diff --git a/server/handshake_resp.go b/server/handshake_resp.go
index 13fd8e6c3..e4f1e9be4 100644
--- a/server/handshake_resp.go
+++ b/server/handshake_resp.go
@@ -128,10 +128,15 @@ func (c *Conn) readPluginName(data []byte, pos int) int {
 	return pos
 }
 
-func (c *Conn) readAuthData(data []byte, pos int) ([]byte, int, int, error) {
+func (c *Conn) readAuthData(data []byte, pos int) (auth []byte, authLen int, newPos int, err error) {
+	// prevent 'panic: runtime error: index out of range' error
+	defer func() {
+		if recover() != nil {
+			err = NewDefaultError(ER_HANDSHAKE_ERROR)
+		}
+	}()
+
 	// length encoded data
-	var auth []byte
-	var authLen int
 	if c.capability&CLIENT_PLUGIN_AUTH_LENENC_CLIENT_DATA != 0 {
 		authData, isNULL, readBytes, err := LengthEncodedString(data[pos:])
 		if err != nil {
@@ -144,7 +149,7 @@ func (c *Conn) readAuthData(data []byte, pos int) ([]byte, int, int, error) {
 		auth = authData
 		authLen = readBytes
 	} else if c.capability&CLIENT_SECURE_CONNECTION != 0 {
-		//auth length and auth
+		// auth length and auth
 		authLen = int(data[pos])
 		pos++
 		auth = data[pos : pos+authLen]
diff --git a/server/handshake_resp_test.go b/server/handshake_resp_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f1c7fdf4a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/handshake_resp_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/go-mysql-org/go-mysql/mysql"
+)
+
+func TestReadAuthData(t *testing.T) {
+	c := &Conn{
+		capability: mysql.CLIENT_PLUGIN_AUTH_LENENC_CLIENT_DATA,
+	}
+
+	data := []byte{141, 174, 255, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 8, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 114, 111, 111, 116, 0, 20, 190, 183, 72, 209, 170, 60, 191, 100, 227, 81, 203, 221, 190, 14, 213, 116, 244, 140, 90, 121, 109, 121, 115, 113, 108, 95, 112, 101, 114, 102, 0, 109, 121, 115, 113, 108, 95, 110, 97, 116, 105, 118, 101, 95, 112, 97, 115, 115, 119, 111, 114, 100, 0}
+
+	// test out of range index returns 'bad handshake' error
+	_, _, _, err := c.readAuthData(data, len(data))
+	if err == nil || err.Error() != "ERROR 1043 (08S01): Bad handshake" {
+		t.Fatal("expected error, got nil")
+	}
+
+	// test good index position reads auth data
+	_, _, readBytes, err := c.readAuthData(data, len(data)-1)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected nil error, got %v", err)
+	}
+	if readBytes != len(data)-1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected %d read bytes, got %d", len(data)-1, readBytes)
+	}
+}