diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/test_utils.py b/nova/tests/unit/test_utils.py
index 7a664030f321..23d06f11a416 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/test_utils.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/test_utils.py
@@ -831,6 +831,24 @@ class GetSystemMetadataFromImageTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
             sys_key = "%s%s" % (utils.SM_IMAGE_PROP_PREFIX, key)
             self.assertEqual(sys_meta[sys_key], expected)
 
+    def test_skip_image_properties(self):
+        image = self.get_image()
+        image["properties"] = {
+            "foo1": "bar", "foo2": "baz",
+            "mappings": "wizz", "img_block_device_mapping": "eek",
+        }
+
+        sys_meta = utils.get_system_metadata_from_image(image)
+
+        # Verify that we inherit all the image properties
+        for key, expected in six.iteritems(image["properties"]):
+            sys_key = "%s%s" % (utils.SM_IMAGE_PROP_PREFIX, key)
+
+            if key in utils.SM_SKIP_KEYS:
+                self.assertNotIn(sys_key, sys_meta)
+            else:
+                self.assertEqual(sys_meta[sys_key], expected)
+
     def test_vhd_min_disk_image(self):
         image = self.get_image()
         flavor = self.get_flavor()
@@ -873,6 +891,8 @@ class GetImageFromSystemMetadataTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
         sys_meta = self.get_system_metadata()
         sys_meta["%soo1" % utils.SM_IMAGE_PROP_PREFIX] = "bar"
         sys_meta["%soo2" % utils.SM_IMAGE_PROP_PREFIX] = "baz"
+        sys_meta["%simg_block_device_mapping" %
+                 utils.SM_IMAGE_PROP_PREFIX] = "eek"
 
         image = utils.get_image_from_system_metadata(sys_meta)
 
@@ -888,6 +908,8 @@ class GetImageFromSystemMetadataTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
             sys_key = "%s%s" % (utils.SM_IMAGE_PROP_PREFIX, key)
             self.assertEqual(image["properties"][key], sys_meta[sys_key])
 
+        self.assertNotIn("img_block_device_mapping", image["properties"])
+
     def test_dont_inherit_empty_values(self):
         sys_meta = self.get_system_metadata()
 
diff --git a/nova/utils.py b/nova/utils.py
index a57356c24cd3..264b44b2bea6 100644
--- a/nova/utils.py
+++ b/nova/utils.py
@@ -160,6 +160,15 @@ SM_IMAGE_PROP_PREFIX = "image_"
 SM_INHERITABLE_KEYS = (
     'min_ram', 'min_disk', 'disk_format', 'container_format',
 )
+# Keys which hold large structured data that won't fit in the
+# size constraints of the system_metadata table, so we avoid
+# storing and/or loading them.
+SM_SKIP_KEYS = (
+    # Legacy names
+    'mappings', 'block_device_mapping',
+    # Modern names
+    'img_mappings', 'img_block_device_mapping',
+)
 
 
 def vpn_ping(address, port, timeout=0.05, session_id=None):
@@ -1103,6 +1112,9 @@ def get_system_metadata_from_image(image_meta, flavor=None):
     prefix_format = SM_IMAGE_PROP_PREFIX + '%s'
 
     for key, value in six.iteritems(image_meta.get('properties', {})):
+        if key in SM_SKIP_KEYS:
+            continue
+
         new_value = safe_truncate(six.text_type(value), 255)
         system_meta[prefix_format % key] = new_value
 
@@ -1139,6 +1151,9 @@ def get_image_from_system_metadata(system_meta):
         if key.startswith(SM_IMAGE_PROP_PREFIX):
             key = key[len(SM_IMAGE_PROP_PREFIX):]
 
+        if key in SM_SKIP_KEYS:
+            continue
+
         if key in SM_INHERITABLE_KEYS:
             image_meta[key] = value
         else: