diff --git a/apps/app_voicemail.c b/apps/app_voicemail.c
index 66e3b402f4..af11228d0f 100644
--- a/apps/app_voicemail.c
+++ b/apps/app_voicemail.c
@@ -10557,8 +10557,9 @@ static int load_config(int reload)
 		if ((val = ast_variable_retrieve(cfg, "general", "minsecs"))) {
 			if (sscanf(val, "%d", &x) == 1) {
 				vmminsecs = x;
-				if (maxsilence <= vmminsecs)
+				if (maxsilence / 1000 >= vmminsecs) {
 					ast_log(AST_LOG_WARNING, "maxsilence should be less than minmessage or you may get empty messages\n");
+				}
 			} else {
 				ast_log(AST_LOG_WARNING, "Invalid min message time length\n");
 			}
@@ -10570,8 +10571,9 @@ static int load_config(int reload)
 			}
 			if (sscanf(val, "%d", &x) == 1) {
 				vmminsecs = x;
-				if (maxsilence <= vmminsecs)
+				if (maxsilence / 1000 >= vmminsecs) {
 					ast_log(AST_LOG_WARNING, "maxsilence should be less than minmessage or you may get empty messages\n");
+				}
 			} else {
 				ast_log(AST_LOG_WARNING, "Invalid min message time length\n");
 			}