_rect;
+      MetaRectangle work_area;
+
+      meta_window_get_work_area_for_monitor (window, window->monitor->number, &work_area);
 
       meta_topic (META_DEBUG_WINDOW_OPS,
                   "Unmaximizing %s%s\n",
@@ -3790,6 +3798,28 @@ meta_window_unmaximize_internal (MetaWindow        *window,
        * being unmaximized.
        */
       meta_window_get_client_root_coords (window, &target_rect);
+
+      /* Avoid unmaximizing to "almost maximized" size when the previous size
+       * is greater then 80% of the work area use MAX_UNMAXIMIZED_WINDOW_AREA of the work area as upper limit
+       * while maintaining the aspect ratio.
+       */
+      if (unmaximize_horizontally && unmaximize_vertically &&
+          desired_rect->width * desired_rect->height > work_area.width * work_area.height * MAX_UNMAXIMIZED_WINDOW_AREA)
+        {
+          if (desired_rect->width > desired_rect->height)
+            {
+              float aspect = (float)desired_rect->height / (float)desired_rect->width;
+              desired_rect->width = MAX (work_area.width * sqrt (MAX_UNMAXIMIZED_WINDOW_AREA), window->size_hints.min_width);
+              desired_rect->height = MAX (desired_rect->width * aspect, window->size_hints.min_height);
+            }
+          else
+            {
+              float aspect = (float)desired_rect->width / (float)desired_rect->height;
+              desired_rect->height = MAX (work_area.height * sqrt (MAX_UNMAXIMIZED_WINDOW_AREA), window->size_hints.min_height);
+              desired_rect->width = MAX (desired_rect->height * aspect, window->size_hints.min_width);
+            }
+        }
+
       if (unmaximize_horizontally)
         {
           target_rect.x     = desired_rect->x;