diff --git a/subsys/net/lib/mqtt/mqtt_decoder.c b/subsys/net/lib/mqtt/mqtt_decoder.c
index 7469a762baca..23915afd9dd1 100644
--- a/subsys/net/lib/mqtt/mqtt_decoder.c
+++ b/subsys/net/lib/mqtt/mqtt_decoder.c
@@ -256,6 +256,13 @@ int publish_decode(u8_t flags, u32_t var_length, struct buf_ctx *buf,
 		var_header_length += sizeof(u16_t);
 	}
 
+	if (var_length < var_header_length) {
+		MQTT_ERR("Corrupted PUBLISH message, header length (%u) larger "
+			 "than total length (%u)", var_header_length,
+			 var_length);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	param->message.payload.data = NULL;
 	param->message.payload.len = var_length - var_header_length;
 
diff --git a/tests/net/lib/mqtt_packet/src/mqtt_packet.c b/tests/net/lib/mqtt_packet/src/mqtt_packet.c
index fe57ebe5055c..1f3f9fd421a4 100644
--- a/tests/net/lib/mqtt_packet/src/mqtt_packet.c
+++ b/tests/net/lib/mqtt_packet/src/mqtt_packet.c
@@ -109,6 +109,15 @@ static int eval_msg_connect(struct mqtt_test *mqtt_test);
  */
 static int eval_msg_publish(struct mqtt_test *mqtt_test);
 
+/**
+ * @brief eval_msg_corrupted_publish Evaluate the given mqtt_test against the
+ *				     corrupted publish message.
+ * @param [in] mqtt_test	     MQTT test structure
+ * @return			     TC_PASS on success
+ * @return			     TC_FAIL on error
+ */
+static int eval_msg_corrupted_publish(struct mqtt_test *mqtt_test);
+
 /**
  * @brief eval_msg_subscribe	Evaluate the given mqtt_test against the
  *				subscribe packing/unpacking routines.
@@ -452,6 +461,14 @@ static ZTEST_DMEM struct mqtt_publish_param msg_publish4 = {
 	.message.payload.len = 2,
 };
 
+static ZTEST_DMEM
+u8_t publish_corrupted[] = {0x30, 0x07, 0x00, 0x07, 0x73, 0x65, 0x6e, 0x73,
+			    0x6f, 0x72, 0x73, 0x00, 0x01, 0x4f, 0x4b};
+static ZTEST_DMEM struct buf_ctx publish_corrupted_buf = {
+	.cur = publish_corrupted,
+	.end = publish_corrupted + sizeof(publish_corrupted)
+};
+
 /*
  * MQTT SUBSCRIBE msg:
  * pkt_id: 1, topic: sensors, qos: 0
@@ -622,6 +639,9 @@ struct mqtt_test mqtt_tests[] = {
 	 .ctx = &msg_publish4, .eval_fcn = eval_msg_publish,
 	 .expected = publish4, .expected_len = sizeof(publish4)},
 
+	{.test_name = "PUBLISH, corrupted message length (smaller than topic)",
+	 .ctx = &publish_corrupted_buf, .eval_fcn = eval_msg_corrupted_publish},
+
 	{.test_name = "SUBSCRIBE, one topic, qos = 0",
 	 .ctx = &msg_subscribe1, .eval_fcn = eval_msg_subscribe,
 	 .expected = subscribe1, .expected_len = sizeof(subscribe1)},
@@ -829,6 +849,23 @@ static int eval_msg_publish(struct mqtt_test *mqtt_test)
 	return TC_PASS;
 }
 
+static int eval_msg_corrupted_publish(struct mqtt_test *mqtt_test)
+{
+	struct buf_ctx *buf = (struct buf_ctx *)mqtt_test->ctx;
+	int rc;
+	u8_t type_and_flags;
+	u32_t length;
+	struct mqtt_publish_param dec_param;
+
+	rc = fixed_header_decode(buf, &type_and_flags, &length);
+	zassert_equal(rc, 0, "fixed_header_decode failed");
+
+	rc = publish_decode(type_and_flags, length, buf, &dec_param);
+	zassert_equal(rc, -EINVAL, "publish_decode should fail");
+
+	return TC_PASS;
+}
+
 static int eval_msg_subscribe(struct mqtt_test *mqtt_test)
 {
 	struct mqtt_subscription_list *param =