diff --git a/bitchat/Protocols/BinaryProtocol.swift b/bitchat/Protocols/BinaryProtocol.swift
index 5a858ae4..2d78263a 100644
--- a/bitchat/Protocols/BinaryProtocol.swift
+++ b/bitchat/Protocols/BinaryProtocol.swift
@@ -212,24 +212,30 @@ struct BinaryProtocol {
         // Remove padding first
         let unpaddedData = MessagePadding.unpad(data)
         
-        
+        // Minimum size check: header + senderID
         guard unpaddedData.count >= headerSize + senderIDSize else { 
             return nil 
         }
         
         var offset = 0
         
-        // Header
+        // Header parsing with bounds checks
+        guard offset + 1 <= unpaddedData.count else { return nil }
         let version = unpaddedData[offset]; offset += 1
+        
         // Check if version is supported
         guard ProtocolVersion.isSupported(version) else { 
-            // Log unsupported version for debugging
             return nil 
         }
+        
+        guard offset + 1 <= unpaddedData.count else { return nil }
         let type = unpaddedData[offset]; offset += 1
+        
+        guard offset + 1 <= unpaddedData.count else { return nil }
         let ttl = unpaddedData[offset]; offset += 1
         
-        // Timestamp
+        // Timestamp - need 8 bytes
+        guard offset + 8 <= unpaddedData.count else { return nil }
         let timestampData = unpaddedData[offset..<offset+8]
         let timestamp = timestampData.reduce(0) { result, byte in
             (result << 8) | UInt64(byte)
@@ -237,73 +243,93 @@ struct BinaryProtocol {
         offset += 8
         
         // Flags
+        guard offset + 1 <= unpaddedData.count else { return nil }
         let flags = unpaddedData[offset]; offset += 1
         let hasRecipient = (flags & Flags.hasRecipient) != 0
         let hasSignature = (flags & Flags.hasSignature) != 0
         let isCompressed = (flags & Flags.isCompressed) != 0
         
-        // Payload length
+        // Payload length - need 2 bytes
+        guard offset + 2 <= unpaddedData.count else { return nil }
         let payloadLengthData = unpaddedData[offset..<offset+2]
         let payloadLength = payloadLengthData.reduce(0) { result, byte in
             (result << 8) | UInt16(byte)
         }
         offset += 2
         
-        // Calculate expected total size
-        var expectedSize = headerSize + senderIDSize + Int(payloadLength)
-        if hasRecipient {
-            expectedSize += recipientIDSize
-        }
-        if hasSignature {
-            expectedSize += signatureSize
-        }
+        // Validate payloadLength is reasonable (prevent integer overflow)
+        guard payloadLength <= 65535 else { return nil }
         
-        guard unpaddedData.count >= expectedSize else { 
-            return nil 
-        }
-        
-        // SenderID
+        // SenderID - need 8 bytes
+        guard offset + senderIDSize <= unpaddedData.count else { return nil }
         let senderID = unpaddedData[offset..<offset+senderIDSize]
         offset += senderIDSize
         
-        // RecipientID
+        // RecipientID if present
         var recipientID: Data?
         if hasRecipient {
+            guard offset + recipientIDSize <= unpaddedData.count else { return nil }
             recipientID = unpaddedData[offset..<offset+recipientIDSize]
             offset += recipientIDSize
         }
         
-        // Payload
+        // Payload handling with comprehensive bounds checking
         let payload: Data
         if isCompressed {
-            // First 2 bytes are original size
+            // Compressed payload needs at least 2 bytes for original size
             guard Int(payloadLength) >= 2 else { return nil }
+            
+            // Check we have enough data for the original size prefix
+            guard offset + 2 <= unpaddedData.count else { return nil }
             let originalSizeData = unpaddedData[offset..<offset+2]
             let originalSize = Int(originalSizeData.reduce(0) { result, byte in
                 (result << 8) | UInt16(byte)
             })
             offset += 2
             
-            // Compressed payload
-            let compressedPayload = unpaddedData[offset..<offset+Int(payloadLength)-2]
-            offset += Int(payloadLength) - 2
+            // Validate original size is reasonable
+            guard originalSize >= 0 && originalSize <= 1048576 else { return nil } // Max 1MB
             
