diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index f3ef292155..7863d56e3f 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 1.1.6
+ * preflight check ttl for maximum of 20 years (CASSANDRA-4771)
  * Fix HH to compact with correct gcBefore, which avoids wiping out
    undelivered hints (CASSANDRA-4772)
  * LCS will merge up to 32 L0 sstables as intended (CASSANDRA-4778)
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/ModificationStatement.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/ModificationStatement.java
index e47f7f2e5a..23d96e06f1 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/ModificationStatement.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/cql3/statements/ModificationStatement.java
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException;
 import org.apache.cassandra.auth.Permission;
 import org.apache.cassandra.cql3.*;
 import org.apache.cassandra.db.IMutation;
-import org.apache.cassandra.db.marshal.AbstractType;
+import org.apache.cassandra.db.ExpiringColumn;
 import org.apache.cassandra.service.ClientState;
 import org.apache.cassandra.service.StorageProxy;
 import org.apache.cassandra.thrift.ConsistencyLevel;
@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ public abstract class ModificationStatement extends CFStatement implements CQLSt
         if (timeToLive < 0)
             throw new InvalidRequestException("A TTL must be greater or equal to 0");
 
+        if (timeToLive > ExpiringColumn.MAX_TTL)
+            throw new InvalidRequestException(String.format("ttl is too large. requested (%d) maximum (%d)", timeToLive, ExpiringColumn.MAX_TTL));
+
         ThriftValidation.validateConsistencyLevel(keyspace(), getConsistencyLevel(), RequestType.WRITE);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/ExpiringColumn.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/ExpiringColumn.java
index 2eb981dbe0..fe1b57c236 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/ExpiringColumn.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/db/ExpiringColumn.java
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ import org.apache.cassandra.utils.HeapAllocator;
  */
 public class ExpiringColumn extends Column
 {
+    public static final int MAX_TTL = 20 * 365 * 24 * 60 * 60; // 20 years in seconds
+
     private final int localExpirationTime;
     private final int timeToLive;
 
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/thrift/ThriftValidation.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/thrift/ThriftValidation.java
index fe5306009f..c673a9c9e6 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/thrift/ThriftValidation.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/thrift/ThriftValidation.java
@@ -29,15 +29,12 @@ import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 import org.apache.cassandra.config.*;
 import org.apache.cassandra.db.*;
 import org.apache.cassandra.db.marshal.AbstractType;
-import org.apache.cassandra.db.marshal.AsciiType;
 import org.apache.cassandra.db.marshal.MarshalException;
-import org.apache.cassandra.db.marshal.TypeParser;
 import org.apache.cassandra.dht.IPartitioner;
 import org.apache.cassandra.dht.RandomPartitioner;
 import org.apache.cassandra.dht.Token;
 import org.apache.cassandra.locator.*;
 import org.apache.cassandra.service.StorageService;
-import org.apache.cassandra.io.compress.CompressionParameters;
 import org.apache.cassandra.utils.ByteBufferUtil;
 import org.apache.cassandra.utils.FBUtilities;
 
@@ -337,12 +334,19 @@ public class ThriftValidation
 
     private static void validateTtl(Column column) throws InvalidRequestException
     {
-        if (column.isSetTtl() && column.ttl <= 0)
+        if (column.isSetTtl())
         {
-            throw new InvalidRequestException("ttl must be positive");
+            if (column.ttl <= 0)
+                throw new InvalidRequestException("ttl must be positive");
+
+            if (column.ttl > ExpiringColumn.MAX_TTL)
+                throw new InvalidRequestException(String.format("ttl is too large. requested (%d) maximum (%d)", column.ttl, ExpiringColumn.MAX_TTL));
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            // if it's not set, then it should be zero -- here we are just checking to make sure Thrift doesn't change that contract with us.
+            assert column.ttl == 0;
         }
-        // if it's not set, then it should be zero -- here we are just checking to make sure Thrift doesn't change that contract with us.
-        assert column.isSetTtl() || column.ttl == 0;
     }
 
     public static void validateMutation(CFMetaData metadata, Mutation mut)
@@ -441,7 +445,7 @@ public class ThriftValidation
                                                             (isSubColumn ? metadata.subcolumnComparator : metadata.comparator).getString(column.name)));
         }
 
-        // Indexed column values cannot be larger than 64K.  See CASSANDRA-3057/4240 for more details       
+        // Indexed column values cannot be larger than 64K.  See CASSANDRA-3057/4240 for more details
         if (!Table.open(metadata.ksName).getColumnFamilyStore(metadata.cfName).indexManager.validate(column))
                     throw new InvalidRequestException(String.format("Can't index column value of size %d for index %s in CF %s of KS %s",
                                                                      column.value.remaining(),