diff --git a/include/hdf5libs/HDF5FileLayout.hpp b/include/hdf5libs/HDF5FileLayout.hpp
index b82f7c3..066a224 100644
--- a/include/hdf5libs/HDF5FileLayout.hpp
+++ b/include/hdf5libs/HDF5FileLayout.hpp
@@ -206,31 +206,6 @@ class HDF5FileLayout
    */
   std::map<std::string, daqdataformats::SourceID::Subsystem> m_detector_group_name_to_type_map;
 
-  // quick powers of ten lookup
-  constexpr static uint64_t m_powers_ten[] // NOLINT(build/unsigned)
-    = {
-        1,                    // 1e0
-        10,                   // 1e1
-        100,                  // 1e2
-        1000,                 // 1e3
-        10000,                // 1e4
-        100000,               // 1e5
-        1000000,              // 1e6
-        10000000,             // 1e7
-        100000000,            // 1e8
-        1000000000,           // 1e9
-        10000000000,          // 1e10
-        100000000000,         // 1e11
-        1000000000000,        // 1e12
-        10000000000000,       // 1e13
-        100000000000000,      // 1e14
-        1000000000000000,     // 1e15
-        10000000000000000,    // 1e16
-        100000000000000000,   // 1e17
-        1000000000000000000,  // 1e18
-        10000000000000000000u // 1e19
-      };
-
   /**
    * @brief Fill path parameters maps from FileLayoutParams
    */
diff --git a/schema/hdf5libs/hdf5filelayout.jsonnet b/schema/hdf5libs/hdf5filelayout.jsonnet
index 280c85c..960c9b4 100644
--- a/schema/hdf5libs/hdf5filelayout.jsonnet
+++ b/schema/hdf5libs/hdf5filelayout.jsonnet
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@ local types = {
         s.field("record_name_prefix", self.hdf_string, "TriggerRecord",
                 doc="Prefix for the record name"),
         s.field("digits_for_record_number", self.count, 6,
-                doc="Number of digits to use for the record number in the record name inside the HDF5 file"),
+                doc="Minimum number of digits to use for the record number in the record name inside the HDF5 file"),
         s.field("digits_for_sequence_number", self.count, 4,
-                doc="Number of digits to use for the sequence number in the TriggerRecord name inside the HDF5 file"),
+                doc="Minimum number of digits to use for the sequence number in the TriggerRecord name inside the HDF5 file"),
         s.field("record_header_dataset_name", self.hdf_string, "TriggerRecordHeader",
                 doc="Dataset name for the record header"),
         s.field("raw_data_group_name", self.hdf_string, "RawData",
diff --git a/src/HDF5FileLayout.cpp b/src/HDF5FileLayout.cpp
index 4f58bd0..936992a 100644
--- a/src/HDF5FileLayout.cpp
+++ b/src/HDF5FileLayout.cpp
@@ -65,21 +65,10 @@ HDF5FileLayout::get_record_number_string(uint64_t record_number, // NOLINT(build
   std::ostringstream record_number_string;
 
   int width = m_conf_params.digits_for_record_number;
-
-  if (record_number >= m_powers_ten[m_conf_params.digits_for_record_number]) {
-    ers::warning(FileLayoutNotEnoughDigitsForPath(ERS_HERE, record_number, m_conf_params.digits_for_record_number));
-    width = 0; // tells it to revert to normal width
-  }
-
   record_number_string << m_conf_params.record_name_prefix << std::setw(width) << std::setfill('0') << record_number;
 
   if (m_conf_params.digits_for_sequence_number > 0) {
-
     width = m_conf_params.digits_for_sequence_number;
-    if (seq_num >= m_powers_ten[m_conf_params.digits_for_sequence_number]) {
-      ers::warning(FileLayoutNotEnoughDigitsForPath(ERS_HERE, seq_num, m_conf_params.digits_for_sequence_number));
-      width = 0; // tells it to revert to normal width
-    }
     record_number_string << "." << std::setw(width) << std::setfill('0') << seq_num;
   }