diff --git a/library/DrSlump/Protobuf/Codec/Binary.php b/library/DrSlump/Protobuf/Codec/Binary.php
index 167ac5e..1e15a25 100644
--- a/library/DrSlump/Protobuf/Codec/Binary.php
+++ b/library/DrSlump/Protobuf/Codec/Binary.php
@@ -266,7 +266,11 @@ protected function decodeMessage($reader, \DrSlump\Protobuf\Message $message, $l
                     $submessage = new $submessage;
 
                     $len = $reader->varint();
-                    $value = $this->decodeMessage($reader, $submessage, $len);
+                    if ($len) {
+                       $value = $this->decodeMessage($reader, $submessage, $len);
+                    } else {
+                       $value = $submessage;
+                    }
                 } else {
                     $value = $this->decodeSimpleType($reader, $type, $wire);
                 }