diff --git a/cpu/esp8266/esp-wifi/esp_wifi_netdev.c b/cpu/esp8266/esp-wifi/esp_wifi_netdev.c
index 7f705a4e23844b944e788b7cb80795024e124fe3..66c613e3ef998a4ac2d62dd0044f474d8705634c 100644
--- a/cpu/esp8266/esp-wifi/esp_wifi_netdev.c
+++ b/cpu/esp8266/esp-wifi/esp_wifi_netdev.c
@@ -145,6 +145,17 @@ void _esp_wifi_recv_cb(struct pbuf *pb, struct netif *netif)
         return;
     }
 
+    /* check whether packet buffer fits into receive buffer */
+    if (pb->len > ETHERNET_MAX_LEN) {
+        ESP_WIFI_DEBUG("frame length is greater than the maximum size of an "
+                       "Ethernet frame (%u > %u)", pb->len, ETHERNET_MAX_LEN);
+        pbuf_free(pb);
+        _in_esp_wifi_recv_cb = false;
+        critical_exit();
+        mutex_unlock(&_esp_wifi_dev.dev_lock);
+        return;
+    }
+
     /* store the frame in the buffer and free lwIP pbuf */
     _esp_wifi_dev.rx_len = pb->tot_len;
     pbuf_copy_partial(pb, _esp_wifi_dev.rx_buf, _esp_wifi_dev.rx_len, 0);
@@ -277,7 +288,7 @@ static int _send(netdev_t *netdev, const iolist_t *iolist)
 
     /* limit checks */
     if (iol_len > ETHERNET_MAX_LEN) {
-        ESP_WIFI_DEBUG("frame length exceeds maximum (%u > %u)",
+        ESP_WIFI_DEBUG("frame length exceeds the maximum (%u > %u)",
                        iol_len, ETHERNET_MAX_LEN);
         _in_send = false;
         critical_exit();
diff --git a/cpu/esp8266/esp-wifi/esp_wifi_netdev.h b/cpu/esp8266/esp-wifi/esp_wifi_netdev.h
index e25c681a7cd9a7db6799c25514e3c5ff866f36d7..46d0234dd9ac9cc0d3ebc980051688b99d90bd7e 100644
--- a/cpu/esp8266/esp-wifi/esp_wifi_netdev.h
+++ b/cpu/esp8266/esp-wifi/esp_wifi_netdev.h
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ typedef struct
     uint8_t mac[ETHERNET_ADDR_LEN];   /**< MAC address of the device */
     ip_addr_t ip;                     /**< IPv4 address of the device */
 
-    uint8_t rx_buf[ETHERNET_DATA_LEN];/**< receive buffer */
+    uint8_t rx_buf[ETHERNET_MAX_LEN]; /**< receive buffer */
     uint16_t rx_len;                  /**< number of bytes received from lwIP */
 
     bool connected;   /**< indicates the connection state to the AP */