diff --git a/History.md b/History.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 17e16a9..0000000
--- a/History.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,160 +0,0 @@
-
-3.1.2 / 2017-04-27
-==================
-
-  * [chore] Bump has-binary2 to version 1.0.2 (#70)
-  * [fix] Fix Blob detection for iOS 8/9 (#69)
-
-3.1.1 / 2017-04-25
-==================
-
-  * [fix] Ensure globals are functions before running `instanceof` (#68)
-
-3.1.0 / 2017-04-24
-==================
-
-  * [chore] Bump debug to version 2.6.4 (#67)
-  * [feat] Move binary detection to the parser (#66)
-
-3.0.0 / 2017-04-04
-==================
-
-  * [chore] Bump isarray to version 2.0.1 (#65)
-  * [chore] Use native JSON and drop support for older nodejs versions (#64)
-
-2.3.2 / 2016-12-30
-==================
-
-  * [perf] Small optimisations (#57)
-  * [chore] Update zuul config to speed up tests in browser (#58)
-  * [refactor] Remove useless variable (#55)
-  * [chore] Bump dependencies (#56)
-  * [refactor] Remove unused var (#53)
-  * [refactor] Use strict equality when possible (#52)
-
-2.3.1 / 2016-10-24
-==================
-
-* [chore] Revert "Remove deprecated isarray dependency" (#50)
-
-2.3.0 / 2016-10-21
-==================
-
-  * [perf] Split try catch into separate function (#40)
-  * [chore] remove browsers setting from .zuul.yml (#34)
-  * [chore] bump zuul (#37)
-  * [chore] Bump zuul to 3.11.0 & zuul-ngrok to 4.0.0 (#41)
-  * [chore] Update zuul browser settings following EOL notices (#42)
-  * [chore] Restrict files included in npm package (#45)
-  * [chore] Update zuul browser settings (#44)
-  * [chore] Remove deprecated isarray dependency (#46)
-  * [chore] Make the build status badge point towards master (#47)
-  * [chore] Move benchmark to dev dependencies (#48)
-
-2.2.6 / 2015-11-25
-==================
-
-  * fix the order of exported events [chylli]
-
-2.2.5 / 2015-11-21
-==================
-
-  * package: bump debug
-  * update JSON3 to 3.3.2
-
-2.2.4 / 2015-03-03
-==================
-
- * index: fix off-by-one bound checks
-
-2.2.3 / 2015-02-03
-==================
-
- * index: fix potential infinite loop with malicious binary packet
-
-2.2.2 / 2014-09-04
-==================
-
- * prevent direct `Buffer` reference that breaks browserify
- * binary: reuse `isBuf` helper
-
-2.2.1 / 2014-06-20
-==================
-
- * added benchmarking [kevin-roark]
- * upgrade component-emitter to 1.1.2 [kevin-roark]
- * update protocol version [kevin-roark]
- * less indentation and a small optimization [kevin-roark]
-
-2.2.0 / 2014-05-30
-==================
-
- * added a BINARY_ACK type [kevin-roark]
-
-2.1.5 / 2014-05-24
-==================
-
- * don't iterate keys of `Date` objects [Rase-]
-
-2.1.4 / 2014-05-17
-==================
-
- * fix null reconstruction bug [kevin-roark]
-
-2.1.3 / 2014-04-27
-==================
-
- * bump zuul version
- * updated protocol version
-
-2.1.2 / 2014-03-06
-==================
-
- * added support for binary in ACK packets
-
-2.1.1 / 2014-03-04
-==================
-
- * removed has-binary-data dependency
- * fixed the object check in binary.removeBlobs
-
-2.1.0 / 2014-03-01
-==================
-
- * faster and smaller binary parser and protocol [kevin-roark]
-
-2.0.0 / 2014-02-19
-==================
-
- * binary support [kevin-roark]
-
-1.1.2 / 2014-02-11
-==================
-
- * package: bump `json3` to fix IE6-7
-
-1.1.1 / 2014-02-10
-==================
-
- * package: bump debug to fix browserify issues
-
-1.1.0 / 2013-12-25
-==================
-
- * index: use `json3`
-
-1.0.3 / 2012-12-18
-==================
-
-  * index: added instrumentation through `debug`
-  * index: make sure decoded `id` is a `Number`
-
-1.0.2 / 2012-12-18
-==================
-
-  * index: allow for falsy values in `id` and `data`
-
-1.0.1 / 2012-12-10
-==================
-
-  * Revision 1
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index ea206ea..f71ff27 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ var debug = require('debug')('socket.io-parser');
 var Emitter = require('component-emitter');
 var hasBin = require('has-binary2');
 var binary = require('./binary');
+var isArray = require('isarray');
 var isBuf = require('./is-buffer');
 
 /**
@@ -272,7 +273,9 @@ function decodeString(str) {
     type: Number(str.charAt(0))
   };
 
-  if (null == exports.types[p.type]) return error();
+  if (null == exports.types[p.type]) {
+    return error('unknown packet type ' + p.type);
+  }
 
   // look up attachments if type binary
   if (exports.BINARY_EVENT === p.type || exports.BINARY_ACK === p.type) {
@@ -318,20 +321,25 @@ function decodeString(str) {
 
