diff --git a/docs/misc/xen-command-line.pandoc b/docs/misc/xen-command-line.pandoc
index f68deaa6a9..e0b89b7d33 100644
--- a/docs/misc/xen-command-line.pandoc
+++ b/docs/misc/xen-command-line.pandoc
@@ -1232,11 +1232,11 @@ The usage of gnttab v2 is not security supported on ARM platforms.
 
 > Can be modified at runtime
 
-Specify the maximum number of frames which any domain may use as part
-of its grant table. This value is an upper boundary of the per-domain
-value settable via Xen tools.
+Specify the default upper bound on the number of frames which any domain may
+use as part of its grant table unless a different value is specified at domain
+creation.
 
-Dom0 is using this value for sizing its grant table.
+Note this value is the effective upper bound for dom0.
 
 ### gnttab_max_maptrack_frames
 > `= <integer>`
@@ -1245,9 +1245,11 @@ Dom0 is using this value for sizing its grant table.
 
 > Can be modified at runtime
 
-Specify the maximum number of frames to use as part of a domains
-maptrack array. This value is an upper boundary of the per-domain
-value settable via Xen tools.
+Specify the default upper bound on the number of frames which any domain may
+use as part of its maptrack array unless a different value is specified at
+domain creation.
+
+Note this value is the effective upper bound for dom0.
 
 ### global-pages
     = <boolean>
diff --git a/xen/common/grant_table.c b/xen/common/grant_table.c
index b896f9af0e..d87e58a53d 100644
--- a/xen/common/grant_table.c
+++ b/xen/common/grant_table.c
@@ -1956,18 +1956,15 @@ int grant_table_init(struct domain *d, int max_grant_frames,
         return -EINVAL;
     }
 
-    /* Default to maximum value if no value was specified */
+    /* Apply defaults if no value was specified */
     if ( max_grant_frames < 0 )
         max_grant_frames = opt_max_grant_frames;
     if ( max_maptrack_frames < 0 )
         max_maptrack_frames = opt_max_maptrack_frames;
 
-    if ( max_grant_frames < INITIAL_NR_GRANT_FRAMES ||
-         max_grant_frames > opt_max_grant_frames ||
-         max_maptrack_frames > opt_max_maptrack_frames )
+    if ( max_grant_frames < INITIAL_NR_GRANT_FRAMES )
     {
-        dprintk(XENLOG_INFO, "Bad grant table sizes: grant %u, maptrack %u\n",
-                max_grant_frames, max_maptrack_frames);
+        dprintk(XENLOG_INFO, "Bad grant table size: %u frames\n", max_grant_frames);
         return -EINVAL;
     }