diff --git a/programs/ssl/ssl_client2.c b/programs/ssl/ssl_client2.c
index f6284feeb..97088916f 100644
--- a/programs/ssl/ssl_client2.c
+++ b/programs/ssl/ssl_client2.c
@@ -370,7 +370,9 @@ int main( void )
 #define USAGE_SERIALIZATION ""
 #endif
 
-#define USAGE \
+/* USAGE is arbitrarily split to stay under the portable string literal
+ * length limit: 4095 bytes in C99. */
+#define USAGE1 \
     "\n usage: ssl_client2 param=<>...\n"                   \
     "\n acceptable parameters:\n"                           \
     "    server_name=%%s      default: localhost\n"         \
@@ -394,7 +396,8 @@ int main( void )
     "\n"                                                    \
     USAGE_DTLS                                              \
     USAGE_CID                                               \
-    "\n"                                                    \
+    "\n"
+#define USAGE2 \
     "    auth_mode=%%s        default: (library default: none)\n" \
     "                        options: none, optional, required\n" \
     USAGE_IO                                                \
@@ -404,7 +407,8 @@ int main( void )
     USAGE_PSK                                               \
     USAGE_ECJPAKE                                           \
     USAGE_ECRESTART                                         \
-    "\n"                                                    \
+    "\n"
+#define USAGE3 \
     "    allow_legacy=%%d     default: (library default: no)\n"   \
     USAGE_RENEGO                                            \
     "    exchanges=%%d        default: 1\n"                 \
@@ -427,7 +431,8 @@ int main( void )
     USAGE_CURVES                                            \
     USAGE_RECSPLIT                                          \
     USAGE_DHMLEN                                            \
-    "\n"                                                    \
+    "\n"
+#define USAGE4 \
     "    arc4=%%d             default: (library default: 0)\n" \
     "    allow_sha1=%%d       default: 0\n"                             \
     "    min_version=%%s      default: (library default: tls1)\n"       \
@@ -1234,7 +1239,10 @@ int main( int argc, char *argv[] )
         if( ret == 0 )
             ret = 1;
 
-        mbedtls_printf( USAGE );
+        mbedtls_printf( USAGE1 );
+        mbedtls_printf( USAGE2 );
+        mbedtls_printf( USAGE3 );
+        mbedtls_printf( USAGE4 );
 
         list = mbedtls_ssl_list_ciphersuites();
         while( *list )
diff --git a/programs/ssl/ssl_server2.c b/programs/ssl/ssl_server2.c
index 845881f93..76b1ba6cc 100644
--- a/programs/ssl/ssl_server2.c
+++ b/programs/ssl/ssl_server2.c
@@ -456,7 +456,9 @@ int main( void )
 #define USAGE_SERIALIZATION ""
 #endif
 
-#define USAGE \
+/* USAGE is arbitrarily split to stay under the portable string literal
+ * length limit: 4095 bytes in C99. */
+#define USAGE1 \
     "\n usage: ssl_server2 param=<>...\n"                   \
     "\n acceptable parameters:\n"                           \
     "    server_addr=%%s      default: (all interfaces)\n"  \
@@ -477,7 +479,8 @@ int main( void )
     USAGE_COOKIES                                           \
     USAGE_ANTI_REPLAY                                       \
     USAGE_BADMAC_LIMIT                                      \
-    "\n"                                                    \
+    "\n"
+#define USAGE2 \
     "    auth_mode=%%s        default: (library default: none)\n"      \
     "                        options: none, optional, required\n" \
     "    cert_req_ca_list=%%d default: 1 (send ca list)\n"  \
@@ -489,7 +492,8 @@ int main( void )
     USAGE_PSK                                               \
     USAGE_CA_CALLBACK                                       \
     USAGE_ECJPAKE                                           \
-    "\n"                                                    \
+    "\n"
+#define USAGE3 \
     "    allow_legacy=%%d     default: (library default: no)\n"      \
     USAGE_RENEGO                                            \
     "    exchanges=%%d        default: 1\n"                 \
@@ -506,7 +510,8 @@ int main( void )
     USAGE_EMS                                               \
     USAGE_ETM                                               \
     USAGE_CURVES                                            \
-    "\n"                                                    \
+    "\n"
+#define USAGE4 \
     "    arc4=%%d             default: (library default: 0)\n" \
     "    allow_sha1=%%d       default: 0\n"                             \
     "    min_version=%%s      default: (library default: tls1)\n"       \
@@ -1900,7 +1905,10 @@ int main( int argc, char *argv[] )
         if( ret == 0 )
             ret = 1;
 
-        mbedtls_printf( USAGE );
+        mbedtls_printf( USAGE1 );
+        mbedtls_printf( USAGE2 );
+        mbedtls_printf( USAGE3 );
+        mbedtls_printf( USAGE4 );
 
         list = mbedtls_ssl_list_ciphersuites();
         while( *list )