diff --git a/tools/python/xen/xend/XendDomainInfo.py b/tools/python/xen/xend/XendDomainInfo.py
index 4360ce2..aabc30f 100644
--- a/tools/python/xen/xend/XendDomainInfo.py
+++ b/tools/python/xen/xend/XendDomainInfo.py
@@ -152,6 +152,12 @@ def recreate(info, priv):
 
     assert not info['dying']
 
+    # Validate domain maxmem value not to be higher than dom0 physical memory
+    if priv:
+        total_mem = int(xc.physinfo()['total_memory'])
+        if info['maxmem_kb'] > total_mem:
+            info['maxmem_kb'] = total_mem
+
     xeninfo = XendConfig.XendConfig(dominfo = info)
     xeninfo['is_control_domain'] = priv
     xeninfo['is_a_template'] = False
@@ -1490,6 +1496,14 @@ class XendDomainInfo:
         """Set the maximum memory limit of this domain
         @param limit: In MiB.
         """
+        # Get total memory and convert to MiB
+        if self.info['is_control_domain']:
+            total_mem = int(xc.physinfo()['total_memory'] / 1024)
+
+            if limit <= 0 or limit > total_mem:
+                raise XendError('Invalid memory size, only positive values '
+                                'up to %s MiB are valid' % total_mem)
+
         log.debug("Setting memory maximum of domain %s (%s) to %d MiB.",
                   self.info['name_label'], str(self.domid), limit)