diff --git a/myisam/sort.c b/myisam/sort.c
index b909a16e8e6..728e5b9673e 100644
--- a/myisam/sort.c
+++ b/myisam/sort.c
@@ -559,9 +559,10 @@ int thr_write_keys(MI_SORT_PARAM *sort_param)
       if (!mergebuf)
       {
         length=param->sort_buffer_length;
-        while (length >= MIN_SORT_MEMORY && !mergebuf)
+        while (length >= MIN_SORT_MEMORY)
         {
-          mergebuf=my_malloc(length, MYF(0));
+          if ((mergebuf= my_malloc(length, MYF(0))))
+              break;
           length=length*3/4;
         }
         if (!mergebuf)
@@ -897,6 +898,7 @@ merge_buffers(MI_SORT_PARAM *info, uint keys, IO_CACHE *from_file,
 
   count=error=0;
   maxcount=keys/((uint) (Tb-Fb) +1);
+  DBUG_ASSERT(maxcount > 0);
   LINT_INIT(to_start_filepos);
   if (to_file)
     to_start_filepos=my_b_tell(to_file);
diff --git a/mysql-test/r/repair.result b/mysql-test/r/repair.result
index 355a8c25434..80b716131b9 100644
--- a/mysql-test/r/repair.result
+++ b/mysql-test/r/repair.result
@@ -83,3 +83,30 @@ test.t1	repair	status	OK
 SET myisam_repair_threads=@@global.myisam_repair_threads;
 SET myisam_sort_buffer_size=@@global.myisam_sort_buffer_size;
 DROP TABLE t1;
+CREATE TABLE t1(a CHAR(255), KEY(a));
+SET myisam_sort_buffer_size=4196;
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0');
+SET myisam_repair_threads=2;
+REPAIR TABLE t1;
+Table	Op	Msg_type	Msg_text
+test.t1	repair	status	OK
+SET myisam_repair_threads=@@global.myisam_repair_threads;
+SET myisam_sort_buffer_size=@@global.myisam_sort_buffer_size;
+DROP TABLE t1;
+End of 4.1 tests
diff --git a/mysql-test/t/repair.test b/mysql-test/t/repair.test
index 35e5e485cb9..e391e3e0076 100644
--- a/mysql-test/t/repair.test
+++ b/mysql-test/t/repair.test
@@ -83,4 +83,33 @@ SET myisam_repair_threads=@@global.myisam_repair_threads;
 SET myisam_sort_buffer_size=@@global.myisam_sort_buffer_size;
 DROP TABLE t1;
 
-# End of 4.1 tests
+#
+# BUG#31174 - "Repair" command on MyISAM crashes with small 
+#              myisam_sort_buffer_size
+#
+CREATE TABLE t1(a CHAR(255), KEY(a));
+SET myisam_sort_buffer_size=4196;
+INSERT INTO t1 VALUES
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),
+('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0'),('0');
+SET myisam_repair_threads=2;
+REPAIR TABLE t1;
+SET myisam_repair_threads=@@global.myisam_repair_threads;
+SET myisam_sort_buffer_size=@@global.myisam_sort_buffer_size;
+DROP TABLE t1;
+
+--echo End of 4.1 tests