-            // Decompress
+            // Check we have enough data for the compressed payload
+            let compressedPayloadSize = Int(payloadLength) - 2
+            guard compressedPayloadSize >= 0 && offset + compressedPayloadSize <= unpaddedData.count else { 
+                return nil 
+            }
+            
+            let compressedPayload = unpaddedData[offset..<offset+compressedPayloadSize]
+            offset += compressedPayloadSize
+            
+            // Decompress with error handling
             guard let decompressedPayload = CompressionUtil.decompress(compressedPayload, originalSize: originalSize) else {
                 return nil
             }
+            
+            // Verify decompressed size matches expected
+            guard decompressedPayload.count == originalSize else {
+                return nil
+            }
+            
             payload = decompressedPayload
         } else {
+            // Uncompressed payload
+            guard Int(payloadLength) >= 0 && offset + Int(payloadLength) <= unpaddedData.count else { 
+                return nil 
+            }
             payload = unpaddedData[offset..<offset+Int(payloadLength)]
             offset += Int(payloadLength)
         }
         
-        // Signature
+        // Signature if present
         var signature: Data?
         if hasSignature {
+            guard offset + signatureSize <= unpaddedData.count else { return nil }
             signature = unpaddedData[offset..<offset+signatureSize]
+            offset += signatureSize
         }
         
+        // Final validation: ensure we haven't gone past the end
+        guard offset <= unpaddedData.count else { return nil }
+        
         return BitchatPacket(
             type: type,
             senderID: senderID,
diff --git a/bitchatTests/Protocol/BinaryProtocolTests.swift b/bitchatTests/Protocol/BinaryProtocolTests.swift
index a087b3e6..1198638b 100644
--- a/bitchatTests/Protocol/BinaryProtocolTests.swift
+++ b/bitchatTests/Protocol/BinaryProtocolTests.swift
@@ -121,8 +121,9 @@ final class BinaryProtocolTests: XCTestCase {
     func testMessagePadding() throws {
         let payloads = [
             "Short",
-            "This is a medium length message for testing",
-            TestConstants.testLongMessage
+            String(repeating: "Medium length message content ", count: 10), // ~300 bytes  
+            String(repeating: "Long message content that should exceed the 512 byte limit ", count: 20), // ~1200+ bytes
+            String(repeating: "Very long message content that should definitely exceed the 2048 byte limit for sure ", count: 30) // ~2700+ bytes
         ]
         
         var encodedSizes = Set<Int>()
@@ -150,8 +151,8 @@ final class BinaryProtocolTests: XCTestCase {
             XCTAssertEqual(String(data: decodedPacket.payload, encoding: .utf8), payload)
         }
         
-        // Different payload sizes should result in different padded sizes
-        XCTAssertGreaterThan(encodedSizes.count, 1)
+        // Different payload sizes should result in at least 2 different padded sizes
+        XCTAssertGreaterThanOrEqual(encodedSizes.count, 2, "Expected at least 2 different padded sizes, got \(encodedSizes)")
     }
     
