diff --git a/websocket/websocket.go b/websocket/websocket.go
index c4c7991b..a7731d9c 100644
--- a/websocket/websocket.go
+++ b/websocket/websocket.go
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ const (
 	PingFrame         = 9
 	PongFrame         = 10
 	UnknownFrame      = 255
+
+	DefaultMaxPayloadBytes = 32 << 20 // 32MB
 )
 
 // ProtocolError represents WebSocket protocol errors.
@@ -58,6 +60,10 @@ var (
 	ErrNotSupported         = &ProtocolError{"not supported"}
 )
 
+// ErrFrameTooLarge is returned by Codec's Receive method if payload size
+// exceeds limit set by Conn.MaxPayloadBytes
+var ErrFrameTooLarge = errors.New("websocket: frame payload size exceeds limit")
+
 // Addr is an implementation of net.Addr for WebSocket.
 type Addr struct {
 	*url.URL
@@ -166,6 +172,10 @@ type Conn struct {
 	frameHandler
 	PayloadType        byte
 	defaultCloseStatus int
+
+	// MaxPayloadBytes limits the size of frame payload received over Conn
+	// by Codec's Receive method. If zero, DefaultMaxPayloadBytes is used.
+	MaxPayloadBytes int
 }
 
 // Read implements the io.Reader interface:
@@ -302,7 +312,12 @@ func (cd Codec) Send(ws *Conn, v interface{}) (err error) {
 	return err
 }
 
-// Receive receives single frame from ws, unmarshaled by cd.Unmarshal and stores in v.
+// Receive receives single frame from ws, unmarshaled by cd.Unmarshal and stores
+// in v. The whole frame payload is read to an in-memory buffer; max size of
+// payload is defined by ws.MaxPayloadBytes. If frame payload size exceeds
+// limit, ErrFrameTooLarge is returned; in this case frame is not read off wire
+// completely. The next call to Receive would read and discard leftover data of
+// previous oversized frame before processing next frame.
 func (cd Codec) Receive(ws *Conn, v interface{}) (err error) {
 	ws.rio.Lock()
 	defer ws.rio.Unlock()
@@ -325,6 +340,19 @@ again:
 	if frame == nil {
 		goto again
 	}
+	maxPayloadBytes := ws.MaxPayloadBytes
+	if maxPayloadBytes == 0 {
+		maxPayloadBytes = DefaultMaxPayloadBytes
+	}
+	if hf, ok := frame.(*hybiFrameReader); ok && hf.header.Length > int64(maxPayloadBytes) {
+		// payload size exceeds limit, no need to call Unmarshal
+		//
+		// set frameReader to current oversized frame so that
+		// the next call to this function can drain leftover
+		// data before processing the next frame
+		ws.frameReader = frame
+		return ErrFrameTooLarge
+	}
 	payloadType := frame.PayloadType()
 	data, err := ioutil.ReadAll(frame)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/websocket/websocket_test.go b/websocket/websocket_test.go
index 4a76a7e1..4cd674bf 100644
--- a/websocket/websocket_test.go
+++ b/websocket/websocket_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"log"
+	"math/rand"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
@@ -605,3 +606,60 @@ func TestCtrlAndData(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestCodec_ReceiveLimited(t *testing.T) {
+	const limit = 2048
+	var payloads [][]byte
+	for _, size := range []int{
+		1024,
+		2048,
+		4096, // receive of this message would be interrupted due to limit
+		2048, // this one is to make sure next receive recovers discarding leftovers
+	} {
+		b := make([]byte, size)
+		rand.Read(b)
+		payloads = append(payloads, b)
+	}
+	handlerDone := make(chan struct{})
+	limitedHandler := func(ws *Conn) {
+		defer close(handlerDone)
+		ws.MaxPayloadBytes = limit
+		defer ws.Close()
+		for i, p := range payloads {
+			t.Logf("payload #%d (size %d, exceeds limit: %v)", i, len(p), len(p) > limit)
+			var recv []byte
+			err := Message.Receive(ws, &recv)
+			switch err {
+			case nil:
+			case ErrFrameTooLarge:
+				if len(p) <= limit {
+					t.Fatalf("unexpected frame size limit: expected %d bytes of payload having limit at %d", len(p), limit)
+				}
+				continue
+			default:
+				t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v (want either nil or ErrFrameTooLarge)", err)
+			}
+			if len(recv) > limit {
+				t.Fatalf("received %d bytes of payload having limit at %d", len(recv), limit)
+			}
+			if !bytes.Equal(p, recv) {
+				t.Fatalf("received payload differs:\ngot:\t%v\nwant:\t%v", recv, p)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	server := httptest.NewServer(Handler(limitedHandler))
+	defer server.CloseClientConnections()
+	defer server.Close()
+	addr := server.Listener.Addr().String()
+	ws, err := Dial("ws://"+addr+"/", "", "http://localhost/")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer ws.Close()
+	for i, p := range payloads {
+		if err := Message.Send(ws, p); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("payload #%d (size %d): %v", i, len(p), err)
+		}
+	}
+	<-handlerDone
+}