diff --git a/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/EntryCountEstimator.java b/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/EntryCountEstimator.java
index b95b2c846fa2c..511379a7ae525 100644
--- a/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/EntryCountEstimator.java
+++ b/managed-ledger/src/main/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/EntryCountEstimator.java
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ static int internalEstimateEntryCountByBytesSize(int maxEntries, long maxSizeByt
                                                      Long lastLedgerId, long lastLedgerTotalEntries,
                                                      long lastLedgerTotalSize) {
         if (maxSizeBytes <= 0) {
-            // If the specified maximum size is invalid (e.g., non-positive), return 0
-            return 0;
+            // If the specified maximum size is invalid (e.g., non-positive), return 1
+            return 1;
         }
 
         // If the maximum size is Long.MAX_VALUE, return the maximum number of entries
diff --git a/managed-ledger/src/test/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/EntryCountEstimatorTest.java b/managed-ledger/src/test/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/EntryCountEstimatorTest.java
index 2016c97f1abbc..c1c1b8dd2c133 100644
--- a/managed-ledger/src/test/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/EntryCountEstimatorTest.java
+++ b/managed-ledger/src/test/java/org/apache/bookkeeper/mledger/impl/EntryCountEstimatorTest.java
@@ -83,7 +83,13 @@ private int estimateEntryCountByBytesSize(long maxSizeBytes) {
     @Test
     public void testZeroMaxSize() {
         int result = estimateEntryCountByBytesSize(0);
-        assertEquals(result, 0, "Should return 0 when max size is 0");
+        assertEquals(result, 1, "Should return 1 when max size is 0");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testNegativeMaxSize() {
+        int result = estimateEntryCountByBytesSize(-1);
+        assertEquals(result, 1, "Should return 1 when max size is negative");
     }
 
     @Test