diff --git a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/RequestManager.java b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/RequestManager.java
index 989af18781..cefcdab1ff 100644
--- a/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/RequestManager.java
+++ b/ethereum/eth/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/RequestManager.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.eth.manager;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.p2p.rlpx.connections.PeerConnection.PeerNotConnected;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.p2p.rlpx.wire.MessageData;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.p2p.rlpx.wire.messages.DisconnectMessage;
+import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.rlp.RLPException;
 
 import java.math.BigInteger;
 import java.util.Collection;
@@ -70,22 +71,34 @@ public class RequestManager {
   public void dispatchResponse(final EthMessage ethMessage) {
     final Collection<ResponseStream> streams = List.copyOf(responseStreams.values());
     final int count = outstandingRequests.decrementAndGet();
-    if (supportsRequestId) {
-      // If there's a requestId, find the specific stream it belongs to
-      final Map.Entry<BigInteger, MessageData> requestIdAndEthMessage =
-          ethMessage.getData().unwrapMessageData();
-      Optional.ofNullable(responseStreams.get(requestIdAndEthMessage.getKey()))
-          .ifPresentOrElse(
-              responseStream -> responseStream.processMessage(requestIdAndEthMessage.getValue()),
-              // disconnect on incorrect requestIds
-              () -> {
-                LOG.debug("Request ID incorrect (BREACH_OF_PROTOCOL), disconnecting peer {}", peer);
-                peer.disconnect(DisconnectMessage.DisconnectReason.BREACH_OF_PROTOCOL);
-              });
-    } else {
-      // otherwise iterate through all of them
-      streams.forEach(stream -> stream.processMessage(ethMessage.getData()));
+    try {
+      if (supportsRequestId) {
+        // If there's a requestId, find the specific stream it belongs to
+        final Map.Entry<BigInteger, MessageData> requestIdAndEthMessage =
+            ethMessage.getData().unwrapMessageData();
+        Optional.ofNullable(responseStreams.get(requestIdAndEthMessage.getKey()))
+            .ifPresentOrElse(
+                responseStream -> responseStream.processMessage(requestIdAndEthMessage.getValue()),
+                // disconnect on incorrect requestIds
+                () -> {
+                  LOG.debug(
+                      "Request ID incorrect (BREACH_OF_PROTOCOL), disconnecting peer {}", peer);
+                  peer.disconnect(DisconnectMessage.DisconnectReason.BREACH_OF_PROTOCOL);
+                });
+      } else {
+        // otherwise iterate through all of them
+        streams.forEach(stream -> stream.processMessage(ethMessage.getData()));
+      }
+    } catch (final RLPException e) {
+      LOG.debug(
+          "Received malformed message {} (BREACH_OF_PROTOCOL), disconnecting: {}",
+          ethMessage.getData(),
+          peer,
+          e);
+
+      peer.disconnect(DisconnectMessage.DisconnectReason.BREACH_OF_PROTOCOL);
     }
+
     if (count == 0) {
       // No possibility of any remaining outstanding messages
       closeOutstandingStreams(streams);
diff --git a/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/RequestManagerTest.java b/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/RequestManagerTest.java
index b79f75597a..71cbb2507a 100644
--- a/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/RequestManagerTest.java
+++ b/ethereum/eth/src/test/java/org/hyperledger/besu/ethereum/eth/manager/RequestManagerTest.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.p2p.rlpx.wire.Capability;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.p2p.rlpx.wire.MessageData;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.p2p.rlpx.wire.RawMessage;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.rlp.BytesValueRLPOutput;
+import org.hyperledger.besu.ethereum.rlp.RLP;
 import org.hyperledger.besu.testutil.TestClock;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
@@ -309,4 +310,29 @@ public class RequestManagerTest {
         TestClock.fixed(),
         Collections.emptyList());
   }
+
+  @Test
+  public void disconnectsPeerOnBadMessage() throws Exception {
+    for (final boolean supportsRequestId : List.of(true, false)) {
+      final EthPeer peer = createPeer();
+      final RequestManager requestManager =
+          new RequestManager(peer, supportsRequestId, EthProtocol.NAME);
+
+      requestManager
+          .dispatchRequest(
+              messageData -> RLP.input(messageData.getData()).nextSize(),
+              new RawMessage(0x01, Bytes.EMPTY))
+          .then(
+              (closed, msg, p) -> {
+                if (!closed) {
+                  RLP.input(msg.getData()).skipNext();
+                }
+              });
+      final EthMessage mockMessage =
+          new EthMessage(peer, new RawMessage(1, Bytes.of(0x81, 0x82, 0x83, 0x84)));
+
+      requestManager.dispatchResponse(mockMessage);
+      assertThat(peer.isDisconnected()).isTrue();
+    }
+  }
 }