diff --git a/include/spdk/nvme.h b/include/spdk/nvme.h
index 4b1dbf66a..0695964f4 100644
--- a/include/spdk/nvme.h
+++ b/include/spdk/nvme.h
@@ -324,7 +324,8 @@ int nvme_ns_cmd_read(struct nvme_namespace *ns, void *payload,
  * \param ns NVMe namespace to submit the deallocation request
  * \param payload virtual address pointer to the list of LBA ranges to
  *                deallocate
- * \param num_ranges number of ranges in the list pointed to by payload
+ * \param num_ranges number of ranges in the list pointed to by payload; must be
+ *                between 1 and \ref NVME_DATASET_MANAGEMENT_MAX_RANGES, inclusive.
  * \param cb_fn callback function to invoke when the I/O is completed
  * \param cb_arg argument to pass to the callback function
  *
@@ -335,7 +336,7 @@ int nvme_ns_cmd_read(struct nvme_namespace *ns, void *payload,
  * nvme_register_io_thread().
  */
 int nvme_ns_cmd_deallocate(struct nvme_namespace *ns, void *payload,
-			   uint8_t num_ranges, nvme_cb_fn_t cb_fn,
+			   uint16_t num_ranges, nvme_cb_fn_t cb_fn,
 			   void *cb_arg);
 
 /**
diff --git a/include/spdk/nvme_spec.h b/include/spdk/nvme_spec.h
index 99f49e317..9bd5ff385 100644
--- a/include/spdk/nvme_spec.h
+++ b/include/spdk/nvme_spec.h
@@ -59,6 +59,12 @@
 
 #define NVME_MAX_IO_QUEUES		(1 << 16)
 
+/**
+ * Indicates the maximum number of range sets that may be specified
+ *  in the dataset mangement command.
+ */
+#define NVME_DATASET_MANAGEMENT_MAX_RANGES	256
+
 union nvme_cap_lo_register {
 	uint32_t	raw;
 	struct {
diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c
index 7e94878dd..069e2880c 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ns_cmd.c
@@ -196,12 +196,12 @@ nvme_ns_cmd_write(struct nvme_namespace *ns, void *payload, uint64_t lba,
 
 int
 nvme_ns_cmd_deallocate(struct nvme_namespace *ns, void *payload,
-		       uint8_t num_ranges, nvme_cb_fn_t cb_fn, void *cb_arg)
+		       uint16_t num_ranges, nvme_cb_fn_t cb_fn, void *cb_arg)
 {
 	struct nvme_request	*req;
 	struct nvme_command	*cmd;
 
-	if (num_ranges == 0) {
+	if (num_ranges == 0 || num_ranges > NVME_DATASET_MANAGEMENT_MAX_RANGES) {
 		return EINVAL;
 	}