diff --git a/server/display-channel.c b/server/display-channel.c
index c1151464..bcdde134 100644
--- a/server/display-channel.c
+++ b/server/display-channel.c
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ display_channel_set_property(GObject *object,
     {
         case PROP_N_SURFACES:
             self->priv->n_surfaces = g_value_get_uint(value);
-            self->priv->n_surfaces = MIN(self->priv->n_surfaces, NUM_SURFACES);
             break;
         case PROP_VIDEO_CODECS:
             if (self->priv->video_codecs) {
@@ -2238,8 +2237,8 @@ display_channel_class_init(DisplayChannelClass *klass)
                                     g_param_spec_uint("n-surfaces",
                                                       "number of surfaces",
                                                       "Number of surfaces for this channel",
-                                                      0, G_MAXUINT,
-                                                      0,
+                                                      1, NUM_SURFACES,
+                                                      1,
                                                       G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY |
                                                       G_PARAM_READWRITE |
                                                       G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS));
diff --git a/server/red-worker.c b/server/red-worker.c
index ab9d79c3..43836468 100644
--- a/server/red-worker.c
+++ b/server/red-worker.c
@@ -1358,8 +1358,6 @@ RedWorker* red_worker_new(QXLInstance *qxl,
                       init_info.memslot_id_bits,
                       init_info.internal_groupslot_id);
 
-    spice_warn_if_fail(init_info.n_surfaces <= NUM_SURFACES);
-
     worker->event_timeout = INF_EVENT_WAIT;
 
     worker->cursor_channel = cursor_channel_new(reds, qxl,