diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/google/bitcoin/core/Message.java b/core/src/main/java/com/google/bitcoin/core/Message.java
index c1a37ec6..0076e52c 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/google/bitcoin/core/Message.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/google/bitcoin/core/Message.java
@@ -458,8 +458,10 @@ public abstract class Message implements Serializable {
         }
     }
 
-
     byte[] readBytes(int length) throws ProtocolException {
+        if (length > MAX_SIZE) {
+            throw new ProtocolException("Claimed byte array length too large: " + length);
+        }
         try {
             byte[] b = new byte[length];
             System.arraycopy(payload, cursor, b, 0, length);
@@ -483,6 +485,9 @@ public abstract class Message implements Serializable {
                 return "";
             }
             cursor += varInt.getOriginalSizeInBytes();
+            if (varInt.value > MAX_SIZE) {
+                throw new ProtocolException("Claimed var_str length too large: " + varInt.value);
+            }
             byte[] characters = new byte[(int) varInt.value];
             System.arraycopy(payload, cursor, characters, 0, characters.length);
             cursor += characters.length;
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/com/google/bitcoin/core/MessageTest.java b/core/src/test/java/com/google/bitcoin/core/MessageTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..812a4fa7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/test/java/com/google/bitcoin/core/MessageTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2014 Piotr Włodarek
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package com.google.bitcoin.core;
+
+import com.google.bitcoin.params.UnitTestParams;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+public class MessageTest {
+
+    // If readStr() is vulnerable this causes OutOfMemory
+    @Test(expected = ProtocolException.class)
+    public void readStrOfExtremeLength() throws Exception {
+        NetworkParameters params = UnitTestParams.get();
+        VarInt length = new VarInt(Integer.MAX_VALUE);
+        byte[] payload = length.encode();
+        new VarStrMessage(params, payload);
+    }
+
+    static class VarStrMessage extends Message {
+        public VarStrMessage(NetworkParameters params, byte[] payload) {
+            super(params, payload, 0);
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        void parse() throws ProtocolException {
+            readStr();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        protected void parseLite() throws ProtocolException {}
+    }
+
+    // If readBytes() is vulnerable this causes OutOfMemory
+    @Test(expected = ProtocolException.class)
+    public void readByteArrayOfExtremeLength() throws Exception {
+        NetworkParameters params = UnitTestParams.get();
+        VarInt length = new VarInt(Integer.MAX_VALUE);
+        byte[] payload = length.encode();
+        new VarBytesMessage(params, payload);
+    }
+
+    static class VarBytesMessage extends Message {
+        public VarBytesMessage(NetworkParameters params, byte[] payload) {
+            super(params, payload, 0);
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        void parse() throws ProtocolException {
+            readByteArray();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        protected void parseLite() throws ProtocolException {}
+    }
+
+}