diff --git a/fetch_response.go b/fetch_response.go
index 840808d68..1ac543921 100644
--- a/fetch_response.go
+++ b/fetch_response.go
@@ -22,9 +22,6 @@ func (pr *FetchResponseBlock) decode(pd packetDecoder) (err error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if msgSetSize < 0 {
-		return PacketDecodingError{"invalid message set size"}
-	}
 
 	msgSetDecoder, err := pd.getSubset(int(msgSetSize))
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/produce_request.go b/produce_request.go
index f21956137..473513c6a 100644
--- a/produce_request.go
+++ b/produce_request.go
@@ -90,9 +90,6 @@ func (p *ProduceRequest) decode(pd packetDecoder) error {
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			if messageSetSize == 0 {
-				continue
-			}
 			msgSetDecoder, err := pd.getSubset(int(messageSetSize))
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
diff --git a/real_decoder.go b/real_decoder.go
index b194b9bcc..e7462c32b 100644
--- a/real_decoder.go
+++ b/real_decoder.go
@@ -188,7 +188,9 @@ func (rd *realDecoder) remaining() int {
 }
 
 func (rd *realDecoder) getSubset(length int) (packetDecoder, error) {
-	if length > rd.remaining() {
+	if length < 0 {
+		return nil, PacketDecodingError{"invalid subset size"}
+	} else if length > rd.remaining() {
 		rd.off = len(rd.raw)
 		return nil, ErrInsufficientData
 	}