diff --git a/dht-server/dht-server.cpp b/dht-server/dht-server.cpp
index 025cf7d51..eb183cad6 100644
--- a/dht-server/dht-server.cpp
+++ b/dht-server/dht-server.cpp
@@ -1231,15 +1231,19 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   });
   td::uint32 threads = 7;
   p.add_checked_option(
-      't', "threads", PSTRING() << "number of threads (default=" << threads << ")", [&](td::Slice fname) {
+      't', "threads", PSTRING() << "number of threads (default=" << threads << ")", [&](td::Slice arg) {
         td::int32 v;
         try {
-          v = std::stoi(fname.str());
+          v = std::stoi(arg.str());
         } catch (...) {
           return td::Status::Error(ton::ErrorCode::error, "bad value for --threads: not a number");
         }
-        if (v < 1 || v > 256) {
-          return td::Status::Error(ton::ErrorCode::error, "bad value for --threads: should be in range [1..256]");
+        if (v <= 0) {
+          return td::Status::Error(ton::ErrorCode::error, "bad value for --threads: should be > 0");
+        }
+        if (v > 127) {
+          LOG(WARNING) << "`--threads " << v << "` is too big, effective value will be 127";
+          v = 127;
         }
         threads = v;
         return td::Status::OK();
diff --git a/validator-engine/validator-engine.cpp b/validator-engine/validator-engine.cpp
index 88cef8d49..a9a3b21d4 100644
--- a/validator-engine/validator-engine.cpp
+++ b/validator-engine/validator-engine.cpp
@@ -4157,15 +4157,19 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                        });
   td::uint32 threads = 7;
   p.add_checked_option(
-      't', "threads", PSTRING() << "number of threads (default=" << threads << ")", [&](td::Slice fname) {
+      't', "threads", PSTRING() << "number of threads (default=" << threads << ")", [&](td::Slice arg) {
         td::int32 v;
         try {
-          v = std::stoi(fname.str());
+          v = std::stoi(arg.str());
         } catch (...) {
           return td::Status::Error(ton::ErrorCode::error, "bad value for --threads: not a number");
         }
-        if (v < 1 || v > 256) {
-          return td::Status::Error(ton::ErrorCode::error, "bad value for --threads: should be in range [1..256]");
+        if (v <= 0) {
+          return td::Status::Error(ton::ErrorCode::error, "bad value for --threads: should be > 0");
+        }
+        if (v > 127) {
+          LOG(WARNING) << "`--threads " << v << "` is too big, effective value will be 127";
+          v = 127;
         }
         threads = v;
         return td::Status::OK();