diff --git a/lib/compress/zstd_compress.c b/lib/compress/zstd_compress.c
index 528291777..2aa26da4c 100644
--- a/lib/compress/zstd_compress.c
+++ b/lib/compress/zstd_compress.c
@@ -389,8 +389,7 @@ size_t ZSTD_CCtxParam_setParameter(
         return CCtxParams->cParams.searchLength;
 
     case ZSTD_p_targetLength :
-        if (value>0)   /* 0 => use default */
-            CLAMPCHECK(value, ZSTD_TARGETLENGTH_MIN, ZSTD_TARGETLENGTH_MAX);
+        /* all values are valid. 0 => use default */
         CCtxParams->cParams.targetLength = value;
         return CCtxParams->cParams.targetLength;
 
@@ -590,7 +589,8 @@ size_t ZSTD_checkCParams(ZSTD_compressionParameters cParams)
     CLAMPCHECK(cParams.hashLog, ZSTD_HASHLOG_MIN, ZSTD_HASHLOG_MAX);
     CLAMPCHECK(cParams.searchLog, ZSTD_SEARCHLOG_MIN, ZSTD_SEARCHLOG_MAX);
     CLAMPCHECK(cParams.searchLength, ZSTD_SEARCHLENGTH_MIN, ZSTD_SEARCHLENGTH_MAX);
-    CLAMPCHECK(cParams.targetLength, ZSTD_TARGETLENGTH_MIN, ZSTD_TARGETLENGTH_MAX);
+    if ((U32)(cParams.targetLength) < ZSTD_TARGETLENGTH_MIN)
+        return ERROR(parameter_unsupported);
     if ((U32)(cParams.strategy) > (U32)ZSTD_btultra)
         return ERROR(parameter_unsupported);
     return 0;
@@ -610,7 +610,7 @@ static ZSTD_compressionParameters ZSTD_clampCParams(ZSTD_compressionParameters c
     CLAMP(cParams.hashLog, ZSTD_HASHLOG_MIN, ZSTD_HASHLOG_MAX);
     CLAMP(cParams.searchLog, ZSTD_SEARCHLOG_MIN, ZSTD_SEARCHLOG_MAX);
     CLAMP(cParams.searchLength, ZSTD_SEARCHLENGTH_MIN, ZSTD_SEARCHLENGTH_MAX);
-    CLAMP(cParams.targetLength, ZSTD_TARGETLENGTH_MIN, ZSTD_TARGETLENGTH_MAX);
+    if ((U32)(cParams.targetLength) < ZSTD_TARGETLENGTH_MIN) cParams.targetLength = ZSTD_TARGETLENGTH_MIN;
     if ((U32)(cParams.strategy) > (U32)ZSTD_btultra) cParams.strategy = ZSTD_btultra;
     return cParams;
 }
diff --git a/lib/zstd.h b/lib/zstd.h
index a35091a58..6405da602 100644
--- a/lib/zstd.h
+++ b/lib/zstd.h
@@ -391,7 +391,6 @@ ZSTDLIB_API size_t ZSTD_DStreamOutSize(void);   /*!< recommended size for output
 #define ZSTD_SEARCHLENGTH_MAX    7   /* only for ZSTD_fast, other strategies are limited to 6 */
 #define ZSTD_SEARCHLENGTH_MIN    3   /* only for ZSTD_btopt, other strategies are limited to 4 */
 #define ZSTD_TARGETLENGTH_MIN    1   /* only used by btopt, btultra and btfast */
-#define ZSTD_TARGETLENGTH_MAX  999   /* only used by btopt, btultra and btfast */
 #define ZSTD_LDM_MINMATCH_MIN    4
 #define ZSTD_LDM_MINMATCH_MAX 4096
 #define ZSTD_LDM_BUCKETSIZELOG_MAX 8
diff --git a/programs/zstdcli.c b/programs/zstdcli.c
index bf82843aa..c35de7ccf 100644
--- a/programs/zstdcli.c
+++ b/programs/zstdcli.c
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ int main(int argCount, const char* argv[])
     zstd_operation_mode operation = zom_compress;
     ZSTD_compressionParameters compressionParams;
     int cLevel = ZSTDCLI_CLEVEL_DEFAULT;
-    int cLevelLast = -10000;
+    int cLevelLast = -1000000000;
     unsigned recursive = 0;
     unsigned memLimit = 0;
     const char** filenameTable = (const char**)malloc(argCount * sizeof(const char*));   /* argCount >= 1 */