diff --git a/pyisolate/migration.py b/pyisolate/migration.py
index e90a648..4e6c78d 100644
--- a/pyisolate/migration.py
+++ b/pyisolate/migration.py
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@
 _MAGIC = b"PYISOMIG1"
 _HEADER_LIMIT = 16 * 1024
 _DEFAULT_PORT = 8765
+# Checkpoints are JSON sandbox state plus AEAD overhead, so even generous
+# deployments stay far below this. The bound exists because the peer-declared
+# ``blob_len`` is read into memory *before* the HMAC can be verified; without
+# it an unauthenticated peer could make the endpoint buffer arbitrary amounts.
+DEFAULT_MAX_BLOB_LEN = 64 * 1024 * 1024
 
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
@@ -126,6 +131,7 @@ def handle_migration_connection(
     key: bytes,
     *,
     restore_fn: Callable[[bytes, bytes], Sandbox] = restore,
+    max_blob_len: int = DEFAULT_MAX_BLOB_LEN,
 ) -> MigrationResponse:
     """Restore one checkpoint received from *conn* and send a response."""
     if len(key) != 32:
@@ -138,6 +144,8 @@ def handle_migration_connection(
         auth = header.get("auth")
         if isinstance(blob_len, bool) or not isinstance(blob_len, int) or blob_len < 0:
             raise MigrationProtocolError("invalid checkpoint length")
+        if blob_len > max_blob_len:
+            raise MigrationProtocolError("checkpoint exceeds maximum size")
         if not isinstance(auth, str):
             raise MigrationProtocolError("missing migration authenticator")
         blob = _read_exact(conn, blob_len)
@@ -154,14 +162,20 @@ def handle_migration_connection(
 
 
 def serve_migration_once(
-    host: str, key: bytes, *, restore_fn: Callable[[bytes, bytes], Sandbox] = restore
+    host: str,
+    key: bytes,
+    *,
+    restore_fn: Callable[[bytes, bytes], Sandbox] = restore,
+    max_blob_len: int = DEFAULT_MAX_BLOB_LEN,
 ) -> MigrationResponse:
     """Listen on *host* and handle a single migration request."""
     address = _parse_host(host)
     with socket.create_server(address) as server:
         conn, _peer = server.accept()
         with conn:
-            return handle_migration_connection(conn, key, restore_fn=restore_fn)
+            return handle_migration_connection(
+                conn, key, restore_fn=restore_fn, max_blob_len=max_blob_len
+            )
 
 
 def migrate(sandbox: Sandbox, host: str, key: bytes) -> MigrationResponse:
diff --git a/tests/test_migration.py b/tests/test_migration.py
index e585e38..f278a1d 100644
--- a/tests/test_migration.py
+++ b/tests/test_migration.py
@@ -150,3 +150,48 @@ def restore_fn(seen_blob, seen_key):  # pragma: no cover - should never run
     assert response["ok"] is False
     assert "authenticator" in response["error"]
     assert restored == []
+
+
+def test_endpoint_rejects_oversized_checkpoint_before_reading_it():
+    # blob_len is peer-controlled and read into memory before the HMAC can be
+    # checked, so the endpoint must reject an oversized declaration up front
+    # instead of buffering whatever the peer streams.
+    server, client = socket.socketpair()
+    restored = []
+    result = []
+
+    def restore_fn(seen_blob, seen_key):  # pragma: no cover - should never run
+        restored.append((seen_blob, seen_key))
+        return object()
+
+    def run_server():
+        with server:
+            result.append(
+                migration.handle_migration_connection(
+                    server, KEY, restore_fn=restore_fn, max_blob_len=1024
+                )
+            )
+
+    thread = threading.Thread(target=run_server)
+    thread.start()
+    try:
+        migration._send_json(
+            client,
+            {
+                "magic": "PYISOMIG1",
+                "version": 1,
+                "blob_len": 1025,
+                "auth": "0" * 64,
+            },
+        )
+        response = migration._recv_json(client)
+    finally:
+        client.close()
+        thread.join(timeout=1)
+
+    assert response["ok"] is False
+    assert "maximum size" in response["error"]
+    assert result == [
+        migration.MigrationResponse(ok=False, error="checkpoint exceeds maximum size")
+    ]
+    assert restored == []