diff --git a/hypervisor/debug/shell.c b/hypervisor/debug/shell.c
index 09ed94c16..d45639f43 100644
--- a/hypervisor/debug/shell.c
+++ b/hypervisor/debug/shell.c
@@ -238,6 +238,22 @@ static void shell_puts(const char *string_ptr)
 				SHELL_STRING_MAX_LEN));
 }
 
+static uint16_t sanitize_vmid(uint16_t vmid)
+{
+	uint16_t sanitized_vmid = vmid;
+	char temp_str[TEMP_STR_SIZE];
+
+	if (vmid >= CONFIG_MAX_VM_NUM) {
+		snprintf(temp_str, MAX_STR_SIZE,
+			"VM ID given exceeds the MAX_VM_NUM(%u), using 0 instead\r\n",
+			CONFIG_MAX_VM_NUM);
+		shell_puts(temp_str);
+		sanitized_vmid = 0U;
+	}
+
+	return sanitized_vmid;
+}
+
 static void shell_handle_special_char(char ch)
 {
 	switch (ch) {
@@ -734,7 +750,7 @@ static int32_t shell_vcpu_dumpreg(int32_t argc, char **argv)
 	if (status < 0) {
 		goto out;
 	}
-	vm_id = (uint16_t)status;
+	vm_id = sanitize_vmid((uint16_t)status);
 	vcpu_id = (uint16_t)strtol_deci(argv[2]);
 
 	vm = get_vm_from_vmid(vm_id);
@@ -829,7 +845,7 @@ static int32_t shell_to_sos_console(__unused int32_t argc, __unused char **argv)
 	struct acrn_vm_config *vm_config;
 
 	if (argc == 2U) {
-		guest_no = strtol_deci(argv[1]);
+		guest_no = sanitize_vmid(strtol_deci(argv[1]));
 	}
 
 	vuart_vmid = guest_no;
@@ -1115,7 +1131,7 @@ static int32_t shell_show_vioapic_info(int32_t argc, char **argv)
 	}
 	ret = strtol_deci(argv[1]);
 	if (ret >= 0) {
-		vmid = (uint16_t) ret;
+		vmid = sanitize_vmid((uint16_t) ret);
 		get_vioapic_info(shell_log_buf, SHELL_LOG_BUF_SIZE, vmid);
 		shell_puts(shell_log_buf);
 		return 0;