diff --git a/src/lib/dns/cpp/name.cc b/src/lib/dns/cpp/name.cc
index ebb81eaacf..5139409309 100644
--- a/src/lib/dns/cpp/name.cc
+++ b/src/lib/dns/cpp/name.cc
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ Name::Name(InputBuffer& buffer, bool downcase)
 {
     unsigned int new_current;
     std::vector<unsigned char> offsets;
-    offsets.reserve(Name::MAX_WIRE / 2);
+    offsets.reserve(Name::MAX_LABELS);
 
     /*
      * Initialize things to make the compiler happy; they're not required.
@@ -562,7 +562,6 @@ Name::concatenate(const Name& suffix) const
     transform(suffix.offsets_.begin(), suffix.offsets_.end(),
               back_inserter(retname.offsets_),
               bind2nd(OffsetAdjuster(), this->length_ - 1));
-    assert(retname.offsets_.back() == retname.length_ - 1);
     assert(retname.offsets_.size() == labels);
     retname.labels_ = labels;
 
diff --git a/src/lib/dns/cpp/name_unittest.cc b/src/lib/dns/cpp/name_unittest.cc
index 9af636a3d3..7c844b55e8 100644
--- a/src/lib/dns/cpp/name_unittest.cc
+++ b/src/lib/dns/cpp/name_unittest.cc
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ protected:
     NameTest() : example_name("www.example.com") {}
     Name example_name;
 
+    static const size_t MAX_WIRE = Name::MAX_WIRE;
     static const size_t MAX_LABELS = Name::MAX_LABELS;
     //
     // helper methods
@@ -176,6 +177,24 @@ TEST_F(NameTest, fromWire)
     EXPECT_EQ(true, nameFactoryFromWire("testdata/name_fromWire8", 383) ==
               Name("vix.com"));
 
+    //
+    // Additional test cases
+    //
+
+    // large names, a long but valid one, and invalid (too long) one.
+    EXPECT_EQ(MAX_WIRE,
+              nameFactoryFromWire("testdata/name_fromWire9", 0).getLength());
+    EXPECT_THROW(nameFactoryFromWire("testdata/name_fromWire10", 0).getLength(),
+                 isc::dns::TooLongName);
+
+    // A name with possible maximum number of labels; awkward but valid
+    EXPECT_EQ(nameFactoryFromWire("testdata/name_fromWire11", 0).getLabels(),
+              MAX_LABELS);
+
+    // Wire format including an invalid label length
+    EXPECT_THROW(nameFactoryFromWire("testdata/name_fromWire12", 0),
+                 isc::dns::BadLabelType);
+
     // converting upper-case letters to down-case
     EXPECT_EQ("vix.com.", nameFactoryFromWire("testdata/name_fromWire1",
                                               25, true).toText());
diff --git a/src/lib/dns/cpp/testdata/name_fromWire10 b/src/lib/dns/cpp/testdata/name_fromWire10
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..65be775e2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/dns/cpp/testdata/name_fromWire10
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#
+# Too large name; should trigger an exception.
+#
+09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809
+09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809
+09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809
+09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809
+09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809
+09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809
+09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809
+09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809
+09010203040506070809 040102030400
diff --git a/src/lib/dns/cpp/testdata/name_fromWire11 b/src/lib/dns/cpp/testdata/name_fromWire11
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..32184f6758
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/dns/cpp/testdata/name_fromWire11
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#
+# A name with possible maximum number of labels; should be accepted safely.
+#
+01000100010001000100 01000100010001000100 01000100010001000100
+01000100010001000100 01000100010001000100 01000100010001000100
+01000100010001000100 01000100010001000100 01000100010001000100
+01000100010001000100 01000100010001000100 01000100010001000100
+01000100010001000100 01000100010001000100 01000100010001000100
+01000100010001000100 01000100010001000100 01000100010001000100
+01000100010001000100 01000100010001000100 01000100010001000100
+01000100010001000100 01000100010001000100 01000100010001000100
+01000100010001000100 0100010000
diff --git a/src/lib/dns/cpp/testdata/name_fromWire12 b/src/lib/dns/cpp/testdata/name_fromWire12
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..073adda486
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/dns/cpp/testdata/name_fromWire12
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#
+# Wire format including an invalid label length
+#
+#(1) a (7) e  x  a  m  p  l  e
+ 01 61 07 65 78 61 6d 70 6c 65
+# invalid label length: 64
+40
+# a "label" of 64 characters: shouldn't be parsed
+00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0a 0b 0c 0d 0e 0f
+10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1a 1b 1c 1d 1e 1f
+20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 2a 2b 2c 2d 2e 2f
+30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 3a 3b 3c 3d 3e 3f
+00
diff --git a/src/lib/dns/cpp/testdata/name_fromWire9 b/src/lib/dns/cpp/testdata/name_fromWire9
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..79b2978e8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/dns/cpp/testdata/name_fromWire9
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#
+# A possible longest name; should be accepted safely.
+#
+09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809
+09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809
+09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809
+09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809
+09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809
+09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809
+09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809
+09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809 09010203040506070809
+09010203040506070809 0301020300