diff --git a/accounts/abi/abi.go b/accounts/abi/abi.go
index 0ca97525cd2b9..0c68a0a1ee274 100644
--- a/accounts/abi/abi.go
+++ b/accounts/abi/abi.go
@@ -140,6 +140,9 @@ func (abi *ABI) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
 // MethodById looks up a method by the 4-byte id
 // returns nil if none found
 func (abi *ABI) MethodById(sigdata []byte) (*Method, error) {
+	if len(sigdata) < 4 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("data too short (% bytes) for abi method lookup", len(sigdata))
+	}
 	for _, method := range abi.Methods {
 		if bytes.Equal(method.Id(), sigdata[:4]) {
 			return &method, nil
diff --git a/accounts/abi/abi_test.go b/accounts/abi/abi_test.go
index 790505b8c043f..57f9a9cf00a40 100644
--- a/accounts/abi/abi_test.go
+++ b/accounts/abi/abi_test.go
@@ -620,16 +620,19 @@ func TestBareEvents(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 // TestUnpackEvent is based on this contract:
-//    contract T {
-//      event received(address sender, uint amount, bytes memo);
-//      event receivedAddr(address sender);
-//      function receive(bytes memo) external payable {
-//        received(msg.sender, msg.value, memo);
-//        receivedAddr(msg.sender);
-//      }
-//    }
+//
+//	contract T {
+//	  event received(address sender, uint amount, bytes memo);
+//	  event receivedAddr(address sender);
+//	  function receive(bytes memo) external payable {
+//	    received(msg.sender, msg.value, memo);
+//	    receivedAddr(msg.sender);
+//	  }
+//	}
+//
 // When receive("X") is called with sender 0x00... and value 1, it produces this tx receipt:
-//   receipt{status=1 cgas=23949 bloom=00000000004000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000800000000000000000000000000000000000040200000000000000000000000000000000001000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000080000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 logs=[log: b6818c8064f645cd82d99b59a1a267d6d61117ef [75fd880d39c1daf53b6547ab6cb59451fc6452d27caa90e5b6649dd8293b9eed] 000000000000000000000000376c47978271565f56deb45495afa69e59c16ab200000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000010000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000060000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000158 9ae378b6d4409eada347a5dc0c180f186cb62dc68fcc0f043425eb917335aa28 0 95d429d309bb9d753954195fe2d69bd140b4ae731b9b5b605c34323de162cf00 0]}
+//
+//	receipt{status=1 cgas=23949 bloom=00000000004000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000800000000000000000000000000000000000040200000000000000000000000000000000001000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000080000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 logs=[log: b6818c8064f645cd82d99b59a1a267d6d61117ef [75fd880d39c1daf53b6547ab6cb59451fc6452d27caa90e5b6649dd8293b9eed] 000000000000000000000000376c47978271565f56deb45495afa69e59c16ab200000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000010000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000060000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000158 9ae378b6d4409eada347a5dc0c180f186cb62dc68fcc0f043425eb917335aa28 0 95d429d309bb9d753954195fe2d69bd140b4ae731b9b5b605c34323de162cf00 0]}
 func TestUnpackEvent(t *testing.T) {
 	const abiJSON = `[{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"memo","type":"bytes"}],"name":"receive","outputs":[],"payable":true,"stateMutability":"payable","type":"function"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":false,"name":"sender","type":"address"},{"indexed":false,"name":"amount","type":"uint256"},{"indexed":false,"name":"memo","type":"bytes"}],"name":"received","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":false,"name":"sender","type":"address"}],"name":"receivedAddr","type":"event"}]`
 	abi, err := JSON(strings.NewReader(abiJSON))
@@ -712,7 +715,16 @@ func TestABI_MethodById(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("Method %v (id %v) not 'findable' by id in ABI", name, common.ToHex(m.Id()))
 		}
 	}
-
+	// Also test empty
+	if _, err := abi.MethodById([]byte{0x00}); err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Expected error, too short to decode data")
+	}
+	if _, err := abi.MethodById([]byte{}); err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Expected error, too short to decode data")
+	}
+	if _, err := abi.MethodById(nil); err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Expected error, nil is short to decode data")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestUnpackRevert(t *testing.T) {