An overcurrent protection circuit for a current setting circuit is disclosed herein that prevents a user-selectable current from exceeding a current limit when an incorrect current selecting component (or current selecting circuit) is connected to an external control pin of a package by the user, or when the control pin is inadvertently grounded. The protection circuit senses a current (A1*Iset) mirrored from the user-set current (Iset). If the mirrored current is above a threshold, the protection circuit limits the Iset current to be at or below a current limit level. In one embodiment, the protection circuit comprises a transistor that turns on when the mirrored current exceeds a threshold, and the transistor shunts control current from a series transistor generating the user-set current Iset.