diff --git a/modules/book/book.admin.inc b/modules/book/book.admin.inc
index 84cbe13..ae4f779 100644
--- a/modules/book/book.admin.inc
+++ b/modules/book/book.admin.inc
@@ -182,9 +182,13 @@ function _book_admin_table_tree($tree, &$form) {
         '#size' => 40,
       ),
       'weight' => array(
-        '#type' => 'weight',
+        // Using a textfield and a validator instead of a simple weight select
+        // to avoid unnecessarily oversized HTML for books with hundreds of
+        // pages.
+        '#type' => 'textfield',
+        '#element_validate' => array('_book_validate_integer'),
         '#default_value' => $data['link']['weight'],
-        '#delta' => 15,
+        '#title' => t('Weight for @title', array('@title' => $data['link']['title'])),
       ),
       'plid' => array(
         '#type' => 'textfield',
diff --git a/modules/book/book.module b/modules/book/book.module
index 56f839a..7a3c062 100644
--- a/modules/book/book.module
+++ b/modules/book/book.module
@@ -382,10 +382,12 @@ function _book_add_form_elements(&$form, $node) {
   $form['book']['plid'] = _book_parent_select($node->book);
 
   $form['book']['weight'] = array(
-    '#type' => 'weight',
+    // Using a textfield and a validator instead of a simple weight select to
+    // avoid unnecessarily oversized HTML for books with hundreds of pages.
+    '#type' => 'textfield',
+    '#element_validate' => array('_book_validate_integer'),
     '#title' => t('Weight'),
     '#default_value' => $node->book['weight'],
-    '#delta' => 15,
     '#weight' => 5,
     '#description' => t('Pages at a given level are ordered first by weight and then by title.'),
   );
@@ -1093,3 +1095,11 @@ function book_menu_subtree_data($item) {
   return $tree[$cid];
 }
 
+// Helper function borrowed from upstream.
+// http://api.drupal.org/api/drupal/includes--form.inc/function/element_validate_integer/7
+function _book_validate_integer($element, &$form_state) {
+  $value = $element['#value'];
+  if ($value !== '' && (!is_numeric($value) || intval($value) != $value)) {
+    form_error($element, t('%name must be an integer.', array('%name' => $element['#title'])));
+  }
+}