     // MARK: - Message Encoding/Decoding Tests
@@ -312,4 +313,259 @@ final class BinaryProtocolTests: XCTestCase {
         // Should fail to decode
         XCTAssertNil(BinaryProtocol.decode(encoded))
     }
+    
+    // MARK: - Bounds Checking Tests (Crash Prevention)
+    
+    func testMalformedPacketWithInvalidPayloadLength() throws {
+        // Test the specific crash scenario: payloadLength = 193 (0xc1) but only 30 bytes available
+        var malformedData = Data()
+        
+        // Valid header (13 bytes)
+        malformedData.append(1) // version
+        malformedData.append(1) // type  
+        malformedData.append(10) // ttl
+        
+        // Timestamp (8 bytes)
+        for _ in 0..<8 {
+            malformedData.append(0)
+        }
+        
+        malformedData.append(0) // flags (no recipient, no signature, not compressed)
+        
+        // Invalid payload length: 193 (0x00c1) but we'll only provide 8 bytes total data
+        malformedData.append(0x00) // high byte
+        malformedData.append(0xc1) // low byte (193)
+        
+        // SenderID (8 bytes) - this brings us to 21 bytes total
+        for _ in 0..<8 {
+            malformedData.append(0x01)
+        }
+        
+        // Only provide 8 more bytes instead of the claimed 193
+        for _ in 0..<8 {
+            malformedData.append(0x02)
+        }
+        
+        // Total data is now 30 bytes, but payloadLength claims 193
+        XCTAssertEqual(malformedData.count, 30)
+        
+        // This should not crash - should return nil gracefully
+        let result = BinaryProtocol.decode(malformedData)
+        XCTAssertNil(result, "Malformed packet with invalid payload length should return nil, not crash")
+    }
+    
+    func testTruncatedPacketHandling() throws {
+        // Test various truncation scenarios
+        let packet = TestHelpers.createTestPacket()
+        guard let validEncoded = BinaryProtocol.encode(packet) else {
+            XCTFail("Failed to encode test packet")
+            return
+        }
+        
+        // Test truncation at various points
+        let truncationPoints = [0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25]
+        
+        for point in truncationPoints {
+            let truncated = validEncoded.prefix(point)
+            let result = BinaryProtocol.decode(truncated)
+            XCTAssertNil(result, "Truncated packet at \(point) bytes should return nil, not crash")
+        }
+    }
+    
+    func testMalformedCompressedPacket() throws {
+        // Test compressed packet with invalid original size
+        var malformedData = Data()
+        
+        // Valid header
+        malformedData.append(1) // version
+        malformedData.append(1) // type
+        malformedData.append(10) // ttl
+        
+        // Timestamp (8 bytes)
+        for _ in 0..<8 {
+            malformedData.append(0)
+        }
+        
+        malformedData.append(0x04) // flags: isCompressed = true
+        
+        // Small payload length that's insufficient for compression
+        malformedData.append(0x00) // high byte  
+        malformedData.append(0x01) // low byte (1 byte - insufficient for 2-byte original size)
+        
+        // SenderID (8 bytes)
+        for _ in 0..<8 {
+            malformedData.append(0x01)
+        }
+        
+        // Only 1 byte of "compressed" data (should need at least 2 for original size)
+        malformedData.append(0x99)
+        
+        // Should handle this gracefully
+        let result = BinaryProtocol.decode(malformedData)
+        XCTAssertNil(result, "Malformed compressed packet should return nil, not crash")
+    }
+    
+    func testExcessivelyLargePayloadLength() throws {
+        // Test packet claiming extremely large payload
+        var malformedData = Data()
+        
+        // Valid header
+        malformedData.append(1) // version
+        malformedData.append(1) // type
+        malformedData.append(10) // ttl
+        
+        // Timestamp (8 bytes)
+        for _ in 0..<8 {
+            malformedData.append(0)
+        }
+        
+        malformedData.append(0) // flags
+        
+        // Maximum payload length (65535)
+        malformedData.append(0xFF) // high byte
+        malformedData.append(0xFF) // low byte
+        
+        // SenderID (8 bytes)
+        for _ in 0..<8 {
+            malformedData.append(0x01)
+        }
+        
+        // Provide only a tiny amount of actual data
+        malformedData.append(contentsOf: [0x01, 0x02, 0x03])
+        
+        // Should handle this gracefully without trying to allocate massive amounts of memory
+        let result = BinaryProtocol.decode(malformedData)
+        XCTAssertNil(result, "Packet with excessive payload length should return nil, not crash")
+    }
+    
+    func testCompressedPacketWithInvalidOriginalSize() throws {
+        // Test compressed packet with unreasonable original size
