diff --git a/blockchain/reactor.go b/blockchain/reactor.go
index 64f4445a9..33dfdd288 100644
--- a/blockchain/reactor.go
+++ b/blockchain/reactor.go
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ const (
 	// NOTE: keep up to date with bcBlockResponseMessage
 	bcBlockResponseMessagePrefixSize   = 4
 	bcBlockResponseMessageFieldKeySize = 1
-	maxMessageSize                     = types.MaxBlockSizeBytes +
+	maxMsgSize                         = types.MaxBlockSizeBytes +
 		bcBlockResponseMessagePrefixSize +
 		bcBlockResponseMessageFieldKeySize
 )
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ func (bcR *BlockchainReactor) GetChannels() []*p2p.ChannelDescriptor {
 			Priority:            10,
 			SendQueueCapacity:   1000,
 			RecvBufferCapacity:  50 * 4096,
-			RecvMessageCapacity: maxMessageSize,
+			RecvMessageCapacity: maxMsgSize,
 		},
 	}
 }
@@ -345,6 +345,10 @@ func RegisterBlockchainMessages(cdc *amino.Codec) {
 // DecodeMessage decodes BlockchainMessage.
 // TODO: ensure that bz is completely read.
 func DecodeMessage(bz []byte) (msg BlockchainMessage, err error) {
+	if len(bz) > maxMsgSize {
+		return msg, fmt.Errorf("Msg exceeds max size (%d > %d)",
+			len(bz), maxMsgSize)
+	}
 	err = cdc.UnmarshalBinaryBare(bz, &msg)
 	if err != nil {
 		err = cmn.ErrorWrap(err, "DecodeMessage() had bytes left over")
diff --git a/consensus/reactor.go b/consensus/reactor.go
index 2c8d4d85a..8f341184e 100644
--- a/consensus/reactor.go
+++ b/consensus/reactor.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ const (
 	VoteChannel        = byte(0x22)
 	VoteSetBitsChannel = byte(0x23)
 
-	maxConsensusMessageSize = 1048576 // 1MB; NOTE/TODO: keep in sync with types.PartSet sizes.
+	maxMsgSize = 1048576 // 1MB; NOTE/TODO: keep in sync with types.PartSet sizes.
 
 	blocksToContributeToBecomeGoodPeer = 10000
 )
@@ -112,28 +112,28 @@ func (conR *ConsensusReactor) GetChannels() []*p2p.ChannelDescriptor {
 			ID:                  StateChannel,
 			Priority:            5,
 			SendQueueCapacity:   100,
-			RecvMessageCapacity: maxConsensusMessageSize,
+			RecvMessageCapacity: maxMsgSize,
 		},
 		{
 			ID:                  DataChannel, // maybe split between gossiping current block and catchup stuff
 			Priority:            10,          // once we gossip the whole block there's nothing left to send until next height or round
 			SendQueueCapacity:   100,
 			RecvBufferCapacity:  50 * 4096,
-			RecvMessageCapacity: maxConsensusMessageSize,
+			RecvMessageCapacity: maxMsgSize,
 		},
 		{
 			ID:                  VoteChannel,
 			Priority:            5,
 			SendQueueCapacity:   100,
 			RecvBufferCapacity:  100 * 100,
-			RecvMessageCapacity: maxConsensusMessageSize,
+			RecvMessageCapacity: maxMsgSize,
 		},
 		{
 			ID:                  VoteSetBitsChannel,
 			Priority:            1,
 			SendQueueCapacity:   2,
 			RecvBufferCapacity:  1024,
-			RecvMessageCapacity: maxConsensusMessageSize,
+			RecvMessageCapacity: maxMsgSize,
 		},
 	}
 }
@@ -1314,6 +1314,10 @@ func RegisterConsensusMessages(cdc *amino.Codec) {
 
