diff --git a/src/system/boot/platform/bios_ia32/smp.cpp b/src/system/boot/platform/bios_ia32/smp.cpp
index 779680e130..2714d5b3d6 100644
--- a/src/system/boot/platform/bios_ia32/smp.cpp
+++ b/src/system/boot/platform/bios_ia32/smp.cpp
@@ -165,6 +165,12 @@ smp_do_mp_config(mp_floating_struct *floatingStruct)
 					continue;
 				}
 
+				// skip if the apic id is too large
+				if (processor->apic_id >= MAX_BOOT_CPUS) {
+					TRACE(("smp: apic id too large (%d)\n", processor->apic_id));
+					continue;
+				}
+
 				gKernelArgs.arch_args.cpu_apic_id[gKernelArgs.num_cpus]
 					= processor->apic_id;
 				gKernelArgs.arch_args.cpu_os_id[processor->apic_id]
@@ -274,6 +280,12 @@ smp_do_acpi_config(void)
 					break;
 				}
 
+				// skip if the apic id is too large
+				if (localApic->apic_id >= MAX_BOOT_CPUS) {
+					TRACE(("smp: apic id too large (%d)\n", localApic->apic_id));
+					break;
+				}
+
 				gKernelArgs.arch_args.cpu_apic_id[gKernelArgs.num_cpus]
 					= localApic->apic_id;
 				gKernelArgs.arch_args.cpu_os_id[localApic->apic_id]