diff --git a/tool/ports/mk/check.mk b/tool/ports/mk/check.mk
index 691c8f3b51..38c7b7f070 100644
--- a/tool/ports/mk/check.mk
+++ b/tool/ports/mk/check.mk
@@ -54,11 +54,14 @@ check: $(DOWNLOADS)
 #
 # Check plain remote file
 #
+# Try to download first kilobytes at maximum, which succeeds with return code 0
+# on small files or "(63) Maximum file size exceeded" if the file is larger.
 # We call curl a second time if the first check fails. This gives download
 # sites time to reconsider their response and helps, for example, to check the
 # qemu-usb port.
 #
-CURL_CMD = curl -f -L -k -r -2 --max-time 15 --retry 2 $(URL($*)) > /dev/null 2>&1
+CURL_CMD = curl -s -f -L -k --max-filesize 200000 \
+           --max-time 15 --retry 1 $(URL($*)) > /dev/null || [ $$? -eq 63 ]
 %.file:
 	$(VERBOSE)$(CURL_CMD) || (sleep 1; $(CURL_CMD))