diff --git a/headers/modsecurity/rules_properties.h b/headers/modsecurity/rules_properties.h
index 78cf8addee..171d87e2b5 100644
--- a/headers/modsecurity/rules_properties.h
+++ b/headers/modsecurity/rules_properties.h
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ class RulesProperties {
             to->m_responseBodyTypeToBeInspected.m_set = true;
         }
 
-        for (int i = 0; i <= modsecurity::Phases::NUMBER_OF_PHASES; i++) {
+        for (int i = 0; i < modsecurity::Phases::NUMBER_OF_PHASES; i++) {
             std::vector<actions::Action *> *actions_from = \
                 from->m_defaultActions+i;
             std::vector<actions::Action *> *actions_to = to->m_defaultActions+i;
@@ -535,8 +535,8 @@ class RulesProperties {
     ConfigString m_uploadTmpDirectory;
     ConfigString m_secArgumentSeparator;
     ConfigString m_secWebAppId;
-    std::vector<actions::Action *> m_defaultActions[8];
-    std::vector<modsecurity::Rule *> m_rules[8];
+    std::vector<actions::Action *> m_defaultActions[modsecurity::Phases::NUMBER_OF_PHASES];
+    std::vector<modsecurity::Rule *> m_rules[modsecurity::Phases::NUMBER_OF_PHASES];
     ConfigUnicodeMap m_unicodeMapTable;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/actions/phase.cc b/src/actions/phase.cc
index 9cf68f518e..1c6d47931f 100644
--- a/src/actions/phase.cc
+++ b/src/actions/phase.cc
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ bool Phase::init(std::string *error) {
         } else if (m_phase == 5) {
             m_phase = modsecurity::Phases::LoggingPhase;
             m_secRulesPhase = 5;
+        } else {
+            error->assign("Unknown phase: " + m_parser_payload);
+            return false;
         }
     } catch (...) {
         if (a == "request") {
@@ -64,16 +67,6 @@ bool Phase::init(std::string *error) {
             m_secRulesPhase = 5;
         }
     }
-    if (m_phase == -1) {
-        error->assign("Not able to associate the given rule to any phase: " + \
-            m_parser_payload);
-        return false;
-    }
-
-    if (m_phase > modsecurity::Phases::NUMBER_OF_PHASES) {
-        error->assign("Unknown phase: " + std::to_string(m_phase));
-        return false;
-    }
 
     return true;
 }
diff --git a/src/parser/driver.cc b/src/parser/driver.cc
index 49aaa5a0c1..f4b722acd4 100644
--- a/src/parser/driver.cc
+++ b/src/parser/driver.cc
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ int Driver::addSecMarker(std::string marker) {
 
 
 int Driver::addSecAction(Rule *rule) {
-    if (rule->m_phase > modsecurity::Phases::NUMBER_OF_PHASES) {
+    if (rule->m_phase >= modsecurity::Phases::NUMBER_OF_PHASES) {
         m_parserError << "Unknown phase: " << std::to_string(rule->m_phase);
         m_parserError << std::endl;
         return false;
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ int Driver::addSecRuleScript(RuleScript *rule) {
 
 
 int Driver::addSecRule(Rule *rule) {
-    if (rule->m_phase > modsecurity::Phases::NUMBER_OF_PHASES) {
+    if (rule->m_phase >= modsecurity::Phases::NUMBER_OF_PHASES) {
         m_parserError << "Unknown phase: " << std::to_string(rule->m_phase);
         m_parserError << std::endl;
         return false;
diff --git a/src/rules.cc b/src/rules.cc
index 1eee60b066..f5b16cab9a 100644
--- a/src/rules.cc
+++ b/src/rules.cc
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ std::string Rules::getParserError() {
 
 
 int Rules::evaluate(int phase, Transaction *t) {
-    if (phase > modsecurity::Phases::NUMBER_OF_PHASES) {
+    if (phase >= modsecurity::Phases::NUMBER_OF_PHASES) {
        return 0;
     }
 
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ void Rules::debug(int level, const std::string &id,
 
 void Rules::dump() {
     std::cout << "Rules: " << std::endl;
-    for (int i = 0; i <= modsecurity::Phases::NUMBER_OF_PHASES; i++) {
+    for (int i = 0; i < modsecurity::Phases::NUMBER_OF_PHASES; i++) {
         std::vector<Rule *> rules = m_rules[i];
         std::cout << "Phase: " << std::to_string(i);
         std::cout << " (" << std::to_string(rules.size());