diff --git a/archive/tar/writer.go b/archive/tar/writer.go
index 9dbc01a..3547c17 100644
--- a/archive/tar/writer.go
+++ b/archive/tar/writer.go
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ var (
 	ErrWriteTooLong    = errors.New("archive/tar: write too long")
 	ErrFieldTooLong    = errors.New("archive/tar: header field too long")
 	ErrWriteAfterClose = errors.New("archive/tar: write after close")
-	errNameTooLong     = errors.New("archive/tar: name too long")
 	errInvalidHeader   = errors.New("archive/tar: header field too long or contains invalid values")
 )
 
@@ -215,26 +214,14 @@ func (tw *Writer) writeHeader(hdr *Header, allowPax bool) error {
 	_, paxPathUsed := paxHeaders[paxPath]
 	// try to use a ustar header when only the name is too long
 	if !tw.preferPax && len(paxHeaders) == 1 && paxPathUsed {
-		suffix := hdr.Name
-		prefix := ""
-		if len(hdr.Name) > fileNameSize && isASCII(hdr.Name) {
-			var err error
-			prefix, suffix, err = tw.splitUSTARLongName(hdr.Name)
-			if err == nil {
-				// ok we can use a ustar long name instead of pax, now correct the fields
+		prefix, suffix, ok := splitUSTARPath(hdr.Name)
+		if ok {
+			// Since we can encode in USTAR format, disable PAX header.
+			delete(paxHeaders, paxPath)
 
-				// remove the path field from the pax header. this will suppress the pax header
-				delete(paxHeaders, paxPath)
-
-				// update the path fields
-				tw.cString(pathHeaderBytes, suffix, false, paxNone, nil)
-				tw.cString(prefixHeaderBytes, prefix, false, paxNone, nil)
-
-				// Use the ustar magic if we used ustar long names.
-				if len(prefix) > 0 && !tw.usedBinary {
-					copy(header[257:265], []byte("ustar\x00"))
-				}
-			}
+			// Update the path fields
+			tw.cString(pathHeaderBytes, suffix, false, paxNone, nil)
+			tw.cString(prefixHeaderBytes, prefix, false, paxNone, nil)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -270,28 +257,25 @@ func (tw *Writer) writeHeader(hdr *Header, allowPax bool) error {
 	return tw.err
 }
 
-// writeUSTARLongName splits a USTAR long name hdr.Name.
-// name must be < 256 characters. errNameTooLong is returned
-// if hdr.Name can't be split. The splitting heuristic
-// is compatible with gnu tar.
-func (tw *Writer) splitUSTARLongName(name string) (prefix, suffix string, err error) {
+// splitUSTARPath splits a path according to USTAR prefix and suffix rules.
+// If the path is not splittable, then it will return ("", "", false).
+func splitUSTARPath(name string) (prefix, suffix string, ok bool) {
 	length := len(name)
-	if length > fileNamePrefixSize+1 {
+	if length <= fileNameSize || !isASCII(name) {
+		return "", "", false
+	} else if length > fileNamePrefixSize+1 {
 		length = fileNamePrefixSize + 1
 	} else if name[length-1] == '/' {
 		length--
 	}
+
 	i := strings.LastIndex(name[:length], "/")
-	// nlen contains the resulting length in the name field.
-	// plen contains the resulting length in the prefix field.
-	nlen := len(name) - i - 1
-	plen := i
+	nlen := len(name) - i - 1 // nlen is length of suffix
+	plen := i                 // plen is length of prefix
 	if i <= 0 || nlen > fileNameSize || nlen == 0 || plen > fileNamePrefixSize {
-		err = errNameTooLong
-		return
+		return "", "", false
 	}
-	prefix, suffix = name[:i], name[i+1:]
-	return
+	return name[:i], name[i+1:], true
 }
 
 // writePaxHeader writes an extended pax header to the
diff --git a/archive/tar/writer_test.go b/archive/tar/writer_test.go
index fe46a67..caf40a8 100644
--- a/archive/tar/writer_test.go
+++ b/archive/tar/writer_test.go
@@ -544,3 +544,37 @@ func TestWriteAfterClose(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("Write: got %v; want ErrWriteAfterClose", err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestSplitUSTARPath(t *testing.T) {
+	var sr = strings.Repeat
+
+	var vectors = []struct {
+		input  string // Input path
+		prefix string // Expected output prefix
+		suffix string // Expected output suffix
+		ok     bool   // Split success?
+	}{
+		{"", "", "", false},
+		{"abc", "", "", false},
+		{"用戶名", "", "", false},
+		{sr("a", fileNameSize), "", "", false},
+		{sr("a", fileNameSize) + "/", "", "", false},
+		{sr("a", fileNameSize) + "/a", sr("a", fileNameSize), "a", true},
+		{sr("a", fileNamePrefixSize) + "/", "", "", false},
+		{sr("a", fileNamePrefixSize) + "/a", sr("a", fileNamePrefixSize), "a", true},
+		{sr("a", fileNameSize+1), "", "", false},
+		{sr("/", fileNameSize+1), sr("/", fileNameSize-1), "/", true},
+		{sr("a", fileNamePrefixSize) + "/" + sr("b", fileNameSize),
+			sr("a", fileNamePrefixSize), sr("b", fileNameSize), true},
+		{sr("a", fileNamePrefixSize) + "//" + sr("b", fileNameSize), "", "", false},
+		{sr("a/", fileNameSize), sr("a/", 77) + "a", sr("a/", 22), true},
+	}
+
+	for _, v := range vectors {
+		prefix, suffix, ok := splitUSTARPath(v.input)
+		if prefix != v.prefix || suffix != v.suffix || ok != v.ok {
+			t.Errorf("splitUSTARPath(%q):\ngot  (%q, %q, %v)\nwant (%q, %q, %v)",
+				v.input, prefix, suffix, ok, v.prefix, v.suffix, v.ok)
+		}
+	}
+}