diff --git a/test/unit/retained.c b/test/unit/retained.c
index 340f2d38..40cbb0cd 100644
--- a/test/unit/retained.c
+++ b/test/unit/retained.c
@@ -110,8 +110,15 @@ TEST_BEGIN(test_retained) {
 	atomic_store_u(&epoch, 0, ATOMIC_RELAXED);
 
 	unsigned nthreads = ncpus * 2;
-	if (LG_SIZEOF_PTR < 3 && nthreads > 16) {
-		nthreads = 16; /* 32-bit platform could run out of vaddr. */
+	if (nthreads > 16) {
+		/*
+		 * Limit number of threads we are creating for following
+		 * reasons.
+		 * 1. On 32-bit platforms could run out of vaddr.
+		 * 2. On boxes with a lot of CPUs we might have not enough
+		 *    memory to fit thd_t into VARIABLE_ARRAY.
+		 */
+		nthreads = 16;
 	}
 	VARIABLE_ARRAY(thd_t, threads, nthreads);
 	for (unsigned i = 0; i < nthreads; i++) {