diff --git a/src/hnswbuild.c b/src/hnswbuild.c
index eefc642..6a7e7f3 100644
--- a/src/hnswbuild.c
+++ b/src/hnswbuild.c
@@ -423,6 +423,9 @@ InitBuildState(HnswBuildState * buildstate, Relation heap, Relation index, Index
 	if (buildstate->dimensions > HNSW_MAX_DIM)
 		elog(ERROR, "column cannot have more than %d dimensions for hnsw index", HNSW_MAX_DIM);
 
+	if (buildstate->efConstruction < 2 * buildstate->m)
+		elog(ERROR, "ef_construction must be greater than or equal to 2 * m");
+
 	buildstate->reltuples = 0;
 	buildstate->indtuples = 0;
 
diff --git a/test/expected/hnsw_options.out b/test/expected/hnsw_options.out
index 5935110..1a07fef 100644
--- a/test/expected/hnsw_options.out
+++ b/test/expected/hnsw_options.out
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ DETAIL:  Valid values are between "10" and "1000".
 CREATE INDEX ON t USING hnsw (val vector_l2_ops) WITH (ef_construction = 1001);
 ERROR:  value 1001 out of bounds for option "ef_construction"
 DETAIL:  Valid values are between "10" and "1000".
+CREATE INDEX ON t USING hnsw (val vector_l2_ops) WITH (m = 16, ef_construction = 31);
+ERROR:  ef_construction must be greater than or equal to 2 * m
 SHOW hnsw.ef_search;
  hnsw.ef_search 
 ----------------
diff --git a/test/sql/hnsw_options.sql b/test/sql/hnsw_options.sql
index 1e4ca54..845921d 100644
--- a/test/sql/hnsw_options.sql
+++ b/test/sql/hnsw_options.sql
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ CREATE INDEX ON t USING hnsw (val vector_l2_ops) WITH (m = 1);
 CREATE INDEX ON t USING hnsw (val vector_l2_ops) WITH (m = 101);
 CREATE INDEX ON t USING hnsw (val vector_l2_ops) WITH (ef_construction = 9);
 CREATE INDEX ON t USING hnsw (val vector_l2_ops) WITH (ef_construction = 1001);
+CREATE INDEX ON t USING hnsw (val vector_l2_ops) WITH (m = 16, ef_construction = 31);
 
 SHOW hnsw.ef_search;