   // look up json data
   if (str.charAt(++i)) {
-    p = tryParse(p, str.substr(i));
+    var payload = tryParse(str.substr(i));
+    var isPayloadValid = payload !== false && (p.type === exports.ERROR || isArray(payload));
+    if (isPayloadValid) {
+      p.data = payload;
+    } else {
+      return error('invalid payload');
+    }
   }
 
   debug('decoded %s as %j', str, p);
   return p;
 }
 
-function tryParse(p, str) {
+function tryParse(str) {
   try {
-    p.data = JSON.parse(str);
+    return JSON.parse(str);
   } catch(e){
-    return error();
+    return false;
   }
-  return p; 
 }
 
 /**
@@ -392,9 +400,9 @@ BinaryReconstructor.prototype.finishedReconstruction = function() {
   this.buffers = [];
 };
 
-function error() {
+function error(msg) {
   return {
     type: exports.ERROR,
-    data: 'parser error'
+    data: 'parser error: ' + msg
   };
 }
diff --git a/is-buffer.js b/is-buffer.js
index 977df88..520ed75 100644
--- a/is-buffer.js
+++ b/is-buffer.js
@@ -9,5 +9,5 @@ module.exports = isBuf;
 
 function isBuf(obj) {
   return (global.Buffer && global.Buffer.isBuffer(obj)) ||
-         (global.ArrayBuffer && obj instanceof ArrayBuffer);
+         (global.ArrayBuffer && (obj instanceof ArrayBuffer || ArrayBuffer.isView(obj)));
 }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 2d1284f..bec32d4 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "socket.io-parser",
-  "version": "3.1.2",
+  "version": "3.1.3",
   "description": "socket.io protocol parser",
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
     "is-buffer.js"
   ],
   "dependencies": {
-    "debug": "~2.6.4",
+    "debug": "~3.1.0",
     "component-emitter": "1.2.1",
     "has-binary2": "~1.0.2",
     "isarray": "2.0.1"
diff --git a/test/arraybuffer.js b/test/arraybuffer.js
index 0ba4c04..a15c1e7 100644
--- a/test/arraybuffer.js
+++ b/test/arraybuffer.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ describe('parser', function() {
   it('encodes an ArrayBuffer', function() {
     var packet = {
       type: parser.BINARY_EVENT,
-      data: new ArrayBuffer(2),
+      data: ['a', new ArrayBuffer(2)],
       id: 0,
       nsp: '/'
     };
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ describe('parser', function() {
   it('encodes ArrayBuffers deep in JSON', function() {
     var packet = {
       type: parser.BINARY_EVENT,
-      data: {a: 'hi', b: {why: new ArrayBuffer(3)}, c: {a: 'bye', b: { a: new ArrayBuffer(6)}}},
+      data: ['a', {a: 'hi', b: {why: new ArrayBuffer(3)}, c: {a: 'bye', b: { a: new ArrayBuffer(6)}}}],
       id: 999,
       nsp: '/deep'
     };
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ describe('parser', function() {
   it('encodes deep binary JSON with null values', function() {
     var packet = {
       type: parser.BINARY_EVENT,
-      data: {a: 'b', c: 4, e: {g: null}, h: new ArrayBuffer(9)},
+      data: ['a', {a: 'b', c: 4, e: {g: null}, h: new ArrayBuffer(9)}],
       nsp: '/',
       id: 600
     };
diff --git a/test/buffer.js b/test/buffer.js
index dd27460..3aba898 100644
--- a/test/buffer.js
+++ b/test/buffer.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ describe('parser', function() {
   it('encodes a Buffer', function() {
       helpers.test_bin({
         type: parser.BINARY_EVENT,
-        data: new Buffer('abc', 'utf8'),
+        data: ['a', new Buffer('abc', 'utf8')],
         id: 23,
         nsp: '/cool'
       });
diff --git a/test/parser.js b/test/parser.js
index 346ca3b..42179d2 100644
--- a/test/parser.js
+++ b/test/parser.js
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ describe('parser', function(){
     expect(parser.EVENT).to.be.a('number');
     expect(parser.ACK).to.be.a('number');
     expect(parser.ERROR).to.be.a('number');
+    expect(parser.BINARY_EVENT).to.be.a('number');
+    expect(parser.BINARY_ACK).to.be.a('number');
   });
 
   it('encodes connection', function(){
@@ -51,6 +53,14 @@ describe('parser', function(){
     });
   });
 
+  it('encodes an error', function(){
+    helpers.test({
+      type: parser.ERROR,
+      data: 'Unauthorized',
+      nsp: '/'
+    });
+  });
+
   it('decodes a bad binary packet', function(){
     try {
       var decoder = new parser.Decoder();
@@ -59,4 +69,13 @@ describe('parser', function(){
       expect(e.message).to.match(/Illegal/);
     }
   });
+
+  it('returns an error packet on parsing error', function(done){
+    var decoder = new parser.Decoder();
+    decoder.on('decoded', function(packet) {
+      expect(packet).to.eql({ type: 4, data: 'parser error: invalid payload' });
+      done();
+    });
+    decoder.add('442["some","data"');
+  });
 });