diff --git a/src/CoreParser.php b/src/CoreParser.php
index f5fe732..a336f01 100644
--- a/src/CoreParser.php
+++ b/src/CoreParser.php
@@ -105,14 +105,20 @@ class CoreParser {
         $m->pub_key = base64_encode(substr($payload, 1, CoreProtocol::PUB_KEY_SIZE));
  
         if( strlen($payload) > CoreProtocol::PUB_KEY_SIZE + 2 ) {
-            $m->type = ord($payload[33]);
-            $m->flags = ord($payload[34]);
-            $m->out_path = substr($payload, 35, CoreProtocol::MAX_PATH_SIZE);
-            $m->name = substr($payload, 99, 32);
-            $m->last_advert_time = unpack('V', substr($payload, 203, 4))[1];
-            $m->lat = unpack('V', substr($payload, 207, 4))[1];
-            $m->lon = unpack('V', substr($payload, 211, 4))[1];
-            $m->last_mod = unpack('V', substr($payload, 215, 4))[1];
+            try {
+                $m->type = ord($payload[33]);
+                $m->flags = ord($payload[34]);
+                $m->out_path = substr($payload, 35, CoreProtocol::MAX_PATH_SIZE);
+                $m->name = substr($payload, 99, 32);
+                $m->last_advert_time = unpack('V', substr($payload, 203, 4))[1];
+                $m->lat = unpack('V', substr($payload, 207, 4))[1];
+                $m->lon = unpack('V', substr($payload, 211, 4))[1];
+                $m->last_mod = unpack('V', substr($payload, 215, 4))[1];
+            }
+            catch(\Throwable $t) {
+                // hidden problem?  packet wasn't long enough so we'll just be missing data i suppose
+                error_log("Tried to decode Advert but packet too small.  Packet size: " . strlen($payload) . " and expected 215..");
+            }
         }
 
         return $m;