diff --git a/pdu/pdu.go b/pdu/pdu.go
index f40ec0c..9a4602d 100644
--- a/pdu/pdu.go
+++ b/pdu/pdu.go
@@ -38,8 +38,17 @@ func (p *PDU_HEADER) EncodeInto(buf *[]uint8) {
 	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(bufVal[12:16], p.sequence_number)
 }
 func (p *PDU_HEADER) Decode(data []uint8) {
-	p.command_length = binary.BigEndian.Uint32(data[0:4])
-	p.command_id = binary.BigEndian.Uint32(data[4:8])
-	p.command_status = binary.BigEndian.Uint32(data[8:12])
-	p.sequence_number = binary.BigEndian.Uint32(data[12:16])
+	if len(data) >= 4 {
+		p.command_length = binary.BigEndian.Uint32(data[0:4])
+	}
+	if len(data) >= 8 {
+		p.command_id = binary.BigEndian.Uint32(data[4:8])
+	}
+	if len(data) >= 12 {
+		p.command_status = binary.BigEndian.Uint32(data[8:12])
+
+	}
+	if len(data) >= 16 {
+		p.sequence_number = binary.BigEndian.Uint32(data[12:16])
+	}
 }
diff --git a/pdu/pdu_test.go b/pdu/pdu_test.go
index fd6d33e..6f83a75 100644
--- a/pdu/pdu_test.go
+++ b/pdu/pdu_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 package pdu
 
-import "testing"
+import (
+	"testing"
+)
 
+// region encode
 func TestEncodeReturnsByteSliceOfLength16(t *testing.T) {
 	p := &PDU_HEADER{
 		command_length:  1,
@@ -23,7 +26,7 @@ func TestEncodeHandlesZeroValues(t *testing.T) {
 		sequence_number: 0,
 	}
 	result := p.Encode()
-	expected := make([]byte, 16)
+	expected := make([]uint8, 16)
 	for i, v := range result {
 		if v != expected[i] {
 			t.Errorf("Expected byte slice with zero values, got %v", result)
@@ -40,7 +43,7 @@ func TestEncodeEncodesProperly(t *testing.T) {
 		sequence_number: 4,
 	}
 	result := p.Encode()
-	expected := []byte{0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0, 3, 0, 0, 0, 4}
+	expected := []uint8{0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0, 3, 0, 0, 0, 4}
 	for i, v := range result {
 		if v != expected[i] {
 			t.Errorf("Expected byte slice with values %v, got %v", expected, result)
@@ -57,11 +60,126 @@ func TestEncodeEncodesProperlyComplex(t *testing.T) {
 		sequence_number: 476543523,
 	}
 	result := p.Encode()
-	expected := []byte{0, 204, 224, 36, 0, 3, 225, 144, 2, 31, 188, 88, 28, 103, 122, 35}
+	expected := []uint8{0, 204, 224, 36, 0, 3, 225, 144, 2, 31, 188, 88, 28, 103, 122, 35}
 	for i, v := range result {
 		if v != expected[i] {
 			t.Errorf("Expected byte slice with values %v, got %v", expected, result)
 			break
 		}
 	}
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+// region decode
+func TestDecodeHandlesShortByteSlice(t *testing.T) {
+	var p PDU_HEADER
+	data := []uint8{0, 0, 0, 10}
+	defer func() {
+		if r := recover(); r != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Decode panicked with short byte slice")
+		}
+	}()
+	p.Decode(data)
+}
+
+func TestDecodeParsesValidByteSlice(t *testing.T) {
+	var p PDU_HEADER
+	data := []uint8{0, 0, 0, 16, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0, 3}
+	p.Decode(data)
+	if p.command_length != 16 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected command_length to be 16, got %d", p.command_length)
+	}
+	if p.command_id != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected command_id to be 1, got %d", p.command_id)
+	}
+	if p.command_status != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected command_status to be 2, got %d", p.command_status)
+	}
+	if p.sequence_number != 3 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected sequence_number to be 3, got %d", p.sequence_number)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDecodeHandlesLongerByteSliceWithoutCrashing(t *testing.T) {
+	var p PDU_HEADER
+	data := make([]uint8, 20)
+	defer func() {
+		if r := recover(); r != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Decode panicked with long byte slice")
+		}
+	}()
+	p.Decode(data)
+}
+
+func TestDecodeHandlesNilDataInput(t *testing.T) {
+	var p PDU_HEADER
+	p.Decode(nil)
+	if p.command_length != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected command_length to be 0, got %d", p.command_length)
+	}
+	if p.command_id != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected command_id to be 0, got %d", p.command_id)
+	}
+	if p.command_status != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected command_status to be 0, got %d", p.command_status)
+	}
+	if p.sequence_number != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected sequence_number to be 0, got %d", p.sequence_number)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDecodeHandlesEmptyByteSliceGracefully(t *testing.T) {
+	var p PDU_HEADER
+	data := []uint8{}
+	p.Decode(data)
+	if p.command_length != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected command_length to be 0, got %d", p.command_length)
+	}
+	if p.command_id != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected command_id to be 0, got %d", p.command_id)
+	}
+	if p.command_status != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected command_status to be 0, got %d", p.command_status)
+	}
+	if p.sequence_number != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected sequence_number to be 0, got %d", p.sequence_number)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDecodeDoesNotModifyInputByteSlice(t *testing.T) {
+	var p PDU_HEADER
+	data := []uint8{0, 0, 0, 16, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0, 3}
+	originalData := make([]uint8, len(data))
+	copy(originalData, data)
+
+	p.Decode(data)
+
+	for i := range data {
+		if data[i] != originalData[i] {
+			t.Errorf("Expected data at index %d to be %d, got %d", i, originalData[i], data[i])
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDecodeHandlesByteSlicesWithMaxUint32Values(t *testing.T) {
+	var p PDU_HEADER
+	data := []uint8{255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255}
+	p.Decode(data)
+	if p.command_length != 4294967295 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected command_length to be 4294967295, got %d", p.command_length)
+	}
+	if p.command_id != 4294967295 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected command_id to be 4294967295, got %d", p.command_id)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDecodeHandlesByteSlicesWithMinimumUint32Values(t *testing.T) {
+	var p PDU_HEADER
+	data := []uint8{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}
+	p.Decode(data)
+	if p.command_length != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected command_length to be 0, got %d", p.command_length)
+	}
+	if p.command_id != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected command_id to be 0, got %d", p.command_id)
+	}
+}