diff --git a/mitmproxy/dns.py b/mitmproxy/dns.py
index 0f4313c72..1170dedfd 100644
--- a/mitmproxy/dns.py
+++ b/mitmproxy/dns.py
@@ -276,25 +276,22 @@ class Message(stateobject.StateObject):
     def unpack_from(cls, buffer: Union[bytes, bytearray], offset: int) -> Tuple[int, Message]:
         """Converts the buffer from a given offset into a DNS message and also returns its length."""
         id, flags, len_questions, len_answers, len_authorities, len_additionals = Message.HEADER.unpack_from(buffer, offset)
-        try:
-            msg = Message(
-                timestamp=time.time(),
-                id=id,
-                query=(flags & (1 << 15)) == 0,
-                op_code = (flags >> 11) & 0b1111,
-                authoritative_answer=(flags & (1 << 10)) != 0,
-                truncation = (flags & (1 << 9)) != 0,
-                recursion_desired = (flags & (1 << 8)) != 0,
-                recursion_available = (flags & (1 << 7)) != 0,
-                reserved = (flags >> 4) & 0b111,
-                response_code = flags & 0b1111,
-                questions=[],
-                answers=[],
-                authorities=[],
-                additionals=[],
-            )
-        except ValueError as e:
-            raise struct.error(str(e))
+        msg = Message(
+            timestamp=time.time(),
+            id=id,
+            query=(flags & (1 << 15)) == 0,
+            op_code=(flags >> 11) & 0b1111,
+            authoritative_answer=(flags & (1 << 10)) != 0,
+            truncation=(flags & (1 << 9)) != 0,
+            recursion_desired=(flags & (1 << 8)) != 0,
+            recursion_available=(flags & (1 << 7)) != 0,
+            reserved=(flags >> 4) & 0b111,
+            response_code=flags & 0b1111,
+            questions=[],
+            answers=[],
+            authorities=[],
+            additionals=[],
+        )
         offset += Message.HEADER.size
         cached_names = domain_names.cache()
 
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 6ce884af0..d433c5746 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ exclude =
     mitmproxy/contentviews/base.py
     mitmproxy/contentviews/grpc.py
     mitmproxy/ctx.py
-    mitmproxy/dns.py
     mitmproxy/exceptions.py
     mitmproxy/flow.py
     mitmproxy/io/io.py
diff --git a/test/mitmproxy/test_dns.py b/test/mitmproxy/test_dns.py
index 401e16b43..d00261b96 100644
--- a/test/mitmproxy/test_dns.py
+++ b/test/mitmproxy/test_dns.py
@@ -35,6 +35,15 @@ class TestResourceRecord:
 
 class TestMessage:
 
+    def test_json(self):
+        resp = tutils.tdnsresp()
+        json = resp.to_json()
+        assert json["id"] == resp.id
+        assert len(json["questions"]) == len(resp.questions)
+        assert json["questions"][0]["name"] == resp.questions[0].name
+        assert len(json["answers"]) == len(resp.answers)
+        assert json["answers"][0]["data"] == str(resp.answers[0])
+
     def test_responses(self):
         req = tutils.tdnsreq()
         resp = tutils.tdnsresp()
@@ -65,6 +74,8 @@ class TestMessage:
 
         test("id", 0, 2 ** 16 - 1)
         test("reserved", 0, 7)
+        test("op_code", 0, 0b1111)
+        test("response_code", 0, 0b1111)
 
     def test_packing(self):
         def assert_eq(m: dns.Message, b: bytes) -> None:
@@ -80,6 +91,27 @@ class TestMessage:
             b'\x00\x2a\x81\x80\x00\x01\x00\x02\x00\x00\x00\x00\x03dns\x06google\x00\x00\x01\x00\x01' +
             b'\xc0\x0c\x00\x01\x00\x01\x00\x00\x00 \x00\x04\x08\x08\x08\x08\xc0\x0c\x00\x01\x00\x01\x00\x00\x00 \x00\x04\x08\x08\x04\x04'
         ))
+        with pytest.raises(struct.error):  # question error
+            dns.Message.unpack(b'\x00\x2a\x01\x00\x00\x01\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x03dns\x06goo')
+        with pytest.raises(struct.error):  # rr length error
+            dns.Message.unpack(
+                b'\x00\x2a\x81\x80\x00\x01\x00\x02\x00\x00\x00\x00\x03dns\x06google\x00\x00\x01\x00\x01' +
+                b'\xc0\x0c\x00\x01\x00\x01\x00\x00\x00 \x00\x04\x08\x08\x08\x08\xc0\x0c\x00\x01\x00\x01\x00\x00\x00 \x00\x04\x08\x08\x04'
+            )
+        txt = dns.Message.unpack(
+            b'V\x1a\x81\x80\x00\x01\x00\x01\x00\x01\x00\x01\x05alive\x06github\x03com\x00\x00' +
+            b'\x10\x00\x01\xc0\x0c\x00\x05\x00\x01\x00\x00\x0b\xc6\x00\x07\x04live\xc0\x12\xc0\x12\x00\x06\x00\x01' +
+            b'\x00\x00\x03\x84\x00H\x07ns-1707\tawsdns-21\x02co\x02uk\x00\x11awsdns-hostmaster\x06amazon\xc0\x19\x00' +
+            b'\x00\x00\x01\x00\x00\x1c \x00\x00\x03\x84\x00\x12u\x00\x00\x01Q\x80\x00\x00)\x02\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00'
+        )
+        assert txt.answers[0].domain_name == "live.github.com"
+        invalid_rr_domain_name = dns.Message.unpack(
+            b'V\x1a\x81\x80\x00\x01\x00\x01\x00\x01\x00\x01\x05alive\x06github\x03com\x00\x00' +
+            b'\x10\x00\x01\xc0\x0c\x00\x05\x00\x01\x00\x00\x0b\xc6\x00\x07\x99live\xc0\x12\xc0\x12\x00\x06\x00\x01' +
+            b'\x00\x00\x03\x84\x00H\x07ns-1707\tawsdns-21\x02co\x02uk\x00\x11awsdns-hostmaster\x06amazon\xc0\x19\x00' +
+            b'\x00\x00\x01\x00\x00\x1c \x00\x00\x03\x84\x00\x12u\x00\x00\x01Q\x80\x00\x00)\x02\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00'
+        )
+        assert invalid_rr_domain_name.answers[0].data == b'\x99live\xc0\x12'
 
         req = tutils.tdnsreq()
         for flag in "authoritative_answer", "truncation", "recursion_desired", "recursion_available":