+        var malformedData = Data()
+        
+        // Valid header
+        malformedData.append(1) // version
+        malformedData.append(1) // type
+        malformedData.append(10) // ttl
+        
+        // Timestamp (8 bytes)
+        for _ in 0..<8 {
+            malformedData.append(0)
+        }
+        
+        malformedData.append(0x04) // flags: isCompressed = true
+        
+        // Reasonable payload length
+        malformedData.append(0x00) // high byte
+        malformedData.append(0x10) // low byte (16 bytes)
+        
+        // SenderID (8 bytes)
+        for _ in 0..<8 {
+            malformedData.append(0x01)
+        }
+        
+        // Original size claiming to be extremely large (2MB)
+        malformedData.append(0x20) // high byte of original size
+        malformedData.append(0x00) // low byte of original size (0x2000 = 8192, but let's make it larger with more bytes)
+        
+        // Add more bytes to make it claim larger size - but this will be invalid
+        // because our validation should catch unreasonable sizes
+        malformedData.append(contentsOf: [0x01, 0x02, 0x03, 0x04]) // Some compressed data
+        
+        // Pad to match payload length
+        while malformedData.count < 21 + 16 { // header + senderID + payload
+            malformedData.append(0x00)
+        }
+        
+        let result = BinaryProtocol.decode(malformedData)
+        XCTAssertNil(result, "Compressed packet with invalid original size should return nil, not crash")
+    }
+    
+    func testMaliciousPacketWithIntegerOverflow() throws {
+        // Test packet designed to cause integer overflow
+        var maliciousData = Data()
+        
+        // Valid header
+        maliciousData.append(1) // version
+        maliciousData.append(1) // type
+        maliciousData.append(10) // ttl
+        
+        // Timestamp (8 bytes)
+        for _ in 0..<8 {
+            maliciousData.append(0)
+        }
+        
+        // Set flags to have recipient and signature (increase expected size)
+        maliciousData.append(0x03) // hasRecipient | hasSignature
+        
+        // Very large payload length
+        maliciousData.append(0xFF) // high byte
+        maliciousData.append(0xFE) // low byte (65534)
+        
+        // SenderID (8 bytes)
+        for _ in 0..<8 {
+            maliciousData.append(0x01)
+        }
+        
+        // RecipientID (8 bytes - required due to flag)
+        for _ in 0..<8 {
+            maliciousData.append(0x02)
+        }
+        
+        // Provide minimal payload data - should trigger bounds check failure
+        maliciousData.append(contentsOf: [0x01, 0x02])
+        
+        // Should handle gracefully without integer overflow issues
+        let result = BinaryProtocol.decode(maliciousData)
+        XCTAssertNil(result, "Malicious packet designed for integer overflow should return nil, not crash")
+    }
+    
+    func testPartialHeaderData() throws {
+        // Test packets with incomplete headers
+        let headerSizes = [0, 1, 5, 10, 12] // Various incomplete header sizes
+        
+        for size in headerSizes {
+            let partialData = Data(repeating: 0x01, count: size)
+            let result = BinaryProtocol.decode(partialData)
+            XCTAssertNil(result, "Partial header data (\(size) bytes) should return nil, not crash")
+        }
+    }
+    
+    func testBoundaryConditions() throws {
+        // Test exact boundary conditions
+        let packet = TestHelpers.createTestPacket()
+        guard let validEncoded = BinaryProtocol.encode(packet) else {
+            XCTFail("Failed to encode test packet")
+            return
+        }
+        
+        // Remove several bytes to ensure it fails - should fail gracefully  
+        let truncated = validEncoded.dropLast(10)
+        let result = BinaryProtocol.decode(truncated)
+        XCTAssertNil(result, "Truncated packet should return nil, not crash")
+        
+        // Test minimum valid size - create a valid minimal packet
+        var minData = Data()
+        minData.append(1) // version
+        minData.append(1) // type
+        minData.append(10) // ttl
+        
+        // Timestamp (8 bytes)
+        for _ in 0..<8 {
+            minData.append(0)
+        }
+        
+        minData.append(0) // flags (no optional fields)
+        minData.append(0) // payload length high byte
+        minData.append(0) // payload length low byte (0 payload)
+        
+        // SenderID (8 bytes)
+        for _ in 0..<8 {
+            minData.append(0x01)
+        }
+        
+        // This should be exactly the minimum size and should decode without crashing
+        let minResult = BinaryProtocol.decode(minData)
+        // The important thing is no crash occurs - result might be nil or valid
+        // We don't assert the result, just that no crash happens
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file