diff --git a/pkg/consensus/consensus.go b/pkg/consensus/consensus.go
index b6cb8cc07..9bb26483a 100644
--- a/pkg/consensus/consensus.go
+++ b/pkg/consensus/consensus.go
@@ -373,7 +373,12 @@ func (s *service) payloadFromExtensible(ep *npayload.Extensible) *Payload {
 func (s *service) OnPayload(cp *npayload.Extensible) {
 	log := s.log.With(zap.Stringer("hash", cp.Hash()))
 	p := s.payloadFromExtensible(cp)
-	p.decodeData()
+	// decode payload data into message
+	if err := p.decodeData(); err != nil {
+		log.Info("can't decode payload data", zap.Error(err))
+		return
+	}
+
 	if !s.validatePayload(p) {
 		log.Info("can't validate payload")
 		return
@@ -384,14 +389,6 @@ func (s *service) OnPayload(cp *npayload.Extensible) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// decode payload data into message
-	if p.message.payload == nil {
-		if err := p.decodeData(); err != nil {
-			log.Info("can't decode payload data")
-			return
-		}
-	}
-
 	s.messages <- *p
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/consensus/payload.go b/pkg/consensus/payload.go
index f06d0a54c..2d17938ea 100644
--- a/pkg/consensus/payload.go
+++ b/pkg/consensus/payload.go
@@ -151,7 +151,9 @@ func (p *Payload) Hash() util.Uint256 {
 // DecodeBinary implements io.Serializable interface.
 func (p *Payload) DecodeBinary(r *io.BinReader) {
 	p.Extensible.DecodeBinary(r)
-	p.decodeData()
+	if r.Err == nil {
+		r.Err = p.decodeData()
+	}
 }
 
 // EncodeBinary implements io.Serializable interface.