diff --git a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/common/Message.java b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/common/Message.java
index 28bd9077..dd730526 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/common/Message.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/common/Message.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package net.schmizz.sshj.common;
 /** SSH message identifiers */
 public enum Message {
 
+    UNKNOWN(0),
     DISCONNECT(1),
     IGNORE(2),
     UNIMPLEMENTED(3),
@@ -68,6 +69,10 @@ public enum Message {
     static {
         for (Message c : Message.values())
             cache[c.toByte()] = c;
+        for (int i = 0; i < 256; i++) {
+            if (cache[i] == null)
+                cache[i] = UNKNOWN;
+        }
     }
 
     public static Message fromByte(byte b) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/common/SSHPacket.java b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/common/SSHPacket.java
index 0064bdc8..0da104d6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/common/SSHPacket.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/common/SSHPacket.java
@@ -76,11 +76,7 @@ public class SSHPacket
      * @return the message identifier
      */
     public Message readMessageID() {
-        byte b = readByte();
-        Message cmd = Message.fromByte(b);
-        if (cmd == null)
-            throw new BufferException("Unknown message ID: " + b);
-        return cmd;
+        return Message.fromByte(readByte());
     }
 
     /**