diff --git a/codec-mqtt/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/mqtt/MqttDecoder.java b/codec-mqtt/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/mqtt/MqttDecoder.java
index 4a14028314..96af599743 100644
--- a/codec-mqtt/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/mqtt/MqttDecoder.java
+++ b/codec-mqtt/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/mqtt/MqttDecoder.java
@@ -153,7 +153,11 @@ public final class MqttDecoder extends ReplayingDecoder<DecoderState> {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Decodes the fixed header. It's one byte for the flags and then variable bytes for the remaining length.
+     * Decodes the fixed header. It's one byte for the flags and then variable
+     * bytes for the remaining length.
+     *
+     * @see
+     * https://docs.oasis-open.org/mqtt/mqtt/v3.1.1/errata01/os/mqtt-v3.1.1-errata01-os-complete.html#_Toc442180841
      *
      * @param buffer the buffer to decode from
      * @return the fixed header
@@ -166,6 +170,59 @@ public final class MqttDecoder extends ReplayingDecoder<DecoderState> {
         int qosLevel = (b1 & 0x06) >> 1;
         boolean retain = (b1 & 0x01) != 0;
 
+        switch (messageType) {
+            case PUBLISH:
+                if (qosLevel == 3) {
+                    throw new DecoderException("Illegal QOS Level in fixed header of PUBLISH message ("
+                            + qosLevel + ')');
+                }
+                break;
+
+            case PUBREL:
+            case SUBSCRIBE:
+            case UNSUBSCRIBE:
+                if (dupFlag) {
+                    throw new DecoderException("Illegal BIT 3 in fixed header of " + messageType.toString()
+                            + " message, must be 0, found 1");
+                }
+                if (qosLevel != 1) {
+                    throw new DecoderException("Illegal QOS Level in fixed header of " + messageType.toString()
+                            + " message, must be 1, found " + qosLevel);
+                }
+                if (retain) {
+                    throw new DecoderException("Illegal BIT 0 in fixed header of " + messageType.toString()
+                            + " message, must be 0, found 1");
+                }
+                break;
+
+            case AUTH:
+            case CONNACK:
+            case CONNECT:
+            case DISCONNECT:
+            case PINGREQ:
+            case PINGRESP:
+            case PUBACK:
+            case PUBCOMP:
+            case PUBREC:
+            case SUBACK:
+            case UNSUBACK:
+                if (dupFlag) {
+                    throw new DecoderException("Illegal BIT 3 in fixed header of " + messageType.toString()
+                            + " message, must be 0, found 1");
+                }
+                if (qosLevel != 0) {
+                    throw new DecoderException("Illegal BIT 2 or 1 in fixed header of " + messageType.toString()
+                            + " message, must be 0, found " + qosLevel);
+                }
+                if (retain) {
+                    throw new DecoderException("Illegal BIT 0 in fixed header of " + messageType.toString()
+                            + " message, must be 0, found 1");
+                }
+                break;
+            default:
+                throw new DecoderException("Unknown message type, do not know how to validate fixed header");
+        }
+
         int remainingLength = 0;
         int multiplier = 1;
         short digit;
diff --git a/codec-mqtt/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/mqtt/MqttCodecTest.java b/codec-mqtt/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/mqtt/MqttCodecTest.java
index 2284f48bfa..d72e21a921 100644
--- a/codec-mqtt/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/mqtt/MqttCodecTest.java
+++ b/codec-mqtt/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/mqtt/MqttCodecTest.java
@@ -156,6 +156,81 @@ public class MqttCodecTest {
         assertEquals("non-zero reserved flag", cause.getMessage());
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testConnectMessageNonZeroReservedBit0Mqtt311() throws Exception {
+        final MqttConnectMessage message = createConnectMessage(MqttVersion.MQTT_3_1_1);
+        ByteBuf byteBuf = MqttEncoder.doEncode(ctx, message);
+        byte firstByte = byteBuf.getByte(0);
+        byteBuf.setByte(0, (byte) (firstByte | 1)); // set bit 0 to 1
+        final List<Object> out = new LinkedList<Object>();
+        mqttDecoder.decode(ctx, byteBuf, out);
+        checkForSingleDecoderException(out);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testConnectMessageNonZeroReservedBit1Mqtt311() throws Exception {
+        final MqttConnectMessage message = createConnectMessage(MqttVersion.MQTT_3_1_1);
+        ByteBuf byteBuf = MqttEncoder.doEncode(ctx, message);
+        byte firstByte = byteBuf.getByte(0);
+        byteBuf.setByte(0, (byte) (firstByte | 2)); // set bit 1 to 1
+        final List<Object> out = new LinkedList<Object>();
+        mqttDecoder.decode(ctx, byteBuf, out);
+        checkForSingleDecoderException(out);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testConnectMessageNonZeroReservedBit2Mqtt311() throws Exception {
+        final MqttConnectMessage message = createConnectMessage(MqttVersion.MQTT_3_1_1);
+        ByteBuf byteBuf = MqttEncoder.doEncode(ctx, message);
+        byte firstByte = byteBuf.getByte(0);
+        byteBuf.setByte(0, (byte) (firstByte | 4)); // set bit 2 to 1
+        final List<Object> out = new LinkedList<Object>();
+        mqttDecoder.decode(ctx, byteBuf, out);
+        checkForSingleDecoderException(out);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testConnectMessageNonZeroReservedBit3Mqtt311() throws Exception {
+        final MqttConnectMessage message = createConnectMessage(MqttVersion.MQTT_3_1_1);
+        ByteBuf byteBuf = MqttEncoder.doEncode(ctx, message);
+        byte firstByte = byteBuf.getByte(0);
+        byteBuf.setByte(0, (byte) (firstByte | 8)); // set bit 3 to 1
+        final List<Object> out = new LinkedList<Object>();
+        mqttDecoder.decode(ctx, byteBuf, out);
+        checkForSingleDecoderException(out);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testSubscribeMessageNonZeroReservedBit0Mqtt311() throws Exception {
+        final MqttSubscribeMessage message = createSubscribeMessage();
+        ByteBuf byteBuf = MqttEncoder.doEncode(ctx, message);
+        byte firstByte = byteBuf.getByte(0);
+        byteBuf.setByte(0, (byte) (firstByte | 1)); // set bit 1 to 0
+        final List<Object> out = new LinkedList<Object>();
+        mqttDecoder.decode(ctx, byteBuf, out);
+        checkForSingleDecoderException(out);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testSubscribeMessageZeroReservedBit1Mqtt311() throws Exception {
+        final MqttSubscribeMessage message = createSubscribeMessage();
+        ByteBuf byteBuf = MqttEncoder.doEncode(ctx, message);
+        byte firstByte = byteBuf.getByte(0);
+        byteBuf.setByte(0, (byte) (firstByte & ~2)); // set bit 1 to 0
+        final List<Object> out = new LinkedList<Object>();
+        mqttDecoder.decode(ctx, byteBuf, out);
+        checkForSingleDecoderException(out);
+    }
+
+    private void checkForSingleDecoderException(final List<Object> out) {
+        assertEquals("Expected one object but got " + out.size(), 1, out.size());
+        assertFalse("Message should not be an MqttConnectMessage",
+                MqttConnectMessage.class.isAssignableFrom(out.get(0).getClass()));
+        MqttMessage result = (MqttMessage) out.get(0);
+        assertTrue("Decoding should have resulted in a DecoderException",
+                result.decoderResult().cause() instanceof DecoderException);
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testConnectMessageNoPassword() throws Exception {
         final MqttConnectMessage message = createConnectMessage(
@@ -867,7 +942,7 @@ public class MqttCodecTest {
 
