diff --git a/ethereum/p2p/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/p2p/network/netty/DeFramer.java b/ethereum/p2p/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/p2p/network/netty/DeFramer.java
index 2a0499fdad..f4761c1bff 100644
--- a/ethereum/p2p/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/p2p/network/netty/DeFramer.java
+++ b/ethereum/p2p/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/p2p/network/netty/DeFramer.java
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ final class DeFramer extends ByteToMessageDecoder {
         throwable instanceof DecoderException && throwable.getCause() != null
             ? throwable.getCause()
             : throwable;
-    if (cause instanceof FramingException) {
+    if (cause instanceof FramingException || cause instanceof RLPException) {
       LOG.debug("Invalid incoming message", throwable);
       if (connectFuture.isDone() && !connectFuture.isCompletedExceptionally()) {
         connectFuture.get().disconnect(DisconnectReason.BREACH_OF_PROTOCOL);
diff --git a/ethereum/p2p/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/p2p/network/netty/DeFramerTest.java b/ethereum/p2p/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/p2p/network/netty/DeFramerTest.java
index c95e663d49..2d4df5fa3b 100644
--- a/ethereum/p2p/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/p2p/network/netty/DeFramerTest.java
+++ b/ethereum/p2p/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/p2p/network/netty/DeFramerTest.java
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.p2p.wire.messages.DisconnectMessage.Discon
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.p2p.wire.messages.HelloMessage;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.p2p.wire.messages.PingMessage;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.p2p.wire.messages.WireMessageCodes;
+import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.rlp.RLPException;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.metrics.noop.NoOpMetricsSystem;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.util.bytes.BytesValue;
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.util.enode.EnodeURL;
@@ -123,6 +124,16 @@ public class DeFramerTest {
     verify(peerConnection).disconnect(DisconnectReason.BREACH_OF_PROTOCOL);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void exceptionCaught_shouldDisconnectForBreachOfProtocolWhenRlpExceptionThrown()
+      throws Exception {
+    connectFuture.complete(peerConnection);
+
+    deFramer.exceptionCaught(ctx, new DecoderException(new RLPException("Test")));
+
+    verify(peerConnection).disconnect(DisconnectReason.BREACH_OF_PROTOCOL);
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void exceptionCaught_shouldHandleFramingExceptionWhenFutureCompletedExceptionally()
       throws Exception {