diff --git a/sdks/python/apache_beam/runners/worker/data_plane.py b/sdks/python/apache_beam/runners/worker/data_plane.py
index 5c763743f411..b7ea07734a08 100644
--- a/sdks/python/apache_beam/runners/worker/data_plane.py
+++ b/sdks/python/apache_beam/runners/worker/data_plane.py
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@
 
 _DEFAULT_SIZE_FLUSH_THRESHOLD = 10 << 20  # 10MB
 _DEFAULT_TIME_FLUSH_THRESHOLD_MS = 0  # disable time-based flush by default
+_FLUSH_MAX_SIZE = (2 << 30) - 100  # 2GB less some overhead, protobuf/grpc limit
 
 # Keep a set of completed instructions to discard late received data. The set
 # can have up to _MAX_CLEANED_INSTRUCTIONS items. See _GrpcDataChannel.
@@ -147,6 +148,14 @@ def maybe_flush(self):
   def flush(self):
     # type: () -> None
     if self._flush_callback:
+      if self.size() > _FLUSH_MAX_SIZE:
+        raise ValueError(
+            f'Buffer size {self.size()} exceeds GRPC limit {_FLUSH_MAX_SIZE}. '
+            'This is likely due to a single element that is too large. '
+            'To resolve, prefer multiple small elements over single large '
+            'elements in PCollections. If needed, store large blobs in '
+            'external storage systems, and use PCollections to pass their '
+            'metadata, or use a custom coder that reduces the element\'s size.')
       self._flush_callback(self.get())
       self._clear()