diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
index 92ddb2f89..b302f6105 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Chains.pm
@@ -4855,7 +4855,7 @@ sub validate_mark( $ ) {
 
 sub verify_small_mark( $ ) {
     my $val = validate_mark ( (my $mark) = $_[0] );
-    fatal_error "Mark value ($mark) too large" if numeric_value( $mark ) > $globals{TC_MAX};
+    fatal_error "Mark value ($mark) too large" if numeric_value( $mark ) > $globals{SMALL_MASK};
     $val;
 }
 
diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
index 5550140cb..e3d5aa495 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
@@ -5853,6 +5853,10 @@ sub get_configuration( $$$$ ) {
 	$globals{USER_MASK} = $globals{USER_BITS} = 0;
     }
 
+    $val = $config{PROVIDER_OFFSET};
+
+    $globals{SMALL_MASK} = $val ? make_mask( $val ) : $globals{TC_MASK}; 
+
     if ( supplied ( $val = $config{ZONE2ZONE} ) ) {
 	fatal_error "Invalid ZONE2ZONE value ( $val )" unless $val =~ /^[2-]$/;
     } else {