diff --git a/src/config.c b/src/config.c
index c388aaee..964772dd 100644
--- a/src/config.c
+++ b/src/config.c
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ void configSetCommand(redisClient *c) {
     } else if (!strcasecmp(c->argv[2]->ptr,"maxclients")) {
         int orig_value = server.maxclients;
 
-        if (getLongLongFromObject(o,&ll) == REDIS_ERR || ll < 0) goto badfmt;
+        if (getLongLongFromObject(o,&ll) == REDIS_ERR || ll < 1) goto badfmt;
 
         /* Try to check if the OS is capable of supporting so many FDs. */
         server.maxclients = ll;
diff --git a/src/redis.h b/src/redis.h
index 196c9246..50a59a40 100644
--- a/src/redis.h
+++ b/src/redis.h
@@ -732,7 +732,7 @@ struct redisServer {
     list *repl_scriptcache_fifo;        /* First in, first out LRU eviction. */
     int repl_scriptcache_size;          /* Max number of elements. */
     /* Limits */
-    unsigned int maxclients;        /* Max number of simultaneous clients */
+    int maxclients;                 /* Max number of simultaneous clients */
     unsigned long long maxmemory;   /* Max number of memory bytes to use */
     int maxmemory_policy;           /* Policy for key eviction */
     int maxmemory_samples;          /* Pricision of random sampling */