diff --git a/vortex-array/src/dtype/serde/flatbuffers.rs b/vortex-array/src/dtype/serde/flatbuffers.rs
index 0f7a16c3d65..8a1e7e6b611 100644
--- a/vortex-array/src/dtype/serde/flatbuffers.rs
+++ b/vortex-array/src/dtype/serde/flatbuffers.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ use vortex_session::VortexSession;
 use crate::dtype::DType;
 use crate::dtype::DecimalDType;
 use crate::dtype::FieldDType;
+use crate::dtype::FieldNames;
 use crate::dtype::MapDType;
 use crate::dtype::PType;
 use crate::dtype::StructFields;
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ impl StructFields {
         buffer: FlatBuffer,
         session: VortexSession,
     ) -> VortexResult<Self> {
-        let names = fb_struct
+        let names: FieldNames = fb_struct
             .names()
             .ok_or_else(|| vortex_err!("failed to parse struct names from flatbuffer"))?
             .iter()
@@ -88,6 +89,14 @@ impl StructFields {
             })
             .collect::<Vec<_>>();
 
+        if names.len() != dtypes.len() {
+            vortex_bail!(
+                "length mismatch between struct names ({}) and dtypes ({})",
+                names.len(),
+                dtypes.len()
+            );
+        }
+
         Ok(StructFields::from_fields(names, dtypes))
     }
 }
@@ -556,8 +565,11 @@ impl TryFrom<fb::PType> for PType {
 mod test {
     use std::sync::Arc;
 
+    use flatbuffers::FlatBufferBuilder;
     use flatbuffers::root;
+    use vortex_buffer::ByteBuffer;
     use vortex_flatbuffers::FlatBuffer;
+    use vortex_flatbuffers::WriteFlatBuffer;
     use vortex_flatbuffers::WriteFlatBufferExt;
 
     use crate::dtype::DType;
@@ -742,6 +754,48 @@ mod test {
         assert_eq!(viewed, eager);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_struct_malformed_flatbuffer() {
+        let mut fbb = FlatBufferBuilder::new();
+        let names = fbb.create_vector::<flatbuffers::WIPOffset<&str>>(&[]);
+        let dtype_offsets = (0..3)
+            .map(|_| {
+                DType::Primitive(PType::I32, Nullability::NonNullable)
+                    .write_flatbuffer(&mut fbb)
+                    .unwrap()
+            })
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+        let dtypes = fbb.create_vector(&dtype_offsets);
+
+        let struct_table = fb::Struct_::create(
+            &mut fbb,
+            &fb::Struct_Args {
+                names: Some(names),
+                dtypes: Some(dtypes),
+                nullable: false,
+            },
+        );
+
+        let dtype = fb::DType::create(
+            &mut fbb,
+            &fb::DTypeArgs {
+                type_type: fb::Type::Struct_,
+                type_: Some(struct_table.as_union_value()),
+            },
+        );
+        fbb.finish_minimal(dtype);
+        let (vec, start) = fbb.collapse();
+        let end = vec.len();
+        let buffer = FlatBuffer::align_from(ByteBuffer::from(vec).slice(start..end));
+
+        let root_fb = root::<fb::DType>(&buffer).unwrap();
+        let view = ViewedDType::from_fb_loc(root_fb._tab.loc(), buffer, SESSION.clone());
+
+        let result = DType::try_from(view);
+        assert!(result.is_err());
+        assert!(result.unwrap_err().to_string().contains("length mismatch"));
+    }
+
     /// A malformed flatbuffer (here, `dtypes.len() != type_ids.len()`) must round-trip
     /// to `Err`, not panic.
     #[test]