 // DecodeMessage decodes the given bytes into a ConsensusMessage.
 func DecodeMessage(bz []byte) (msg ConsensusMessage, err error) {
+	if len(bz) > maxMsgSize {
+		return msg, fmt.Errorf("Msg exceeds max size (%d > %d)",
+			len(bz), maxMsgSize)
+	}
 	err = cdc.UnmarshalBinaryBare(bz, &msg)
 	return
 }
diff --git a/evidence/reactor.go b/evidence/reactor.go
index 27cbdbf31..a6aa66b1f 100644
--- a/evidence/reactor.go
+++ b/evidence/reactor.go
@@ -2,11 +2,12 @@ package evidence
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"github.com/tendermint/go-amino"
-	"github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/log"
 	"reflect"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/tendermint/go-amino"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/log"
+
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/p2p"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/types"
 )
@@ -14,7 +15,7 @@ import (
 const (
 	EvidenceChannel = byte(0x38)
 
-	maxEvidenceMessageSize     = 1048576 // 1MB TODO make it configurable
+	maxMsgSize                 = 1048576 // 1MB TODO make it configurable
 	broadcastEvidenceIntervalS = 60      // broadcast uncommitted evidence this often
 )
 
@@ -146,6 +147,10 @@ func RegisterEvidenceMessages(cdc *amino.Codec) {
 
 // DecodeMessage decodes a byte-array into a EvidenceMessage.
 func DecodeMessage(bz []byte) (msg EvidenceMessage, err error) {
+	if len(bz) > maxMsgSize {
+		return msg, fmt.Errorf("Msg exceeds max size (%d > %d)",
+			len(bz), maxMsgSize)
+	}
 	err = cdc.UnmarshalBinaryBare(bz, &msg)
 	return
 }
diff --git a/mempool/reactor.go b/mempool/reactor.go
index acd693e42..54a3c32fe 100644
--- a/mempool/reactor.go
+++ b/mempool/reactor.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import (
 const (
 	MempoolChannel = byte(0x30)
 
-	maxMempoolMessageSize      = 1048576 // 1MB TODO make it configurable
+	maxMsgSize                 = 1048576 // 1MB TODO make it configurable
 	peerCatchupSleepIntervalMS = 100     // If peer is behind, sleep this amount
 )
 
@@ -167,6 +167,10 @@ func RegisterMempoolMessages(cdc *amino.Codec) {
 
 // DecodeMessage decodes a byte-array into a MempoolMessage.
 func DecodeMessage(bz []byte) (msg MempoolMessage, err error) {
+	if len(bz) > maxMsgSize {
+		return msg, fmt.Errorf("Msg exceeds max size (%d > %d)",
+			len(bz), maxMsgSize)
+	}
 	err = cdc.UnmarshalBinaryBare(bz, &msg)
 	return
 }
diff --git a/p2p/pex/pex_reactor.go b/p2p/pex/pex_reactor.go
index db4bb9f08..00144c35f 100644
--- a/p2p/pex/pex_reactor.go
+++ b/p2p/pex/pex_reactor.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ const (
 	// PexChannel is a channel for PEX messages
 	PexChannel = byte(0x00)
 
-	maxPexMessageSize = 1048576 // 1MB
+	maxMsgSize = 1048576 // 1MB
 
 	// ensure we have enough peers
 	defaultEnsurePeersPeriod   = 30 * time.Second
@@ -616,6 +616,10 @@ func RegisterPexMessage(cdc *amino.Codec) {
 
 // DecodeMessage implements interface registered above.
 func DecodeMessage(bz []byte) (msg PexMessage, err error) {
+	if len(bz) > maxMsgSize {
+		return msg, fmt.Errorf("Msg exceeds max size (%d > %d)",
+			len(bz), maxMsgSize)
+	}
 	err = cdc.UnmarshalBinary(bz, &msg)
 	return
 }
diff --git a/types/priv_validator.go b/types/priv_validator.go
index ecba4456f..8759d3f99 100644
--- a/types/priv_validator.go
+++ b/types/priv_validator.go
@@ -92,5 +92,4 @@ func (pv *MockPV) String() string {
 func (pv *MockPV) DisableChecks() {
 	// Currently this does nothing,
 	// as MockPV has no safety checks at all.
-	return
 }