An expansion dowel assembly includes an expansion sleeve, an expanding member and a bolt for pulling the expanding member into the expansion sleeve. The expansion sleeve has a leading end and a trailing end with a bore extending between its two ends. At the leading end, the bore is conically shaped and converges toward the trailing end. From the trailing end of the conically shaped section, the bore is cylindrically shaped and extends toward the trailing end to another smaller diameter cylindrically shaped section of the bore. At the transition between the two cylindrically shaped sections there is a stop shoulder which limits the pulling-in action of the expanding member and the radial widening of the expansion sleeve.