diff --git a/packages/net/_test.pony b/packages/net/_test.pony
index 2f461c9a209..2b4be11da58 100644
--- a/packages/net/_test.pony
+++ b/packages/net/_test.pony
@@ -282,8 +282,12 @@ class _TestTCPExpectNotify is TCPConnectionNotify
 
   fun ref accepted(conn: TCPConnection ref) =>
     conn.set_nodelay(true)
-    conn.expect(_expect)
-    _send(conn, "hi there")
+    try
+      conn.expect(_expect)?
+      _send(conn, "hi there")
+    else
+      conn.close()
+    end
 
   fun ref connect_failed(conn: TCPConnection ref) =>
     _h.fail_action("client connect failed")
@@ -291,7 +295,11 @@ class _TestTCPExpectNotify is TCPConnectionNotify
   fun ref connected(conn: TCPConnection ref) =>
     _h.complete_action("client connect")
     conn.set_nodelay(true)
-    conn.expect(_expect)
+    try
+      conn.expect(_expect)?
+    else
+      conn.close()
+    end
 
   fun ref expect(conn: TCPConnection ref, qty: USize): USize =>
     _h.complete_action("expect received")
@@ -326,7 +334,11 @@ class _TestTCPExpectNotify is TCPConnectionNotify
       _expect = 4
     end
 
-    conn.expect(_expect)
+    try
+      conn.expect(_expect)?
+    else
+      conn.close()
+    end
     true
 
   fun ref _send(conn: TCPConnection ref, data: String) =>
diff --git a/packages/net/tcp_connection.pony b/packages/net/tcp_connection.pony
index 981c528dd23..f22db02ea3c 100644
--- a/packages/net/tcp_connection.pony
+++ b/packages/net/tcp_connection.pony
@@ -463,15 +463,22 @@ actor TCPConnection
     @pony_os_peername[Bool](_fd, ip)
     ip
 
-  fun ref expect(qty: USize = 0) =>
+  fun ref expect(qty: USize = 0) ? =>
     """
     A `received` call on the notifier must contain exactly `qty` bytes. If
     `qty` is zero, the call can contain any amount of data. This has no effect
     if called in the `sent` notifier callback.
+
+    `qty` can not exceed the max buffer size as indicated by the
+    read_buffer_size` supplied when the connection was created.
     """
-    if not _in_sent then
-      _expect = _notify.expect(this, qty)
-      _read_buf_size()
+    if qty <= _read_buffer_size then
+      if not _in_sent then
+        _expect = _notify.expect(this, qty)
+        _read_buf_size()
+      end
+    else
+      error
     end
 
   fun ref set_nodelay(state: Bool) =>