diff --git a/lib/java/src/org/apache/thrift/transport/TSaslTransport.java b/lib/java/src/org/apache/thrift/transport/TSaslTransport.java
index fc6d9b8..7938916 100644
--- a/lib/java/src/org/apache/thrift/transport/TSaslTransport.java
+++ b/lib/java/src/org/apache/thrift/transport/TSaslTransport.java
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@
     }
 
     int payloadBytes = EncodingUtils.decodeBigEndian(messageHeader, STATUS_BYTES);
-    if (payloadBytes <= 0 || payloadBytes > 104857600 /* 100 MB */) {
+    if (payloadBytes < 0 || payloadBytes > 104857600 /* 100 MB */) {
       throw sendAndThrowMessage(
         NegotiationStatus.ERROR, "Invalid payload header length: " + payloadBytes);
     }
diff --git a/lib/java/test/org/apache/thrift/transport/TestTSaslTransports.java b/lib/java/test/org/apache/thrift/transport/TestTSaslTransports.java
index b627ccf..788395f 100644
--- a/lib/java/test/org/apache/thrift/transport/TestTSaslTransports.java
+++ b/lib/java/test/org/apache/thrift/transport/TestTSaslTransports.java
@@ -458,18 +458,21 @@
       saslTransport.receiveSaslMessage();
       fail("Should have gotten an error due to incorrect status byte value.");
     } catch (TTransportException e) {
+      assertEquals(e.getMessage(), "Invalid status -1");
     }
     saslTransport = new TSaslServerTransport(new MockTTransport(2));
     try {
       saslTransport.receiveSaslMessage();
       fail("Should have gotten an error due to negative payload length.");
     } catch (TTransportException e) {
+      assertEquals(e.getMessage(), "Invalid payload header length: -1");
     }
     saslTransport = new TSaslServerTransport(new MockTTransport(3));
     try {
       saslTransport.receiveSaslMessage();
       fail("Should have gotten an error due to bogus (large) payload length.");
     } catch (TTransportException e) {
+      assertEquals(e.getMessage(), "Invalid payload header length: 1677721600");
     }
   }
 }