diff --git a/kernel/core/tos_sem.c b/kernel/core/tos_sem.c
index 650951ad6726833f536daef2df77dc07854f0fb2..c0ddbde1e5688e49402103423de89bfb014ae223 100644
--- a/kernel/core/tos_sem.c
+++ b/kernel/core/tos_sem.c
@@ -22,15 +22,14 @@
 __API__ k_err_t tos_sem_create_max(k_sem_t *sem, k_sem_cnt_t init_count, k_sem_cnt_t max_count)
 {
     TOS_PTR_SANITY_CHECK(sem);
-
-    sem->count      = init_count;
-    sem->count_max  = max_count;
     
-    if(sem->count > sem->count_max)
-    {
-        sem->count_max = sem->count;
+    if (unlikely(init_count > max_count)) {
+        init_count = max_count;
     }
     
+    sem->count      = init_count;
+    sem->count_max  = max_count;
+    
     pend_object_init(&sem->pend_obj);
     TOS_OBJ_INIT(sem, KNL_OBJ_TYPE_SEMAPHORE);