diff --git a/bacnet-stack/src/bacapp.c b/bacnet-stack/src/bacapp.c
index dcc48bb1..7ed8503d 100644
--- a/bacnet-stack/src/bacapp.c
+++ b/bacnet-stack/src/bacapp.c
@@ -264,8 +264,10 @@ int bacapp_decode_data(
         }
     }
 
-    if (len == 0 && tag_data_type != BACNET_APPLICATION_TAG_NULL &&
-        tag_data_type != BACNET_APPLICATION_TAG_BOOLEAN) {
+    if ((len == 0) &&
+        (tag_data_type != BACNET_APPLICATION_TAG_NULL) &&
+        (tag_data_type != BACNET_APPLICATION_TAG_BOOLEAN) &&
+        (tag_data_type != BACNET_APPLICATION_TAG_OCTET_STRING)) {
         /* indicate that we were not able to decode the value */
         value->tag = MAX_BACNET_APPLICATION_TAG;
     }
diff --git a/bacnet-stack/src/bacstr.c b/bacnet-stack/src/bacstr.c
index 3d2f7775..a27176d3 100644
--- a/bacnet-stack/src/bacstr.c
+++ b/bacnet-stack/src/bacstr.c
@@ -635,8 +635,12 @@ bool octetstring_init(
         if (length <= MAX_OCTET_STRING_BYTES) {
             if (value) {
                 for (i = 0; i < length; i++) {
-                    octet_string->value[octet_string->length] = value[i];
-                    octet_string->length++;
+                    if (i < length) {
+                        octet_string->value[octet_string->length] = value[i];
+                        octet_string->length++;
+                    } else {
+                        octet_string->value[i] = 0;
+                    }
                 }
             } else {
                 for (i = 0; i < MAX_OCTET_STRING_BYTES; i++) {
diff --git a/bacnet-stack/src/ptransfer.c b/bacnet-stack/src/ptransfer.c
index 99e36861..12e22d6f 100644
--- a/bacnet-stack/src/ptransfer.c
+++ b/bacnet-stack/src/ptransfer.c
@@ -485,12 +485,14 @@ void test_Private_Transfer_Ack(
     char private_data_chunk[32] = { "I Love You, Patricia!" };
     BACNET_APPLICATION_DATA_VALUE data_value;
     BACNET_APPLICATION_DATA_VALUE test_data_value;
+    bool status = false;
 
     private_data.vendorID = BACNET_VENDOR_ID;
     private_data.serviceNumber = 1;
 
-    bacapp_parse_application_data(BACNET_APPLICATION_TAG_OCTET_STRING,
+    status = bacapp_parse_application_data(BACNET_APPLICATION_TAG_OCTET_STRING,
         &private_data_chunk[0], &data_value);
+    ct_test(pTest, status == true);
     private_data_len =
         bacapp_encode_application_data(&test_value[0], &data_value);
 
@@ -536,12 +538,14 @@ void test_Private_Transfer_Error(
     char private_data_chunk[32] = { "I Love You, Patricia!" };
     BACNET_APPLICATION_DATA_VALUE data_value;
     BACNET_APPLICATION_DATA_VALUE test_data_value;
+    bool status = false;
 
     private_data.vendorID = BACNET_VENDOR_ID;
     private_data.serviceNumber = 1;
 
-    bacapp_parse_application_data(BACNET_APPLICATION_TAG_OCTET_STRING,
+    status = bacapp_parse_application_data(BACNET_APPLICATION_TAG_OCTET_STRING,
         &private_data_chunk[0], &data_value);
+    ct_test(pTest, status == true);
     private_data_len =
         bacapp_encode_application_data(&test_value[0], &data_value);
     private_data.serviceParameters = &test_value[0];
@@ -581,16 +585,18 @@ void test_Private_Transfer_Request(
     uint8_t test_invoke_id = 0;
     int private_data_len = 0;
     char private_data_chunk[32] = { "I Love You, Patricia!" };
-    BACNET_APPLICATION_DATA_VALUE data_value;
-    BACNET_APPLICATION_DATA_VALUE test_data_value;
-    BACNET_PRIVATE_TRANSFER_DATA private_data;
-    BACNET_PRIVATE_TRANSFER_DATA test_data;
+    BACNET_APPLICATION_DATA_VALUE data_value = {0};
+    BACNET_APPLICATION_DATA_VALUE test_data_value = {0};
+    BACNET_PRIVATE_TRANSFER_DATA private_data = {0};
+    BACNET_PRIVATE_TRANSFER_DATA test_data = {0};
+    bool status = false;
 
     private_data.vendorID = BACNET_VENDOR_ID;
     private_data.serviceNumber = 1;
 
-    bacapp_parse_application_data(BACNET_APPLICATION_TAG_OCTET_STRING,
+    status = bacapp_parse_application_data(BACNET_APPLICATION_TAG_OCTET_STRING,
         &private_data_chunk[0], &data_value);
+    ct_test(pTest, status == true);
     private_data_len =
         bacapp_encode_application_data(&test_value[0], &data_value);
     private_data.serviceParameters = &test_value[0];
@@ -621,19 +627,20 @@ void test_Unconfirmed_Private_Transfer_Request(
     uint8_t test_value[480] = { 0 };
     int len = 0;
     int apdu_len = 0;
-    uint8_t test_invoke_id = 0;
     int private_data_len = 0;
     char private_data_chunk[32] = { "I Love You, Patricia!" };
     BACNET_APPLICATION_DATA_VALUE data_value;
     BACNET_APPLICATION_DATA_VALUE test_data_value;
     BACNET_PRIVATE_TRANSFER_DATA private_data;
     BACNET_PRIVATE_TRANSFER_DATA test_data;
+    bool status = false;
 
     private_data.vendorID = BACNET_VENDOR_ID;
     private_data.serviceNumber = 1;
 
-    bacapp_parse_application_data(BACNET_APPLICATION_TAG_OCTET_STRING,
+    status = bacapp_parse_application_data(BACNET_APPLICATION_TAG_OCTET_STRING,
         &private_data_chunk[0], &data_value);
+    ct_test(pTest, status == true);
     private_data_len =
         bacapp_encode_application_data(&test_value[0], &data_value);
     private_data.serviceParameters = &test_value[0];