diff --git a/lang/c/src/avro/io.h b/lang/c/src/avro/io.h
index ffbb68dc57f..c05961d3938 100644
--- a/lang/c/src/avro/io.h
+++ b/lang/c/src/avro/io.h
@@ -52,6 +52,15 @@ avro_reader_memory_set_source(avro_reader_t reader, const char *buf, int64_t len
 void
 avro_writer_memory_set_dest(avro_writer_t writer, const char *buf, int64_t len);
 
+
+/*
+ * Returns the number of bytes available to read from the reader.
+ * For memory readers, returns remaining bytes (len - read).
+ * For file readers, returns buffered bytes available.
+ * Returns -1 for unknown reader types.
+ */
+int64_t avro_max_read(avro_reader_t reader);
+
 int avro_read(avro_reader_t reader, void *buf, int64_t len);
 int avro_skip(avro_reader_t reader, int64_t len);
 int avro_write(avro_writer_t writer, void *buf, int64_t len);
diff --git a/lang/c/src/encoding.h b/lang/c/src/encoding.h
index 6333d588df7..db4e4d4c972 100644
--- a/lang/c/src/encoding.h
+++ b/lang/c/src/encoding.h
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ typedef struct avro_encoding_t avro_encoding_t;
 #define AVRO_SKIP(reader, len) \
 { int rval = avro_skip( reader, len); if (rval) return rval; }
 
+#define AVRO_READ_OR_FREE(reader, buf, len, mem_size)  \
+{ int rval = avro_read( reader, buf, len ); if(rval) { if(buf) avro_free(buf, mem_size); buf = NULL;  return rval; } }
+
 extern const avro_encoding_t avro_binary_encoding;	/* in
 							 * encoding_binary 
 							 */
diff --git a/lang/c/src/encoding_binary.c b/lang/c/src/encoding_binary.c
index 96dacea5836..8d7cd0e3d85 100644
--- a/lang/c/src/encoding_binary.c
+++ b/lang/c/src/encoding_binary.c
@@ -125,19 +125,31 @@ static int64_t size_int(avro_writer_t writer, const int32_t i)
 static int read_bytes(avro_reader_t reader, char **bytes, int64_t * len)
 {
 	int rval;
+	int64_t  max_available = -1;
 	check_prefix(rval, read_long(reader, len),
 		     "Cannot read bytes length: ");
 	if (*len < 0) {
 		avro_set_error("Invalid bytes length: %" PRId64, *len);
 		return EINVAL;
 	}
+
+	max_available = avro_max_read(reader);
+	if (max_available >= 0 && str_len > max_available) {
+	    avro_set_error("String length %" PRId64 " is greater than available buffer size %" PRId64,
+				str_len, max_available);
+		return ERANGE;
+	}
+
+
 	*bytes = (char *) avro_malloc(*len + 1);
 	if (!*bytes) {
 		avro_set_error("Cannot allocate buffer for bytes value");
 		return ENOMEM;
 	}
-	AVRO_READ(reader, *bytes, *len);
+	
 	(*bytes)[*len] = '\0';
+	AVRO_READ_OR_FREE(reader, *bytes, *len, *len+1);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -180,6 +192,7 @@ size_bytes(avro_writer_t writer, const char *bytes, const int64_t len)
 static int read_string(avro_reader_t reader, char **s, int64_t *len)
 {
 	int64_t  str_len = 0;
+	int64_t  max_available = -1;
 	int rval;
 	check_prefix(rval, read_long(reader, &str_len),
 		     "Cannot read string length: ");
@@ -187,6 +200,14 @@ static int read_string(avro_reader_t reader, char **s, int64_t *len)
 		avro_set_error("Invalid string length: %" PRId64, str_len);
 		return EINVAL;
 	}
+    
+	max_available = avro_max_read(reader);
+	if (max_available >= 0 && str_len > max_available) {
+	    avro_set_error("String length %" PRId64 " is greater than available buffer size %" PRId64,
+				str_len, max_available);
+		return ERANGE;
+	}
+
 	*len = str_len + 1;
 	*s = (char *) avro_malloc(*len);
 	if (!*s) {
@@ -194,7 +215,7 @@ static int read_string(avro_reader_t reader, char **s, int64_t *len)
 		return ENOMEM;
 	}
 	(*s)[str_len] = '\0';
-	AVRO_READ(reader, *s, str_len);
+	AVRO_READ_OR_FREE(reader, *s, str_len, *len);
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/lang/c/src/io.c b/lang/c/src/io.c
index c1e2f5dc9b1..92b253379f6 100644
--- a/lang/c/src/io.c
+++ b/lang/c/src/io.c
@@ -274,6 +274,20 @@ int avro_read(avro_reader_t reader, void *buf, int64_t len)
 	return EINVAL;
 }
 
+
+int64_t avro_max_read(avro_reader_t reader)
+{
+	if (is_memory_io(reader)) {
+		struct _avro_reader_memory_t *mem_reader = avro_reader_to_memory(reader);
+		return mem_reader->len - mem_reader->read;
+	} else if (is_file_io(reader)) {
+		struct _avro_reader_file_t *file_reader = avro_reader_to_file(reader);
+		return bytes_available(file_reader);
+	}
+	return -1;
+}
+
+
 static int avro_skip_memory(struct _avro_reader_memory_t *reader, int64_t len)
 {
 	if (len > 0) {