diff --git a/skynet-src/skynet_main.c b/skynet-src/skynet_main.c
index 5cbcc7e9..dc3d34e4 100644
--- a/skynet-src/skynet_main.c
+++ b/skynet-src/skynet_main.c
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <assert.h>
 
+#ifndef SKYNET_MAXTHREAD
+#define SKYNET_MAXTHREAD 1024
+#endif
+
 static int
 optint(const char *key, int opt) {
 	const char * str = skynet_getenv(key);
@@ -154,6 +158,10 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	lua_close(L);
 
 	config.thread =  optint("thread",8);
+	if (config.thread < 1 || config.thread > SKYNET_MAXTHREAD) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Invalid thread %d , should be in [1,%d]\n", config.thread, SKYNET_MAXTHREAD);
+		return 1;
+	}
 	config.module_path = optstring("cpath","./cservice/?.so");
 	config.harbor = optint("harbor", 1);
 	config.bootstrap = optstring("bootstrap","snlua bootstrap");