diff --git a/block/qcow2-cluster.c b/block/qcow2-cluster.c
index fb4224a669..4f7dc59b76 100644
--- a/block/qcow2-cluster.c
+++ b/block/qcow2-cluster.c
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 #include "block_int.h"
 #include "block/qcow2.h"
 
-int qcow2_grow_l1_table(BlockDriverState *bs, int min_size)
+int qcow2_grow_l1_table(BlockDriverState *bs, int min_size, bool exact_size)
 {
     BDRVQcowState *s = bs->opaque;
     int new_l1_size, new_l1_size2, ret, i;
@@ -36,15 +36,22 @@ int qcow2_grow_l1_table(BlockDriverState *bs, int min_size)
     int64_t new_l1_table_offset;
     uint8_t data[12];
 
-    new_l1_size = s->l1_size;
-    if (min_size <= new_l1_size)
+    if (min_size <= s->l1_size)
         return 0;
-    if (new_l1_size == 0) {
-        new_l1_size = 1;
-    }
-    while (min_size > new_l1_size) {
-        new_l1_size = (new_l1_size * 3 + 1) / 2;
+
+    if (exact_size) {
+        new_l1_size = min_size;
+    } else {
+        /* Bump size up to reduce the number of times we have to grow */
+        new_l1_size = s->l1_size;
+        if (new_l1_size == 0) {
+            new_l1_size = 1;
+        }
+        while (min_size > new_l1_size) {
+            new_l1_size = (new_l1_size * 3 + 1) / 2;
+        }
     }
+
 #ifdef DEBUG_ALLOC2
     printf("grow l1_table from %d to %d\n", s->l1_size, new_l1_size);
 #endif
@@ -550,7 +557,7 @@ static int get_cluster_table(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t offset,
 
     l1_index = offset >> (s->l2_bits + s->cluster_bits);
     if (l1_index >= s->l1_size) {
-        ret = qcow2_grow_l1_table(bs, l1_index + 1);
+        ret = qcow2_grow_l1_table(bs, l1_index + 1, false);
         if (ret < 0) {
             return ret;
         }
diff --git a/block/qcow2-snapshot.c b/block/qcow2-snapshot.c
index bbfcaaae22..8dd5df0bcd 100644
--- a/block/qcow2-snapshot.c
+++ b/block/qcow2-snapshot.c
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ int qcow2_snapshot_goto(BlockDriverState *bs, const char *snapshot_id)
     if (qcow2_update_snapshot_refcount(bs, s->l1_table_offset, s->l1_size, -1) < 0)
         goto fail;
 
-    if (qcow2_grow_l1_table(bs, sn->l1_size) < 0)
+    if (qcow2_grow_l1_table(bs, sn->l1_size, true) < 0)
         goto fail;
 
     s->l1_size = sn->l1_size;
diff --git a/block/qcow2.c b/block/qcow2.c
index ee3481b786..345d2e4c3b 100644
--- a/block/qcow2.c
+++ b/block/qcow2.c
@@ -1154,7 +1154,7 @@ static int qcow2_truncate(BlockDriverState *bs, int64_t offset)
     }
 
     new_l1_size = size_to_l1(s, offset);
-    ret = qcow2_grow_l1_table(bs, new_l1_size);
+    ret = qcow2_grow_l1_table(bs, new_l1_size, true);
     if (ret < 0) {
         return ret;
     }
diff --git a/block/qcow2.h b/block/qcow2.h
index 356a34af43..add710ba76 100644
--- a/block/qcow2.h
+++ b/block/qcow2.h
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ int qcow2_update_snapshot_refcount(BlockDriverState *bs,
 int qcow2_check_refcounts(BlockDriverState *bs, BdrvCheckResult *res);
 
 /* qcow2-cluster.c functions */
-int qcow2_grow_l1_table(BlockDriverState *bs, int min_size);
+int qcow2_grow_l1_table(BlockDriverState *bs, int min_size, bool exact_size);
 void qcow2_l2_cache_reset(BlockDriverState *bs);
 int qcow2_decompress_cluster(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t cluster_offset);
 void qcow2_encrypt_sectors(BDRVQcowState *s, int64_t sector_num,