diff --git a/nostr_core/core_relay_pool.c b/nostr_core/core_relay_pool.c
index 65d85937..67297fcd 100644
--- a/nostr_core/core_relay_pool.c
+++ b/nostr_core/core_relay_pool.c
@@ -1292,7 +1292,7 @@ cJSON** nostr_relay_pool_query_sync(
         for (int i = 0; i < connected_count; i++) {
             relay_connection_t* relay = connected_relays[i];
             
-            char buffer[8192];
+            char buffer[65536];
             int len = nostr_ws_receive(relay->ws_client, buffer, sizeof(buffer) - 1, 100);
             if (len > 0) {
                 buffer[len] = '\0';
@@ -1902,7 +1902,7 @@ int nostr_relay_pool_poll(nostr_relay_pool_t* pool, int timeout_ms) {
         check_connection_health(relay);
 
         // Process incoming messages
-        char buffer[8192];
+        char buffer[65536];
         int timeout_per_relay = timeout_ms / pool->relay_count;
 
         int len = nostr_ws_receive(relay->ws_client, buffer, sizeof(buffer) - 1, timeout_per_relay);
diff --git a/nostr_websocket/nostr_websocket_openssl.c b/nostr_websocket/nostr_websocket_openssl.c
index e4a8a8af..5eff3ea5 100644
--- a/nostr_websocket/nostr_websocket_openssl.c
+++ b/nostr_websocket/nostr_websocket_openssl.c
@@ -915,11 +915,6 @@ static int ws_receive_frame(nostr_ws_client_t* client, ws_opcode_t* opcode, char
         header_len = 10;
     }
     
-    // Check payload length
-    if (len > *payload_len) {
-        return -1;
-    }
-    
     // Read mask (if present)
     uint32_t mask = 0;
     if (masked) {
@@ -932,6 +927,21 @@ static int ws_receive_frame(nostr_ws_client_t* client, ws_opcode_t* opcode, char
                header[header_len + 3];
         header_len += 4;
     }
+
+    // Check payload length; if too large for caller buffer, drain frame to keep stream aligned
+    if (len > *payload_len) {
+        char discard[1024];
+        uint64_t remaining = len;
+        while (remaining > 0) {
+            size_t chunk = remaining > sizeof(discard) ? sizeof(discard) : (size_t)remaining;
+            int got = client->transport->recv(&client->transport_ctx, discard, chunk, timeout_ms);
+            if (got <= 0) {
+                return -1;
+            }
+            remaining -= (uint64_t)got;
+        }
+        return -1;
+    }
     
     // Read payload
     if (len > 0) {