diff --git a/app/test-pmd/parameters.c b/app/test-pmd/parameters.c
index daf6a31b2b..641c9c767e 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/parameters.c
+++ b/app/test-pmd/parameters.c
@@ -940,11 +940,12 @@ launch_args_parse(int argc, char** argv)
 			}
 			if (!strcmp(lgopts[opt_idx].name, "total-num-mbufs")) {
 				n = atoi(optarg);
-				if (n > 1024)
+				if (n > MIN_TOTAL_NUM_MBUFS)
 					param_total_num_mbufs = (unsigned)n;
 				else
 					rte_exit(EXIT_FAILURE,
-						 "total-num-mbufs should be > 1024\n");
+						 "total-num-mbufs should be > %d\n",
+						 MIN_TOTAL_NUM_MBUFS);
 			}
 			if (!strcmp(lgopts[opt_idx].name, "max-pkt-len")) {
 				n = atoi(optarg);
diff --git a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
index 67f253b30e..f04a9a11b4 100644
--- a/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
+++ b/app/test-pmd/testpmd.h
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@
 #define NUMA_NO_CONFIG 0xFF
 #define UMA_NO_CONFIG  0xFF
 
+#define MIN_TOTAL_NUM_MBUFS 1024
+
 typedef uint8_t  lcoreid_t;
 typedef uint16_t portid_t;
 typedef uint16_t queueid_t;