diff --git a/libraries/AP_GPS/AP_GPS_SBF.cpp b/libraries/AP_GPS/AP_GPS_SBF.cpp
index 86223f1a8a..ce70f37b61 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_GPS/AP_GPS_SBF.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_GPS/AP_GPS_SBF.cpp
@@ -130,6 +130,13 @@ AP_GPS_SBF::parse(uint8_t temp)
                 sbf_msg.sbf_state = sbf_msg_parser_t::PREAMBLE1;
                 Debug("bad packet length=%u\n", (unsigned)sbf_msg.length);
             }
+            if (sbf_msg.length < 8) {
+                Debug("bad packet length=%u\n", (unsigned)sbf_msg.length);
+                sbf_msg.sbf_state = sbf_msg_parser_t::PREAMBLE1;
+                crc_error_counter++; // this is a probable buffer overflow, but this
+                                     // indicates not enough bytes to do a crc
+                break;
+            }
             break;
         case sbf_msg_parser_t::DATA:
             if (sbf_msg.read < sizeof(sbf_msg.data)) {
@@ -142,12 +149,6 @@ AP_GPS_SBF::parse(uint8_t temp)
                     sbf_msg.sbf_state = sbf_msg_parser_t::PREAMBLE1;
                     break;
                 }
-                if (sbf_msg.length < 8) {
-                    Debug("length error %u\n", (unsigned)sbf_msg.length);
-                    sbf_msg.sbf_state = sbf_msg_parser_t::PREAMBLE1;
-                    crc_error_counter++;
-                    break;
-                }
                 uint16_t crc = crc16_ccitt((uint8_t*)&sbf_msg.blockid, 2, 0);
                 crc = crc16_ccitt((uint8_t*)&sbf_msg.length, 2, crc);
                 crc = crc16_ccitt((uint8_t*)&sbf_msg.data, sbf_msg.length - 8, crc);
diff --git a/libraries/AP_GPS/AP_GPS_SBF.h b/libraries/AP_GPS/AP_GPS_SBF.h
index 4a7d49316f..edee33d3e4 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_GPS/AP_GPS_SBF.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_GPS/AP_GPS_SBF.h
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ private:
         msg4001 msg4001u;
         msg4014 msg4014u;
         msg5908 msg5908u;
-        uint8_t bytes[128];
+        uint8_t bytes[256];
     };
 
     struct sbf_msg_parser_t