diff --git a/moto/sqs/responses.py b/moto/sqs/responses.py
index abae83fed..d1ba5b6dd 100644
--- a/moto/sqs/responses.py
+++ b/moto/sqs/responses.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ from .exceptions import (
 )
 
 MAXIMUM_VISIBILTY_TIMEOUT = 43200
+MAXIMUM_MESSAGE_LENGTH = 262144  # 256 KiB
 DEFAULT_RECEIVED_MESSAGES = 1
 SQS_REGION_REGEX = r'://(.+?)\.queue\.amazonaws\.com'
 
@@ -106,6 +107,9 @@ class SQSResponse(BaseResponse):
         message = self.querystring.get("MessageBody")[0]
         delay_seconds = self.querystring.get('DelaySeconds')
 
+        if len(message) > MAXIMUM_MESSAGE_LENGTH:
+            return ERROR_TOO_LONG_RESPONSE, dict(status=400)
+
         if delay_seconds:
             delay_seconds = int(delay_seconds[0])
         else:
@@ -417,3 +421,13 @@ PURGE_QUEUE_RESPONSE = """<PurgeQueueResponse>
         </RequestId>
     </ResponseMetadata>
 </PurgeQueueResponse>"""
+
+ERROR_TOO_LONG_RESPONSE = """<ErrorResponse xmlns="http://queue.amazonaws.com/doc/2012-11-05/">
+    <Error>
+        <Type>Sender</Type>
+        <Code>InvalidParameterValue</Code>
+        <Message>One or more parameters are invalid. Reason: Message must be shorter than 262144 bytes.</Message>
+        <Detail/>
+    </Error>
+    <RequestId>6fde8d1e-52cd-4581-8cd9-c512f4c64223</RequestId>
+</ErrorResponse>"""
diff --git a/tests/test_sqs/test_sqs.py b/tests/test_sqs/test_sqs.py
index a23545dcc..1e300fa57 100644
--- a/tests/test_sqs/test_sqs.py
+++ b/tests/test_sqs/test_sqs.py
@@ -170,6 +170,18 @@ def test_send_message_with_delay():
     queue.count().should.equal(0)
 
 
+@mock_sqs
+def test_send_large_message_fails():
+    conn = boto.connect_sqs('the_key', 'the_secret')
+    queue = conn.create_queue("test-queue", visibility_timeout=60)
+    queue.set_message_class(RawMessage)
+
+    body_one = 'test message' * 200000
+    huge_message = queue.new_message(body_one)
+
+    queue.write.when.called_with(huge_message).should.throw(SQSError)
+
+
 @mock_sqs
 def test_message_becomes_inflight_when_received():
     conn = boto.connect_sqs('the_key', 'the_secret')