diff --git a/ChangeLog.txt b/ChangeLog.txt
index 7fc02fb9..2a6a6a19 100644
--- a/ChangeLog.txt
+++ b/ChangeLog.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 1.5 - 2018xxxx
 ==============
 
+Security:
+- Fix memory leak that could be caused by a malicious CONNECT packet. This
+  does not yet have a CVE assigned. Closes #533493 (on Eclipse bugtracker)
+
 Broker features:
 - Add per_listener_settings to allow authentication and access control to be
   per listener.
diff --git a/src/handle_connect.c b/src/handle_connect.c
index 86d06ef8..4246af16 100644
--- a/src/handle_connect.c
+++ b/src/handle_connect.c
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ void connection_check_acl(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto *context, st
 
 int handle__connect(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto *context)
 {
-	char *protocol_name = NULL;
+	char protocol_name[7];
 	uint8_t protocol_version;
 	uint8_t connect_flags;
 	uint8_t connect_ack = 0;
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ int handle__connect(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto *context)
 	struct mosquitto__acl_user *acl_tail;
 	struct mosquitto *found_context;
 	int slen;
+	uint16_t slen16;
 	struct mosquitto__subleaf *leaf;
 	int i;
 	struct mosquitto__security_options *security_opts;
@@ -145,20 +146,27 @@ int handle__connect(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto *context)
 		goto handle_connect_error;
 	}
 
-	if(packet__read_string(&context->in_packet, &protocol_name, &slen)){
+	/* Read protocol name as length then bytes rather than with read_string
+	 * because the length is fixed and we can check that. Removes the need
+	 * for another malloc as well. */
+	if(packet__read_uint16(&context->in_packet, &slen16)){
 		rc = 1;
 		goto handle_connect_error;
-		return 1;
 	}
-	if(!protocol_name){
-		rc = 3;
+	slen = slen16;
+	if(slen != 4 /* MQTT */ && slen != 6 /* MQIsdp */){
+		rc = MOSQ_ERR_PROTOCOL;
 		goto handle_connect_error;
-		return 3;
 	}
+	if(packet__read_bytes(&context->in_packet, protocol_name, slen)){
+		rc = MOSQ_ERR_PROTOCOL;
+		goto handle_connect_error;
+	}
+	protocol_name[slen] = '\0';
+
 	if(packet__read_byte(&context->in_packet, &protocol_version)){
 		rc = 1;
 		goto handle_connect_error;
-		return 1;
 	}
 	if(!strcmp(protocol_name, PROTOCOL_NAME_v31)){
 		if((protocol_version&0x7F) != PROTOCOL_VERSION_v31){
@@ -195,8 +203,6 @@ int handle__connect(struct mosquitto_db *db, struct mosquitto *context)
 		rc = MOSQ_ERR_PROTOCOL;
 		goto handle_connect_error;
 	}
-	mosquitto__free(protocol_name);
-	protocol_name = NULL;
 
 	if(packet__read_byte(&context->in_packet, &connect_flags)){
 		rc = 1;
@@ -672,7 +678,6 @@ handle_connect_error:
 	mosquitto__free(will_payload);
 	mosquitto__free(will_topic);
 	mosquitto__free(will_struct);
-	mosquitto__free(protocol_name);
 #ifdef WITH_TLS
 	if(client_cert) X509_free(client_cert);
 #endif