diff --git a/examples/ipsec-secgw/sa.c b/examples/ipsec-secgw/sa.c
index 45b8103664..dd01f1fbcb 100644
--- a/examples/ipsec-secgw/sa.c
+++ b/examples/ipsec-secgw/sa.c
@@ -911,7 +911,7 @@ sa_add_rules(struct sa_ctx *sa_ctx, const struct ipsec_sa entries[],
 		}
 
 		if (sa->aead_algo == RTE_CRYPTO_AEAD_AES_GCM) {
-			iv_length = 16;
+			iv_length = 12;
 
 			sa_ctx->xf[idx].a.type = RTE_CRYPTO_SYM_XFORM_AEAD;
 			sa_ctx->xf[idx].a.aead.algo = sa->aead_algo;