diff --git a/internal/rcon/rcon.go b/internal/rcon/rcon.go
index e7490ef..240d11b 100644
--- a/internal/rcon/rcon.go
+++ b/internal/rcon/rcon.go
@@ -211,11 +211,13 @@ func (c *Conn) nextID() int32 {
 // writePacket encodes one RCON packet: little-endian length, id, type, the
 // null-terminated body, and a trailing null byte.
 func writePacket(w io.Writer, id, typ int32, body string) error {
+	// Bounded on the body, before the int32 conversion: one past 2 GiB would
+	// wrap the length negative and slip under a check made after it.
+	if len(body) > maxPacketLen-minPacketLen {
+		return fmt.Errorf("rcon: outgoing packet too large: %d bytes", len(body)+minPacketLen)
+	}
 	bodyBytes := []byte(body)
 	length := int32(4 + 4 + len(bodyBytes) + 2)
-	if length > maxPacketLen {
-		return fmt.Errorf("rcon: outgoing packet too large: %d bytes", length)
-	}
 	buf := make([]byte, 0, 4+length)
 	buf = appendInt32(buf, length)
 	buf = appendInt32(buf, id)
diff --git a/internal/rcon/rcon_test.go b/internal/rcon/rcon_test.go
index ca4954a..e548580 100644
--- a/internal/rcon/rcon_test.go
+++ b/internal/rcon/rcon_test.go
@@ -169,6 +169,27 @@ func TestDialAndExecute(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// A command goes out in one packet of at most 4096 bytes; a longer one is
+// refused before anything is sent.
+func TestExecuteRefusesAnOversizeCommand(t *testing.T) {
+	longest := strings.Repeat("a", 4096-10) // 10: id, type, two terminators
+	f := startFakeRCON(t, "s3cret", map[string]string{longest: "ok"})
+	defer f.stop()
+
+	c, err := rcon.Dial(f.addr(), "s3cret", 2*time.Second)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Dial: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer c.Close()
+
+	if got, err := c.Execute(longest); err != nil || got != "ok" {
+		t.Fatalf("Execute(%d bytes) = %q, %v; want ok", len(longest), got, err)
+	}
+	if _, err := c.Execute(longest + "a"); err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "too large") {
+		t.Fatalf("Execute(%d bytes) err = %v, want the too-large refusal", len(longest)+1, err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestDialAuthFailure(t *testing.T) {
 	f := startFakeRCON(t, "correct-horse", nil)
 	defer f.stop()