diff --git a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
index 3ac131b4c..37f8a83ab 100644
--- a/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
+++ b/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c
@@ -4198,13 +4198,15 @@ nvme_cmd_map_prps(void *prv, struct spdk_nvme_cmd *cmd, struct iovec *iovs,
 		SPDK_ERRLOG("GPA to VVA failed\n");
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
+	len -= residue_len;
+	if (len && max_iovcnt < 2) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("Too many page entries, at least two iovs are required\n");
+		return -ERANGE;
+	}
 	iovs[0].iov_base = vva;
 	iovs[0].iov_len = residue_len;
-	len -= residue_len;
 
 	if (len) {
-		assert(max_iovcnt > 1);
-
 		if (spdk_unlikely(prp2 == 0)) {
 			SPDK_ERRLOG("no PRP2, %d remaining\n", len);
 			return -EINVAL;
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
index 0c29a4b64..6ef4d5454 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/nvme/nvme_ctrlr.c/nvme_ctrlr_ut.c
@@ -2262,6 +2262,8 @@ test_nvme_cmd_map_prps(void)
 	cmd.dptr.prp.prp1 = (uint64_t)(uintptr_t)buf + 1024 * 3;
 	cmd.dptr.prp.prp2 = (uint64_t)(uintptr_t)buf + 4096;
 	len = 4096;
+	ret = nvme_cmd_map_prps(NULL, &cmd, iovs, 1, len, mps, gpa_to_vva);
+	CU_ASSERT(ret == -ERANGE);
 	ret = nvme_cmd_map_prps(NULL, &cmd, iovs, 33, len, mps, gpa_to_vva);
 	CU_ASSERT(ret == 2);
 	CU_ASSERT(iovs[0].iov_base == (void *)(uintptr_t)cmd.dptr.prp.prp1);