diff --git a/snappy.cc b/snappy.cc
index d6d709a..dc9d2ee 100644
--- a/snappy.cc
+++ b/snappy.cc
@@ -1935,7 +1935,24 @@ class SnappyIOVecReader : public Source {
  private:
   // Advances to the next nonempty `iovec` and updates related variables.
   void Advance() {
+    // Best-effort cap on consecutive zero-length iovec walks. Without an
+    // explicit `iov_cnt` parameter (see API-level fix recommendation in the
+    // accompanying PR description), this is the safest interim guard against
+    // a run of zero-length trailing entries paired with a nonzero claimed
+    // `total_size_remaining_`.
+    int empty_walks = 0;
+    constexpr int kMaxEmptyWalks = 1024;
     do {
+      // Defensive check 1 (NDEBUG-safe): caller passed inconsistent
+      // `total_size_remaining_` (greater than the sum of actual `iov_len`
+      // values). Saturate to a no-data state and bail out instead of
+      // underflowing into a large unsigned value below.
+      if (total_size_remaining_ < curr_size_remaining_) {
+        curr_pos_ = nullptr;
+        curr_size_remaining_ = 0;
+        total_size_remaining_ = 0;
+        return;
+      }
       assert(total_size_remaining_ >= curr_size_remaining_);
       total_size_remaining_ -= curr_size_remaining_;
       if (total_size_remaining_ == 0) {
@@ -1943,6 +1960,20 @@ class SnappyIOVecReader : public Source {
         curr_size_remaining_ = 0;
         return;
       }
+      // Defensive check 2: zero-length entries cap. If the caller claims
+      // `total_size_remaining_ > 0` but only zero-length iovecs are
+      // available, the do-while loop would otherwise spin past the array
+      // end. Bail out after `kMaxEmptyWalks` consecutive zero-length steps.
+      if (curr_size_remaining_ == 0) {
+        if (++empty_walks > kMaxEmptyWalks) {
+          curr_pos_ = nullptr;
+          curr_size_remaining_ = 0;
+          total_size_remaining_ = 0;
+          return;
+        }
+      } else {
+        empty_walks = 0;
+      }
       ++curr_iov_;
       curr_pos_ = reinterpret_cast<const char*>(curr_iov_->iov_base);
       curr_size_remaining_ = curr_iov_->iov_len;