diff --git a/Lib/test/test_bytes.py b/Lib/test/test_bytes.py
index 85d5e0347e0..a699d91e382 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_bytes.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_bytes.py
@@ -62,17 +62,18 @@ class BaseBytesTest(unittest.TestCase):
         b = self.type2test([Indexable(), Indexable(1), Indexable(254),
                             Indexable(255)])
         self.assertEqual(list(b), [0, 1, 254, 255])
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, bytearray, [Indexable(-1)])
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, bytearray, [Indexable(256)])
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.type2test, [Indexable(-1)])
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.type2test, [Indexable(256)])
 
     def test_from_ssize(self):
-        self.assertEqual(bytearray(0), b'')
-        self.assertEqual(bytearray(1), b'\x00')
-        self.assertEqual(bytearray(5), b'\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00')
-        self.assertRaises(ValueError, bytearray, -1)
+        self.assertEqual(self.type2test(0), b'')
+        self.assertEqual(self.type2test(1), b'\x00')
+        self.assertEqual(self.type2test(5), b'\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00')
+        self.assertRaises(ValueError, self.type2test, -1)
 
-        self.assertEqual(bytearray('0', 'ascii'), b'0')
-        self.assertEqual(bytearray(b'0'), b'0')
+        self.assertEqual(self.type2test('0', 'ascii'), b'0')
+        self.assertEqual(self.type2test(b'0'), b'0')
+        self.assertRaises(OverflowError, self.type2test, sys.maxsize + 1)
 
     def test_constructor_type_errors(self):
         self.assertRaises(TypeError, self.type2test, 0.0)
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 15beb8043e2..a4ee20e193b 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ What's New in Python 2.6.6 alpha 1?
 Core and Builtins
 -----------------
 
+- Issue #8417: Raise an OverflowError when an integer larger than sys.maxsize is
+  passed to bytearray.
+
 - Issue #8329: Don't return the same lists from select.select when no fds are
   changed.
 
diff --git a/Objects/bytearrayobject.c b/Objects/bytearrayobject.c
index 15b09ba1e75..cdcfcb42d0b 100644
--- a/Objects/bytearrayobject.c
+++ b/Objects/bytearrayobject.c
@@ -830,14 +830,18 @@ bytes_init(PyByteArrayObject *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwds)
     }
 
     /* Is it an int? */
-    count = PyNumber_AsSsize_t(arg, PyExc_ValueError);
-    if (count == -1 && PyErr_Occurred())
-        PyErr_Clear();
-    else {
-        if (count < 0) {
-            PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "negative count");
+    count = PyNumber_AsSsize_t(arg, PyExc_OverflowError);
+    if (count == -1 && PyErr_Occurred()) {
+        if (PyErr_ExceptionMatches(PyExc_OverflowError))
             return -1;
-        }
+        else
+            PyErr_Clear();
+    }
+    else if (count < 0) {
+        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, "negative count");
+        return -1;
+    }
+    else {
         if (count > 0) {
             if (PyByteArray_Resize((PyObject *)self, count))
                 return -1;