diff --git a/lib/iscsi/init_grp.c b/lib/iscsi/init_grp.c
index 33b7bfc38..4dcd64fc8 100644
--- a/lib/iscsi/init_grp.c
+++ b/lib/iscsi/init_grp.c
@@ -83,6 +83,11 @@ spdk_iscsi_init_grp_add_initiator(struct spdk_iscsi_init_grp *ig, char *name)
 		return -EPERM;
 	}
 
+	if (strlen(name) > MAX_INITIATOR_NAME) {
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("Initiator Name is larger than 223 bytes\n");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	iname = spdk_iscsi_init_grp_find_initiator(ig, name);
 	if (iname != NULL) {
 		return -EEXIST;
diff --git a/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c b/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c
index a2c22ae69..e9d2383ab 100644
--- a/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c
+++ b/lib/iscsi/iscsi.c
@@ -1631,7 +1631,7 @@ spdk_iscsi_op_login_phase_none(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn,
 			       int alloc_len, int cid)
 {
 	enum session_type session_type;
-	char initiator_port_name[MAX_INITIATOR_NAME];
+	char initiator_port_name[MAX_INITIATOR_PORT_NAME];
 	struct iscsi_bhs_login_rsp *rsph;
 	struct spdk_iscsi_tgt_node *target = NULL;
 	int rc = 0;
@@ -1641,7 +1641,7 @@ spdk_iscsi_op_login_phase_none(struct spdk_iscsi_conn *conn,
 	conn->dev = NULL;
 
 	rc = spdk_iscsi_op_login_initialize_port(conn, rsp_pdu,
-			initiator_port_name, MAX_INITIATOR_NAME, params);
+			initiator_port_name, MAX_INITIATOR_PORT_NAME, params);
 	if (rc < 0) {
 		return rc;
 	}
diff --git a/lib/iscsi/iscsi.h b/lib/iscsi/iscsi.h
index 7334f843b..343207b03 100644
--- a/lib/iscsi/iscsi.h
+++ b/lib/iscsi/iscsi.h
@@ -51,8 +51,9 @@
 #define SPDK_ISCSI_DEFAULT_NODEBASE "iqn.2016-06.io.spdk"
 
 #define DEFAULT_MAXR2T 4
-#define MAX_INITIATOR_NAME 256
-#define MAX_TARGET_NAME 256
+#define MAX_INITIATOR_PORT_NAME 256
+#define MAX_INITIATOR_NAME 223
+#define MAX_TARGET_NAME 223
 
 #define MAX_PORTAL 1024
 #define MAX_INITIATOR 256
diff --git a/lib/iscsi/tgt_node.c b/lib/iscsi/tgt_node.c
index 97b5bbe16..a7521bf3b 100644
--- a/lib/iscsi/tgt_node.c
+++ b/lib/iscsi/tgt_node.c
@@ -792,6 +792,11 @@ spdk_check_iscsi_name(const char *name)
 	const unsigned char *up = (const unsigned char *) name;
 	size_t n;
 
+	/* valid iSCSI name no larger than 223 bytes */
+	if (strlen(name) > MAX_TARGET_NAME) {
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	/* valid iSCSI name? */
 	for (n = 0; up[n] != 0; n++) {
 		if (up[n] > 0x00U && up[n] <= 0x2cU) {