diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/Ver3DictDecoder.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/Ver3DictDecoder.java
index 75d1058..bf5a28d 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/Ver3DictDecoder.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/Ver3DictDecoder.java
@@ -169,7 +169,8 @@
             addressPointer += PtNodeReader.readBigramAddresses(mDictBuffer, bigrams, 
                     addressPointer);
             if (bigrams.size() >= FormatSpec.MAX_BIGRAMS_IN_A_PTNODE) {
-                MakedictLog.d("too many bigrams in a PtNode.");
+                throw new RuntimeException("Too many bigrams in a PtNode (" + bigrams.size()
+                        + " but max is " + FormatSpec.MAX_BIGRAMS_IN_A_PTNODE + ")");
             }
         } else {
             bigrams = null;
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/Ver4DictDecoder.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/Ver4DictDecoder.java
index fa19e26..89370f0 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/Ver4DictDecoder.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/Ver4DictDecoder.java
@@ -224,7 +224,8 @@
                 if (0 == (bigramFlags & FormatSpec.FLAG_BIGRAM_SHORTCUT_ATTR_HAS_NEXT)) break;
             }
             if (bigrams.size() >= FormatSpec.MAX_BIGRAMS_IN_A_PTNODE) {
-                MakedictLog.d("too many bigrams in a node.");
+                throw new RuntimeException("Too many bigrams in a PtNode (" + bigrams.size()
+                        + " but max is " + FormatSpec.MAX_BIGRAMS_IN_A_PTNODE + ")");
             }
         } else {
             bigrams = null;
diff --git a/tests/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/BinaryDictDecoderEncoderTests.java b/tests/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/BinaryDictDecoderEncoderTests.java
index a4d9426..be98a84 100644
--- a/tests/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/BinaryDictDecoderEncoderTests.java
+++ b/tests/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/BinaryDictDecoderEncoderTests.java
@@ -104,7 +104,9 @@
         }
 
         sStarBigrams.put(0, new ArrayList<Integer>());
-        for (int i = 1; i < sWords.size(); ++i) {
+        // MAX - 1 because we added one above already
+        final int maxBigrams = Math.min(sWords.size(), FormatSpec.MAX_BIGRAMS_IN_A_PTNODE - 1);
+        for (int i = 1; i < maxBigrams; ++i) {
             sStarBigrams.get(0).add(i);
         }