diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetserver.c b/src/rpc/virnetserver.c
index 17ab61b882..2ec4b9a6c9 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetserver.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetserver.c
@@ -1114,9 +1114,9 @@ virNetServerSetClientLimits(virNetServer *srv,
 
     if (max < max_unauth) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG, "%s",
-                       _("The overall maximum number of clients must be "
-                         "greater than the maximum number of clients waiting "
-                         "for authentication"));
+                       _("The overall maximum number of clients waiting "
+                         "for authentication must not be less than the overall "
+                         "maximum number of clients"));
         return -1;
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/virnetdaemondata/input-data-invalid-max-clients-failure.json b/tests/virnetdaemondata/input-data-invalid-max-clients-failure.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9bd5592994
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/virnetdaemondata/input-data-invalid-max-clients-failure.json
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+{
+    "servers": {
+        "testServer0": {
+            "min_workers": 10,
+            "max_workers": 50,
+            "priority_workers": 5,
+            "max_clients": 5,
+            "max_anonymous_clients": 10,
+            "keepaliveInterval": 120,
+            "keepaliveCount": 5,
+            "next_client_id": 5,
+            "services": [
+                {
+                    "auth": 0,
+                    "readonly": true,
+                    "nrequests_client_max": 2,
+                    "socks": [
+                        {
+                            "fd": 100,
+                            "errfd": -1,
+                            "pid": 0,
+                            "isClient": false
+                        }
+                    ]
+                }
+            ],
+            "clients": [
+            ]
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/virnetdaemondata/output-data-invalid-max-clients-failure.err b/tests/virnetdaemondata/output-data-invalid-max-clients-failure.err
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..00c2cee42c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/virnetdaemondata/output-data-invalid-max-clients-failure.err
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+internal error: The overall maximum number of clients must not be less than the number of clients waiting for authentication
diff --git a/tests/virnetdaemontest.c b/tests/virnetdaemontest.c
index 47d0923bdd..110ec748f8 100644
--- a/tests/virnetdaemontest.c
+++ b/tests/virnetdaemontest.c
@@ -413,6 +413,7 @@ mymain(void)
     EXEC_RESTART_TEST_FAIL("anon-clients", 2);
     EXEC_RESTART_TEST("client-auth-pending", 1);
     EXEC_RESTART_TEST_FAIL("client-auth-pending-failure", 1);
+    EXEC_RESTART_TEST_FAIL("invalid-max-clients-failure", 1);
 
     return ret == 0 ? EXIT_SUCCESS : EXIT_FAILURE;
 }