diff --git a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/MinecraftVarintFrameDecoder.java b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/MinecraftVarintFrameDecoder.java
index 35016c312..71ac4fcc8 100644
--- a/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/MinecraftVarintFrameDecoder.java
+++ b/proxy/src/main/java/com/velocitypowered/proxy/protocol/netty/MinecraftVarintFrameDecoder.java
@@ -91,29 +91,35 @@ public class MinecraftVarintFrameDecoder extends ByteToMessageDecoder {
 
     // try to read the length of the packet
     in.markReaderIndex();
-    int length = readRawVarInt21(in);
-    if (packetStart == in.readerIndex()) {
-      return;
-    }
-    if (length < 0) {
-      throw BAD_PACKET_LENGTH;
-    }
+    try {
+      int length = readRawVarInt21(in);
+      if (packetStart == in.readerIndex()) {
+        return;
+      }
+      if (length < 0) {
+        throw BAD_PACKET_LENGTH;
+      }
 
-    if (length > 0) {
-      if (state == StateRegistry.HANDSHAKE && direction == ProtocolUtils.Direction.SERVERBOUND) {
-        if (validateServerboundHandshakePacket(in, length)) {
-          return;
+      if (length > 0) {
+        if (state == StateRegistry.HANDSHAKE && direction == ProtocolUtils.Direction.SERVERBOUND) {
+          if (validateServerboundHandshakePacket(in, length)) {
+            return;
+          }
         }
       }
-    }
 
-    // note that zero-length packets are ignored
-    if (length > 0) {
-      if (in.readableBytes() < length) {
-        in.resetReaderIndex();
-      } else {
-        out.add(in.readRetainedSlice(length));
+      // note that zero-length packets are ignored
+      if (length > 0) {
+        if (in.readableBytes() < length) {
+          in.resetReaderIndex();
+        } else {
+          out.add(in.readRetainedSlice(length));
+        }
       }
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      // Reset buffer to consistent state before propagating exception to prevent memory leaks
+      in.resetReaderIndex();
+      throw e;
     }
   }
 
@@ -122,34 +128,40 @@ public class MinecraftVarintFrameDecoder extends ByteToMessageDecoder {
         state.getProtocolRegistry(direction, ProtocolVersion.MINIMUM_VERSION);
 
     final int index = in.readerIndex();
-    final int packetId = readRawVarInt21(in);
-    // Index hasn't changed, we've read nothing
-    if (index == in.readerIndex()) {
-      in.resetReaderIndex();
-      return true;
-    }
-    final int payloadLength = length - ProtocolUtils.varIntBytes(packetId);
+    try {
+      final int packetId = readRawVarInt21(in);
+      // Index hasn't changed, we've read nothing
+      if (index == in.readerIndex()) {
+        in.resetReaderIndex();
+        return true;
+      }
+      final int payloadLength = length - ProtocolUtils.varIntBytes(packetId);
 
-    MinecraftPacket packet = registry.createPacket(packetId);
+      MinecraftPacket packet = registry.createPacket(packetId);
 
-    // We handle every packet in this phase, if you said something we don't know, something is really wrong
-    if (packet == null) {
-      throw UNKNOWN_PACKET;
-    }
+      // We handle every packet in this phase, if you said something we don't know, something is really wrong
+      if (packet == null) {
+        throw UNKNOWN_PACKET;
+      }
 
-    // We 'technically' have the incoming bytes of a payload here, and so, these can actually parse
-    // the packet if needed, so, we'll take advantage of the existing methods
-    int expectedMinLen = packet.decodeExpectedMinLength(in, direction, registry.version);
-    int expectedMaxLen = packet.decodeExpectedMaxLength(in, direction, registry.version);
-    if (expectedMaxLen != -1 && payloadLength > expectedMaxLen) {
-      throw handleOverflow(packet, expectedMaxLen, in.readableBytes());
-    }
-    if (payloadLength < expectedMinLen) {
-      throw handleUnderflow(packet, expectedMaxLen, in.readableBytes());
-    }
+      // We 'technically' have the incoming bytes of a payload here, and so, these can actually parse
+      // the packet if needed, so, we'll take advantage of the existing methods
+      int expectedMinLen = packet.decodeExpectedMinLength(in, direction, registry.version);
+      int expectedMaxLen = packet.decodeExpectedMaxLength(in, direction, registry.version);
+      if (expectedMaxLen != -1 && payloadLength > expectedMaxLen) {
+        throw handleOverflow(packet, expectedMaxLen, in.readableBytes());
+      }
+      if (payloadLength < expectedMinLen) {
+        throw handleUnderflow(packet, expectedMaxLen, in.readableBytes());
+      }
 
-    in.readerIndex(index);
-    return false;
+      in.readerIndex(index);
+      return false;
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      // Reset buffer to consistent state before propagating exception to prevent memory leaks
+      in.readerIndex(index);
+      throw e;
+    }
   }
 
   @Override