diff --git a/core/src/com/google/zxing/oned/UPCEANReader.java b/core/src/com/google/zxing/oned/UPCEANReader.java
index cb486c258..91afbe36d 100644
--- a/core/src/com/google/zxing/oned/UPCEANReader.java
+++ b/core/src/com/google/zxing/oned/UPCEANReader.java
@@ -176,6 +176,10 @@ public abstract class UPCEANReader extends OneDReader {
     }
 
     String resultString = result.toString();
+    // UPC/EAN should never be less than 8 chars anyway
+    if (resultString.length() < 8) {
+      throw FormatException.getFormatInstance();
+    }
     if (!checkChecksum(resultString)) {
       throw ChecksumException.getChecksumInstance();
     }
diff --git a/cpp/core/src/zxing/oned/UPCEANReader.cpp b/cpp/core/src/zxing/oned/UPCEANReader.cpp
index e76aa755e..1643531c1 100644
--- a/cpp/core/src/zxing/oned/UPCEANReader.cpp
+++ b/cpp/core/src/zxing/oned/UPCEANReader.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <zxing/oned/OneDResultPoint.h>
 #include <zxing/ReaderException.h>
 #include <zxing/NotFoundException.h>
+#include <zxing/FormatException.h>
 #include <zxing/ChecksumException.h>
 
 using std::vector;
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ using std::string;
 using zxing::Ref;
 using zxing::Result;
 using zxing::NotFoundException;
+using zxing::FormatException;
 using zxing::ChecksumException;
 using zxing::oned::UPCEANReader;
 
@@ -138,6 +140,11 @@ Ref<Result> UPCEANReader::decodeRow(int rowNumber,
     throw NotFoundException();
   }
 
+  // UPC/EAN should never be less than 8 chars anyway
+  if (result.length() < 8) {
+    throw FormatException();
+  }
+
   Ref<String> resultString (new String(result));
   if (!checkChecksum(resultString)) {
     throw ChecksumException();