diff --git a/fairmq/shmem/Message.h b/fairmq/shmem/Message.h
index 0739ff81..a59818f3 100644
--- a/fairmq/shmem/Message.h
+++ b/fairmq/shmem/Message.h
@@ -211,11 +211,31 @@ class Message final : public fair::mq::Message
             return true;
         } else if (newSize <= fMeta.fSize) {
             try {
-                fLocalPtr = fManager.ShrinkInPlace(newSize, fLocalPtr, fMeta.fSegmentId);
-                fMeta.fSize = newSize;
-                return true;
+                try {
+                    fLocalPtr = fManager.ShrinkInPlace(newSize, fLocalPtr, fMeta.fSegmentId);
+                    fMeta.fSize = newSize;
+                    return true;
+                } catch (boost::interprocess::bad_alloc& e) {
+                    // if shrinking fails (can happen due to boost alignment requirements):
+                    // unused size >= 1000000 bytes: reallocate fully
+                    // unused size < 1000000 bytes: simply reset the size and keep the rest of the buffer until message destruction
+                    if (fMeta.fSize - newSize >= 1000000) {
+                        char* newPtr = fManager.Allocate(newSize, fAlignment);
+                        if (newPtr) {
+                            std::memcpy(newPtr, fLocalPtr, newSize);
+                            fManager.Deallocate(fMeta.fHandle, fMeta.fSegmentId);
+                            fLocalPtr = newPtr;
+                            fMeta.fHandle = fManager.GetHandleFromAddress(fLocalPtr, fMeta.fSegmentId);
+                        } else {
+                            LOG(debug) << "could not set used size: " << e.what();
+                            return false;
+                        }
+                    }
+                    fMeta.fSize = newSize;
+                    return true;
+                }
             } catch (boost::interprocess::interprocess_exception& e) {
-                LOG(info) << "could not set used size: " << e.what();
+                LOG(debug) << "could not set used size: " << e.what();
                 return false;
             }
         } else {
@@ -257,7 +277,7 @@ class Message final : public fair::mq::Message
     Manager& fManager;
     bool fQueued;
     MetaHeader fMeta;
-    size_t fAlignment; // TODO: put this to debug mode
+    size_t fAlignment;
     mutable Region* fRegionPtr;
     mutable char* fLocalPtr;
 
diff --git a/test/message/_message.cxx b/test/message/_message.cxx
index 2eb2c5a1..73c4e53e 100644
--- a/test/message/_message.cxx
+++ b/test/message/_message.cxx
@@ -40,34 +40,34 @@ void RunPushPullWithMsgResize(const string& transport, const string& _address)
     pull.Connect(address);
 
     {
-        FairMQMessagePtr outMsg(push.NewMessage(1000));
-        ASSERT_EQ(outMsg->GetSize(), 1000);
-        memcpy(outMsg->GetData(), "ABC", 3);
-        ASSERT_EQ(outMsg->SetUsedSize(500), true);
-        ASSERT_EQ(outMsg->SetUsedSize(500), true);
-        ASSERT_EQ(outMsg->SetUsedSize(700), false);
-        ASSERT_EQ(outMsg->GetSize(), 500);
+        FairMQMessagePtr outMsg(push.NewMessage(6));
+        ASSERT_EQ(outMsg->GetSize(), 6);
+        memcpy(outMsg->GetData(), "ABCDEF", 6);
+        ASSERT_EQ(outMsg->SetUsedSize(5), true);
+        ASSERT_EQ(outMsg->SetUsedSize(5), true);
+        ASSERT_EQ(outMsg->SetUsedSize(7), false);
+        ASSERT_EQ(outMsg->GetSize(), 5);
         // check if the data is still intact
         ASSERT_EQ(static_cast<char*>(outMsg->GetData())[0], 'A');
         ASSERT_EQ(static_cast<char*>(outMsg->GetData())[1], 'B');
         ASSERT_EQ(static_cast<char*>(outMsg->GetData())[2], 'C');
-        ASSERT_EQ(outMsg->SetUsedSize(250), true);
-        ASSERT_EQ(outMsg->GetSize(), 250);
+        ASSERT_EQ(static_cast<char*>(outMsg->GetData())[3], 'D');
+        ASSERT_EQ(static_cast<char*>(outMsg->GetData())[4], 'E');
+        ASSERT_EQ(outMsg->SetUsedSize(2), true);
+        ASSERT_EQ(outMsg->GetSize(), 2);
         ASSERT_EQ(static_cast<char*>(outMsg->GetData())[0], 'A');
         ASSERT_EQ(static_cast<char*>(outMsg->GetData())[1], 'B');
-        ASSERT_EQ(static_cast<char*>(outMsg->GetData())[2], 'C');
         FairMQMessagePtr msgCopy(push.NewMessage());
         msgCopy->Copy(*outMsg);
-        ASSERT_EQ(msgCopy->GetSize(), 250);
+        ASSERT_EQ(msgCopy->GetSize(), 2);
 
-        ASSERT_EQ(push.Send(outMsg), 250);
+        ASSERT_EQ(push.Send(outMsg), 2);
 
         FairMQMessagePtr inMsg(pull.NewMessage());
-        ASSERT_EQ(pull.Receive(inMsg), 250);
-        ASSERT_EQ(inMsg->GetSize(), 250);
+        ASSERT_EQ(pull.Receive(inMsg), 2);
+        ASSERT_EQ(inMsg->GetSize(), 2);
         ASSERT_EQ(static_cast<char*>(inMsg->GetData())[0], 'A');
         ASSERT_EQ(static_cast<char*>(inMsg->GetData())[1], 'B');
-        ASSERT_EQ(static_cast<char*>(inMsg->GetData())[2], 'C');
     }
 
     {