diff --git a/src/main/java/com/rabbitmq/stream/impl/Client.java b/src/main/java/com/rabbitmq/stream/impl/Client.java
index 525731935e..1c9d53c123 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/rabbitmq/stream/impl/Client.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/rabbitmq/stream/impl/Client.java
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ public class Client implements AutoCloseable {
   private static final Charset CHARSET = StandardCharsets.UTF_8;
   public static final int DEFAULT_PORT = 5552;
   public static final int DEFAULT_TLS_PORT = 5551;
+  static final int MAX_REFERENCE_SIZE = 256;
   static final OutboundEntityWriteCallback OUTBOUND_MESSAGE_WRITE_CALLBACK =
       new OutboundMessageWriteCallback();
   static final OutboundEntityWriteCallback OUTBOUND_MESSAGE_BATCH_WRITE_CALLBACK =
@@ -892,7 +893,7 @@ public Response declarePublisher(byte publisherId, String publisherReference, St
         (publisherReference == null || publisherReference.isEmpty()
             ? 0
             : publisherReference.length());
-    if (publisherReferenceSize >= 256) {
+    if (publisherReferenceSize >= MAX_REFERENCE_SIZE) {
       throw new IllegalArgumentException(
           "If specified, publisher reference must less than 256 characters");
     }
@@ -1290,7 +1291,7 @@ public Response subscribe(
   }
 
   public void storeOffset(String reference, String stream, long offset) {
-    if (reference == null || reference.isEmpty() || reference.length() > 256) {
+    if (reference == null || reference.isEmpty() || reference.length() >= MAX_REFERENCE_SIZE) {
       throw new IllegalArgumentException(
           "Reference must a non-empty string of less than 256 characters");
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/rabbitmq/stream/impl/StreamConsumerBuilder.java b/src/main/java/com/rabbitmq/stream/impl/StreamConsumerBuilder.java
index 99762986e5..c6364d1aa3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/rabbitmq/stream/impl/StreamConsumerBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/rabbitmq/stream/impl/StreamConsumerBuilder.java
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
 class StreamConsumerBuilder implements ConsumerBuilder {
 
-  private static final int NAME_MAX_SIZE = 256; // server-side limitation
+  private static final int NAME_MAX_SIZE = Client.MAX_REFERENCE_SIZE; // server-side limitation
   private static final TrackingConfiguration DISABLED_TRACKING_CONFIGURATION =
       new TrackingConfiguration(false, false, -1, Duration.ZERO, Duration.ZERO);
   private final StreamEnvironment environment;