     private static MqttSubscribeMessage createSubscribeMessage() {
         MqttFixedHeader mqttFixedHeader =
-                new MqttFixedHeader(MqttMessageType.SUBSCRIBE, false, MqttQoS.AT_LEAST_ONCE, true, 0);
+                new MqttFixedHeader(MqttMessageType.SUBSCRIBE, false, MqttQoS.AT_LEAST_ONCE, false, 0);
         MqttMessageIdVariableHeader mqttMessageIdVariableHeader = MqttMessageIdVariableHeader.from(12345);
 
         List<MqttTopicSubscription> topicSubscriptions = new LinkedList<MqttTopicSubscription>();
@@ -893,7 +968,7 @@ public class MqttCodecTest {
 
     private static MqttUnsubscribeMessage createUnsubscribeMessage() {
         MqttFixedHeader mqttFixedHeader =
-                new MqttFixedHeader(MqttMessageType.UNSUBSCRIBE, false, MqttQoS.AT_LEAST_ONCE, true, 0);
+                new MqttFixedHeader(MqttMessageType.UNSUBSCRIBE, false, MqttQoS.AT_LEAST_ONCE, false, 0);
         MqttMessageIdVariableHeader mqttMessageIdVariableHeader = MqttMessageIdVariableHeader.from(12345);
 
         List<String> topics = new LinkedList<String>();