diff --git a/executables/nr-ru.c b/executables/nr-ru.c
index 397f940745..c6a2d30c07 100644
--- a/executables/nr-ru.c
+++ b/executables/nr-ru.c
@@ -1737,7 +1737,13 @@ static void NRRCconfig_RU(configmodule_interface_t *cfg)
     } /* strcmp(local_rf, "yes") != 0 */
 
     ru->nb_tx = *param[RU_NB_TX_IDX].uptr;
+    AssertFatal(ru->nb_tx <= NB_ANTENNAS_TX,
+                "Config file has %d TX antennas set, but the compile time max value in NB_ANTENNAS_TX\n",
+                ru->nb_tx);
     ru->nb_rx = *param[RU_NB_RX_IDX].uptr;
+    AssertFatal(ru->nb_rx <= NB_ANTENNAS_RX,
+                "Config file has %d RX antennas set, but the compile time max value in NB_ANTENNAS_RX\n",
+                ru->nb_rx);
     ru->att_tx = *param[RU_ATT_TX_IDX].uptr;
     ru->att_rx = *param[RU_ATT_RX_IDX].uptr;
     ru->if_frequency = *param[RU_IF_FREQUENCY].u64ptr;
diff --git a/executables/nr-ue-ru.c b/executables/nr-ue-ru.c
index 7235ae5c9f..748a4fd731 100644
--- a/executables/nr-ue-ru.c
+++ b/executables/nr-ue-ru.c
@@ -205,6 +205,12 @@ void nrue_set_ru_params(configmodule_interface_t *cfg)
   if (RUParamList.numelt <= 0) {
     nrue_ru_count = 1;
     nrue_rus = calloc_or_fail(nrue_ru_count, sizeof(nrUE_RU_params_t));
+    AssertFatal(get_nrUE_params()->nb_antennas_tx <= NB_ANTENNAS_TX,
+                "Config file has %d TX antennas set, but the compile time max value in NB_ANTENNAS_TX\n",
+                get_nrUE_params()->nb_antennas_tx);
+    AssertFatal(get_nrUE_params()->nb_antennas_rx <= NB_ANTENNAS_RX,
+                "Config file has %d RX antennas set, but the compile time max value in NB_ANTENNAS_RX\n",
+                get_nrUE_params()->nb_antennas_tx);
     nrue_rus[0] = (nrUE_RU_params_t){.nb_tx = get_nrUE_params()->nb_antennas_tx,
                                      .nb_rx = get_nrUE_params()->nb_antennas_rx,
                                      .att_tx = get_nrUE_params()->tx_gain,