diff --git a/src/apic-extension/azext_apic_extension/custom.py b/src/apic-extension/azext_apic_extension/custom.py
index 77d47e0dec2..2f7650d79d0 100644
--- a/src/apic-extension/azext_apic_extension/custom.py
+++ b/src/apic-extension/azext_apic_extension/custom.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 import yaml
 import requests
 from knack.log import get_logger
+from knack.util import CLIError
 import chardet
 from azure.cli.core.aaz._arg import AAZStrArg
 from .command_patches import ImportAPIDefinitionExtension
@@ -32,11 +33,11 @@ def pre_operations(self):
 
         # Check the size of 'value' if format is inline and raise error if value is greater than 3 mb
         if args.format == 'inline':
-            value_size_bytes = sys.getsizeof(args.value)
+            value_size_bytes = sys.getsizeof(str(args.value))
             value_size_mb = value_size_bytes / (1024 * 1024)  # Convert bytes to megabytes
             if value_size_mb > 3:
-                logger.error('The size of "value" is greater than 3 MB. '
-                             'Please use --format "url" to import the specification from a URL for size greater than 3 mb.')
+                raise CLIError('The size of "value" is greater than 3 MB. '
+                             'Please use --format "link" to import the specification from a URL for size greater than 3 mb.')
 
 
 class ExportSpecificationExtension(ExportAPIDefinitionExtension):
diff --git a/src/apic-extension/azext_apic_extension/tests/latest/test_definition_commands.py b/src/apic-extension/azext_apic_extension/tests/latest/test_definition_commands.py
index d1e2b8f7da8..f09e9c3f099 100644
--- a/src/apic-extension/azext_apic_extension/tests/latest/test_definition_commands.py
+++ b/src/apic-extension/azext_apic_extension/tests/latest/test_definition_commands.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import json
 import os
 
+from knack.util import CLIError
 from azure.cli.testsdk import ScenarioTest, ResourceGroupPreparer
 from .utils import ApicServicePreparer, ApicApiPreparer, ApicVersionPreparer, ApicDefinitionPreparer
 
@@ -185,4 +186,24 @@ def test_definition_import_from_file(self):
 
             assert exported_content == imported_content, "The exported content is not the same as the imported content."
         finally:
-            os.remove(exported_file_path)
\ No newline at end of file
+            os.remove(exported_file_path)
+
+    @ResourceGroupPreparer(name_prefix="clirg", location='eastus', random_name_length=32)
+    @ApicServicePreparer()
+    @ApicApiPreparer()
+    @ApicVersionPreparer()
+    @ApicDefinitionPreparer()
+    def test_definition_import_large_value(self):
+        self.kwargs.update({
+            'specification': '{"name":"openapi","version":"3.0.0"}',
+            'file_name': "test_definition_import_large_value.txt"
+        })
+
+        try:
+            with open(self.kwargs['file_name'], 'w') as file:
+                file.write('a' * 4 * 1024 * 1024) # generate a 4MB file
+
+            with self.assertRaisesRegexp(CLIError, 'The size of "value" is greater than 3 MB. Please use --format "link" to import the specification from a URL for size greater than 3 mb.') as cm:
+                self.cmd('az apic api definition import-specification -g {rg} -s {s} --api-id {api} --version-id {v} --definition-id {d} --format "inline" --specification \'{specification}\' --value "@{file_name}"')
+        finally:
+            os.remove(self.kwargs['file_name'])