diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3bc6599..8e24093 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ CXX=g++ -std=c++11
 
 CAPNP_SOURCES=\
 	src/capnp/AnyPointer.java\
+	src/capnp/DecodeException.java\
 	src/capnp/FieldSize.java\
 	src/capnp/FromStructBuilder.java\
 	src/capnp/FromStructReader.java\
diff --git a/examples/AddressbookMain.java b/examples/AddressbookMain.java
index 9d4ecb7..542cbd9 100644
--- a/examples/AddressbookMain.java
+++ b/examples/AddressbookMain.java
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ public class AddressbookMain {
         int size = people.size();
         for(int ii = 0; ii < size; ++ii) {
             Addressbook.Person.Reader person = people.get(ii);
-            System.out.println(person.getName().toString() + ": " + person.getEmail().toString());
+            System.out.println(person.getName() + ": " + person.getEmail());
 
             StructList.Reader<Addressbook.Person.PhoneNumber.Reader> phones = person.getPhones();
             for (int jj = 0; jj < phones.size(); ++jj) {
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ public class AddressbookMain {
                     typeName = "work";
                     break;
                 }
-                System.out.println("  " + typeName + " phone: " + phone.getNumber().toString());
+                System.out.println("  " + typeName + " phone: " + phone.getNumber());
             }
 
             Addressbook.Person.Employment.Reader employment = person.getEmployment();
@@ -41,10 +41,10 @@ public class AddressbookMain {
                 System.out.println("  unemployed");
                 break;
             case EMPLOYER :
-                System.out.println("  employer: " + employment.getEmployer().toString());
+                System.out.println("  employer: " + employment.getEmployer());
                 break;
             case SCHOOL :
-                System.out.println("  student at: " + employment.getSchool().toString());
+                System.out.println("  student at: " + employment.getSchool());
                 break;
             case SELF_EMPLOYED:
                 System.out.println("  self-employed");
diff --git a/src/capnp/DecodeException.java b/src/capnp/DecodeException.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4aad297
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/capnp/DecodeException.java
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+package org.capnproto;
+
+public class DecodeException extends RuntimeException {
+    public DecodeException(String message) {
+        super(message);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/capnp/WireHelpers.java b/src/capnp/WireHelpers.java
index fe5f1aa..76cf8cd 100644
--- a/src/capnp/WireHelpers.java
+++ b/src/capnp/WireHelpers.java
@@ -81,6 +81,21 @@ final class WireHelpers {
         int ptrOffset = WirePointer.target(refOffset, ref);
         int listPtr = WirePointer.listPointer(ref);
         int size = ListPointer.elementCount(listPtr);
-        return new Text.Reader(segment.buffer, ptrOffset, size);
+
+        if (WirePointer.kind(ref) != WirePointer.LIST) {
+            throw new DecodeException("Message contains non-list pointer where text was expected.");
+        }
+
+        if (ListPointer.elementSize(listPtr) != FieldSize.BYTE) {
+            throw new DecodeException("Message contains list pointer of non-bytes where text was expected.");
+        }
+
+        // TODO bounds check?
+
+        if (size == 0 || segment.buffer.get(8 * ptrOffset + size - 1) != 0) {
+            throw new DecodeException("Message containts text that is not NUL-terminated.");
+        }
+
+        return new Text.Reader(segment.buffer, ptrOffset, size - 1);
     }
 }