diff --git a/lib/utils.js b/lib/utils.js
index 45c2cd2b..f4433261 100644
--- a/lib/utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils.js
@@ -270,6 +270,9 @@ function BufferPool(len) {
 }
 
 BufferPool.prototype.alloc = function (len) {
+  if (len < 0) {
+    throw new Error('negative length');
+  }
   var maxLen = this._len;
   if (len > maxLen) {
     return newBuffer(len);
@@ -448,6 +451,8 @@ function Tap(buf, pos) {
  */
 Tap.prototype.isValid = function () { return this.pos <= this.buf.length; };
 
+Tap.prototype._invalidate = function () { this.pos = this.buf.length + 1; };
+
 // Read, skip, write methods.
 //
 // These should fail silently when the buffer overflows. Note this is only
@@ -522,7 +527,7 @@ Tap.prototype.readFloat = function () {
   var pos = this.pos;
   this.pos += 4;
   if (this.pos > buf.length) {
-    return;
+    return 0;
   }
   return this.buf.readFloatLE(pos);
 };
@@ -544,7 +549,7 @@ Tap.prototype.readDouble = function () {
   var pos = this.pos;
   this.pos += 8;
   if (this.pos > buf.length) {
-    return;
+    return 0;
   }
   return this.buf.readDoubleLE(pos);
 };
@@ -585,11 +590,20 @@ Tap.prototype.writeFixed = function (buf, len) {
 };
 
 Tap.prototype.readBytes = function () {
-  return this.readFixed(this.readLong());
+  var len = this.readLong();
+  if (len < 0) {
+    this._invalidate();
+    return;
+  }
+  return this.readFixed(len);
 };
 
 Tap.prototype.skipBytes = function () {
   var len = this.readLong();
+  if (len < 0) {
+    this._invalidate();
+    return;
+  }
   this.pos += len;
 };
 
@@ -604,6 +618,10 @@ if (typeof Buffer.prototype.utf8Slice == 'function') {
   // Use this optimized function when available.
   Tap.prototype.readString = function () {
     var len = this.readLong();
+    if (len < 0) {
+      this._invalidate();
+      return '';
+    }
     var pos = this.pos;
     var buf = this.buf;
     this.pos += len;
@@ -615,6 +633,10 @@ if (typeof Buffer.prototype.utf8Slice == 'function') {
 } else {
   Tap.prototype.readString = function () {
     var len = this.readLong();
+    if (len < 0) {
+      this._invalidate();
+      return '';
+    }
     var pos = this.pos;
     var buf = this.buf;
     this.pos += len;
@@ -627,6 +649,10 @@ if (typeof Buffer.prototype.utf8Slice == 'function') {
 
 Tap.prototype.skipString = function () {
   var len = this.readLong();
+  if (len < 0) {
+    this._invalidate();
+    return;
+  }
   this.pos += len;
 };
 
@@ -872,6 +898,7 @@ module.exports = {
   toMap: toMap,
   singleIndexOf: singleIndexOf,
   hasDuplicates: hasDuplicates,
+  BufferPool: BufferPool,
   Lcg: Lcg,
   OrderedQueue: OrderedQueue,
   Tap: Tap
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index c4f590b9..6a8a3639 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "avsc",
-  "version": "5.4.14",
+  "version": "5.4.15",
   "description": "Avro for JavaScript",
   "homepage": "https://github.com/mtth/avsc",
   "keywords": [
diff --git a/test/test_utils.js b/test/test_utils.js
index 325ff857..528e63b0 100644
--- a/test/test_utils.js
+++ b/test/test_utils.js
@@ -143,6 +143,23 @@ suite('utils', function () {
 
   });
 
+  suite('Tap', function () {
+
+    var BufferPool = utils.BufferPool;
+
+    test('alloc negative length', function () {
+      var pool = new BufferPool(16);
+      assert.throws(function () { pool.alloc(-1); });
+    });
+
+    test('alloc beyond pool size', function () {
+      var pool = new BufferPool(4);
+      assert.equal(pool.alloc(3).length, 3);
+      assert.equal(pool.alloc(2).length, 2);
+    });
+
+  });
+
   suite('Tap', function () {
 
     var Tap = utils.Tap;