diff --git a/engine/client/cl_tent.c b/engine/client/cl_tent.c
index c5f1d864..ce3beed1 100644
--- a/engine/client/cl_tent.c
+++ b/engine/client/cl_tent.c
@@ -2050,6 +2050,14 @@ void CL_ParseTempEntity( sizebuf_t *msg, connprotocol_t proto )
 			else entityIndex = 0;
 
 			pEnt = CL_GetEntityByIndex( entityIndex );
+
+			// this might be obvious, but do not exit _before_ all data has been read or we will get parsing error later
+			if( !pEnt )
+			{
+				Con_Reportf( "%s: ignored temp entity message %d, invalid entity num %d\n", __func__, type, entityIndex );
+				break;
+			}
+
 			modelIndex = pEnt->curstate.modelindex;
 		}
 		CL_DecalShoot( CL_DecalIndex( decalIndex ), entityIndex, modelIndex, pos, type == TE_BSPDECAL ? FDECAL_PERMANENT : 0 );