diff --git a/lib/microwaveprop/weather/grib2/section.ex b/lib/microwaveprop/weather/grib2/section.ex
index bee48613..c3b1e0bc 100644
--- a/lib/microwaveprop/weather/grib2/section.ex
+++ b/lib/microwaveprop/weather/grib2/section.ex
@@ -55,18 +55,24 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.Weather.Grib2.Section do
 
   defp parse_sections(<<length::32-big, section_num::8, rest::binary>>, acc) when length > 5 do
     body_length = length - 5
-    <<body::binary-size(body_length), remaining::binary>> = rest
 
-    acc = parse_section(section_num, body, acc)
-    parse_sections(remaining, acc)
+    if body_length <= byte_size(rest) do
+      <<body::binary-size(body_length), remaining::binary>> = rest
+      acc = parse_section(section_num, body, acc)
+      parse_sections(remaining, acc)
+    else
+      # Truncated section — return what we have
+      build_result(acc)
+    end
   end
 
   defp parse_sections(<<>>, acc) do
     build_result(acc)
   end
 
-  defp parse_sections(_other, _acc) do
-    {:error, "malformed section"}
+  # Trailing padding or short garbage — return what we have
+  defp parse_sections(_other, acc) do
+    build_result(acc)
   end
 
   defp parse_section(1, _body, acc) do
diff --git a/test/microwaveprop/weather/grib2/section_test.exs b/test/microwaveprop/weather/grib2/section_test.exs
index 4048402d..fadfe057 100644
--- a/test/microwaveprop/weather/grib2/section_test.exs
+++ b/test/microwaveprop/weather/grib2/section_test.exs
@@ -42,6 +42,20 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.Weather.Grib2.SectionTest do
       indicator = <<"GRIB", 0::16, 0::8, 1::8, 100::64-big>>
       assert {:error, _} = Section.parse_message(indicator)
     end
+
+    test "parses message with trailing padding bytes instead of 7777" do
+      msg = build_synthetic_grib2_with_trailing_padding()
+      assert {:ok, parsed} = Section.parse_message(msg)
+      assert parsed.product.var == "TMP"
+      assert parsed.bitmap == :none
+    end
+
+    test "parses message with truncated trailing section" do
+      msg = build_synthetic_grib2_with_truncated_section()
+      assert {:ok, parsed} = Section.parse_message(msg)
+      assert parsed.product.var == "TMP"
+      assert parsed.bitmap == :none
+    end
   end
 
   describe "product identification" do
@@ -262,4 +276,112 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.Weather.Grib2.SectionTest do
     length = 5 + byte_size(body)
     <<length::32-big, section_number::8, body::binary>>
   end
+
+  # Like build_synthetic_grib2 but with 3 padding bytes instead of "7777"
+  defp build_synthetic_grib2_with_trailing_padding do
+    body = build_sections_body() <> <<0, 0, 0>>
+    total_length = 16 + byte_size(body)
+    sec0 = <<"GRIB", 0::16, 0::8, 2::8, total_length::64-big>>
+    sec0 <> body
+  end
+
+  # Like build_synthetic_grib2 but total_length includes extra bytes after "7777"
+  # that look like a truncated section header
+  defp build_synthetic_grib2_with_truncated_section do
+    # All valid sections + "7777" + a truncated next section (length says 500 but only 10 bytes)
+    truncated = <<500::32-big, 4::8, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0>>
+    body = build_sections_body() <> "7777" <> truncated
+    total_length = 16 + byte_size(body)
+    sec0 = <<"GRIB", 0::16, 0::8, 2::8, total_length::64-big>>
+    sec0 <> body
+  end
+
+  defp build_sections_body do
+    sec1_body = <<
+      0::16-big,
+      0::16-big,
+      2::8,
+      1::8,
+      1::8,
+      2026::16-big,
+      3::8,
+      28::8,
+      18::8,
+      0::8,
+      0::8,
+      0::8,
+      1::8
+    >>
+
+    sec3_body = <<
+      0::8,
+      1_905_141::32-big,
+      0::8,
+      0::8,
+      30::16-big,
+      6::8,
+      0::8,
+      0::32-big,
+      0::8,
+      0::32-big,
+      0::8,
+      0::32-big,
+      1799::32-big,
+      1059::32-big,
+      21_138_123::32-big,
+      237_280_472::32-big,
+      0b00111000::8,
+      38_500_000::32-big,
+      262_500_000::32-big,
+      3_000_000::32-big,
+      3_000_000::32-big,
+      0::8,
+      64::8,
+      38_500_000::32-big,
+      38_500_000::32-big,
+      0::32-big,
+      0::32-big
+    >>
+
+    sec4_body = <<
+      0::16-big,
+      0::16-big,
+      0::8,
+      0::8,
+      2::8,
+      0::8,
+      0::8,
+      0::16-big,
+      0::8,
+      1::8,
+      0::32-big,
+      103::8,
+      0::8,
+      2::32-big,
+      255::8,
+      0::8,
+      0::32-big
+    >>
+
+    ref_val = <<0.0::float-32-big>>
+
+    sec5_body = <<
+      100::32-big,
+      0::16-big,
+      ref_val::binary,
+      0::16-big,
+      0::16-big,
+      16::8
+    >>
+
+    sec6_body = <<255::8>>
+    data_bytes = :binary.copy(<<42::16-big>>, 100)
+
+    section_wrap(1, sec1_body) <>
+      section_wrap(3, sec3_body) <>
+      section_wrap(4, sec4_body) <>
+      section_wrap(5, sec5_body) <>
+      section_wrap(6, sec6_body) <>
+      section_wrap(7, data_bytes)
+  end
 end