diff --git a/org.eclipse.paho.mqttv5.client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/paho/mqttv5/common/packet/MqttProperties.java b/org.eclipse.paho.mqttv5.client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/paho/mqttv5/common/packet/MqttProperties.java
index 5b2c09e32..af415f204 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.paho.mqttv5.client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/paho/mqttv5/common/packet/MqttProperties.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.paho.mqttv5.client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/paho/mqttv5/common/packet/MqttProperties.java
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ public void decodeProperties(DataInputStream dis) throws IOException, MqttExcept
 					} else if (identifier == REASON_STRING_IDENTIFIER) {
 						reasonString = MqttDataTypes.decodeUTF8(inputStream);
 					} else if (identifier == RECEIVE_MAXIMUM_IDENTIFIER) {
-						receiveMaximum = (int) inputStream.readShort();
+						receiveMaximum = (int) inputStream.readUnsignedShort();
 					} else if (identifier == TOPIC_ALIAS_MAXIMUM_IDENTIFIER) {
 						topicAliasMaximum = (int) inputStream.readShort();
 					} else if (identifier == TOPIC_ALIAS_IDENTIFIER) {