diff --git a/src/mqtt/MQTT.cpp b/src/mqtt/MQTT.cpp
index e77e82e54..194683939 100644
--- a/src/mqtt/MQTT.cpp
+++ b/src/mqtt/MQTT.cpp
@@ -69,22 +69,25 @@ void MQTT::onPublish(char *topic, byte *payload, unsigned int length)
             DEBUG_MSG("Invalid MQTT service envelope, topic %s, len %u!\n", topic, length);
         }
     } else {
-        pb_decode_from_bytes(payload, length, ServiceEnvelope_fields, &e);
-        if (strcmp(e.gateway_id, owner.id) == 0)
-            DEBUG_MSG("Ignoring downlink message we originally sent.\n");
-        else {
-            if (e.packet) {
-                DEBUG_MSG("Received MQTT topic %s, len=%u\n", topic, length);
-                MeshPacket *p = packetPool.allocCopy(*e.packet);
+        if (!pb_decode_from_bytes(payload, length, ServiceEnvelope_fields, &e)) {
+            DEBUG_MSG("Invalid MQTT service envelope, topic %s, len %u!\n", topic, length);
+            return;
+        }else {
+            if (strcmp(e.gateway_id, owner.id) == 0)
+                DEBUG_MSG("Ignoring downlink message we originally sent.\n");
+            else {
+                if (e.packet) {
+                    DEBUG_MSG("Received MQTT topic %s, len=%u\n", topic, length);
+                    MeshPacket *p = packetPool.allocCopy(*e.packet);
 
-                // ignore messages sent by us or if we don't have the channel key
-                if (router && p->from != nodeDB.getNodeNum() && perhapsDecode(p))
-                    router->enqueueReceivedMessage(p);
-                else
-                    packetPool.release(p);
+                    // ignore messages sent by us or if we don't have the channel key
+                    if (router && p->from != nodeDB.getNodeNum() && perhapsDecode(p))
+                        router->enqueueReceivedMessage(p);
+                    else
+                        packetPool.release(p);
+                }
             }
         }
-
         // make sure to free both strings and the MeshPacket (passing in NULL is acceptable)
         free(e.channel_id);
         free(e.gateway_id);