diff --git a/src/messaging/ReliableMessageProtocolConfig.h b/src/messaging/ReliableMessageProtocolConfig.h
index 2ab1c139657fc6..83939ccf241b7d 100644
--- a/src/messaging/ReliableMessageProtocolConfig.h
+++ b/src/messaging/ReliableMessageProtocolConfig.h
@@ -130,7 +130,10 @@ namespace chip {
 #if CHIP_SYSTEM_CONFIG_USE_LWIP
 
 #if !LWIP_PBUF_FROM_CUSTOM_POOLS && PBUF_POOL_SIZE != 0
-#define CHIP_CONFIG_RMP_RETRANS_TABLE_SIZE std::min(PBUF_POOL_SIZE, CHIP_CONFIG_MAX_EXCHANGE_CONTEXTS)
+// Configure the table size to be less than the number of packet buffers to make sure
+// that not all buffers are held by the retransmission entries, in which case the device
+// is unable to receive an ACK and hence becomes unavailable until a message times out.
+#define CHIP_CONFIG_RMP_RETRANS_TABLE_SIZE std::min(PBUF_POOL_SIZE - 1, CHIP_CONFIG_MAX_EXCHANGE_CONTEXTS)
 #else
 #define CHIP_CONFIG_RMP_RETRANS_TABLE_SIZE CHIP_CONFIG_MAX_EXCHANGE_CONTEXTS
 #endif // !LWIP_PBUF_FROM_CUSTOM_POOLS && PBUF_POOL_SIZE != 0
@@ -138,7 +141,11 @@ namespace chip {
 #else // CHIP_SYSTEM_CONFIG_USE_LWIP
 
 #if CHIP_SYSTEM_CONFIG_PACKETBUFFER_POOL_SIZE != 0
-#define CHIP_CONFIG_RMP_RETRANS_TABLE_SIZE std::min(CHIP_SYSTEM_CONFIG_PACKETBUFFER_POOL_SIZE, CHIP_CONFIG_MAX_EXCHANGE_CONTEXTS)
+// Configure the table size to be less than the number of packet buffers to make sure
+// that not all buffers are held by the retransmission entries, in which case the device
+// is unable to receive an ACK and hence becomes unavailable until a message times out.
+#define CHIP_CONFIG_RMP_RETRANS_TABLE_SIZE                                                                                         \
+    std::min(CHIP_SYSTEM_CONFIG_PACKETBUFFER_POOL_SIZE - 1, CHIP_CONFIG_MAX_EXCHANGE_CONTEXTS)
 #else
 #define CHIP_CONFIG_RMP_RETRANS_TABLE_SIZE CHIP_CONFIG_MAX_EXCHANGE_CONTEXTS
 #endif // CHIP_SYSTEM_CONFIG_PACKETBUFFER_POOL_SIZE != 0