diff --git a/wolfcrypt/test/test.c b/wolfcrypt/test/test.c
index 206ac07c938..80dd1d54a8b 100644
--- a/wolfcrypt/test/test.c
+++ b/wolfcrypt/test/test.c
@@ -2866,7 +2866,7 @@ static wc_test_ret_t _SaveDerAndPem(const byte* der, int derSz,
 WOLFSSL_TEST_SUBROUTINE wc_test_ret_t error_test(void)
 {
     const char* errStr;
-    char        out[WOLFSSL_MAX_ERROR_SZ];
+    char        out[WOLFSSL_MAX_ERROR_SZ]; /* test fails if too small, < 64 */
     const char* unknownStr = wc_GetErrorString(0);
 
 #ifdef NO_ERROR_STRINGS
diff --git a/wolfssl/wolfcrypt/types.h b/wolfssl/wolfcrypt/types.h
index df89dd4e2b2..00356e4db07 100644
--- a/wolfssl/wolfcrypt/types.h
+++ b/wolfssl/wolfcrypt/types.h
@@ -1199,7 +1199,13 @@ enum {
 };
 
 /* max error buffer string size */
-#ifndef WOLFSSL_MAX_ERROR_SZ
+#ifdef WOLFSSL_MAX_ERROR_SZ
+    #if  WOLFSSL_MAX_ERROR_SZ < 64
+        /* If too small, the error_test() will fail.
+         * See fixed length strings returned in wc_GetErrorString() */
+        #error WOLFSSL_MAX_ERROR_SZ must be at least length of longest message
+    #endif
+#else
     #define WOLFSSL_MAX_ERROR_SZ 80
 #endif