diff --git a/pkg/vm/vm.go b/pkg/vm/vm.go
index e20f0cedd..d2638f740 100644
--- a/pkg/vm/vm.go
+++ b/pkg/vm/vm.go
@@ -332,6 +332,9 @@ func (v *VM) execute(ctx *Context, op Instruction) {
 		v.estack.PushVal(s[o : o+l])
 	case LEFT:
 		l := int(v.estack.Pop().BigInt().Int64())
+		if l < 0 {
+			panic("negative length")
+		}
 		s := v.estack.Pop().Bytes()
 		if t := len(s); l > t {
 			l = t
@@ -339,6 +342,9 @@ func (v *VM) execute(ctx *Context, op Instruction) {
 		v.estack.PushVal(s[:l])
 	case RIGHT:
 		l := int(v.estack.Pop().BigInt().Int64())
+		if l < 0 {
+			panic("negative length")
+		}
 		s := v.estack.Pop().Bytes()
 		v.estack.PushVal(s[len(s)-l:])
 	case XDROP:
diff --git a/pkg/vm/vm_test.go b/pkg/vm/vm_test.go
index ed36f27fd..a75d78b50 100644
--- a/pkg/vm/vm_test.go
+++ b/pkg/vm/vm_test.go
@@ -925,6 +925,15 @@ func TestLEFTBadNoString(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, true, vm.state.HasFlag(faultState))
 }
 
+func TestLEFTBadNegativeLen(t *testing.T) {
+	prog := makeProgram(LEFT)
+	vm := load(prog)
+	vm.estack.PushVal([]byte("abcdef"))
+	vm.estack.PushVal(-1)
+	vm.Run()
+	assert.Equal(t, true, vm.state.HasFlag(faultState))
+}
+
 func TestLEFTGood(t *testing.T) {
 	prog := makeProgram(LEFT)
 	vm := load(prog)
@@ -962,6 +971,15 @@ func TestRIGHTBadNoString(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, true, vm.state.HasFlag(faultState))
 }
 
+func TestRIGHTBadNegativeLen(t *testing.T) {
+	prog := makeProgram(RIGHT)
+	vm := load(prog)
+	vm.estack.PushVal([]byte("abcdef"))
+	vm.estack.PushVal(-1)
+	vm.Run()
+	assert.Equal(t, true, vm.state.HasFlag(faultState))
+}
+
 func TestRIGHTGood(t *testing.T) {
 	prog := makeProgram(RIGHT)
 	vm := load(prog)