diff --git a/buffer_pool.go b/buffer_pool.go
index 1c81308e..40ff3bfc 100644
--- a/buffer_pool.go
+++ b/buffer_pool.go
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ func getPacketBuffer() []byte {
 }
 
 func putPacketBuffer(buf []byte) {
+	if cap(buf) != int(protocol.MaxPacketSize) {
+		println(buf)
+		panic("putPacketBuffer called with packet of wrong size!")
+	}
 	bufferPool.Put(buf[:0])
 }