diff --git a/pkg/runner/run_minimiser_test.go b/pkg/runner/run_minimiser_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5faf1c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/runner/run_minimiser_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+package runner
+
+import (
+	"io"
+	"log/slog"
+	"net/netip"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble"
+	dnstap "github.com/dnstap/golang-dnstap"
+	lru "github.com/hashicorp/golang-lru/v2"
+	"github.com/miekg/dns"
+	"github.com/smhanov/dawg"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
+)
+
+func TestRunMinimiserSkipsMalformedFrames(t *testing.T) {
+	edm, seenQnameLRU, pdb, wkdTracker := newRunMinimiserTestFixture(t, "example.com.")
+
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	wg.Add(1)
+	go edm.runMinimiser(0, &wg, seenQnameLRU, pdb, nil, defaultLabelLimit, wkdTracker)
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		edm.stop()
+		waitOrFail(t, &wg, 2*time.Second, "runMinimiser did not exit after stop")
+	})
+
+	edm.inputChannel <- []byte{0xff, 0x01, 0x02}
+	edm.inputChannel <- marshalDnstap(t, &dnstap.Dnstap{Type: dnstap.Dnstap_MESSAGE.Enum()})
+	edm.inputChannel <- marshalDnstap(t, &dnstap.Dnstap{
+		Type:    dnstap.Dnstap_MESSAGE.Enum(),
+		Message: &dnstap.Message{},
+	}, proto.MarshalOptions{AllowPartial: true})
+	edm.inputChannel <- validDnstapResponseFrame(t, "example.com.")
+
+	select {
+	case wu := <-wkdTracker.updateCh:
+		if wu.dawgIndex == dawgNotFound {
+			t.Fatal("valid frame after malformed input was not treated as well-known")
+		}
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("valid frame after malformed input was not processed")
+	}
+
+}
+
+func newRunMinimiserTestFixture(t *testing.T, knownDomains ...string) (*dnstapMinimiser, *lru.Cache[string, struct{}], *pebble.DB, *wellKnownDomainsTracker) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	logger := slog.New(slog.NewTextHandler(io.Discard, nil))
+	edm, err := newDnstapMinimiser(logger, defaultTC)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("newDnstapMinimiser: %s", err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(edm.stop)
+	edm.reloadMinimiserConfigCh = []chan struct{}{make(chan struct{}, 1)}
+
+	seenQnameLRU, err := lru.New[string, struct{}](10)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("lru.New: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	pdb, err := pebble.Open(filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "pebble"), &pebble.Options{})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("pebble.Open: %s", err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		if err := pdb.Close(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("pdb.Close: %s", err)
+		}
+	})
+
+	dBuilder := dawg.New()
+	for _, domain := range knownDomains {
+		dBuilder.Add(domain)
+	}
+	wkdTracker, err := newWellKnownDomainsTracker(dBuilder.Finish(), time.Unix(0, 0))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("newWellKnownDomainsTracker: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	return edm, seenQnameLRU, pdb, wkdTracker
+}
+
+func validDnstapResponseFrame(t *testing.T, qname string) []byte {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	msg := new(dns.Msg)
+	msg.SetQuestion(qname, dns.TypeA)
+	msg.Response = true
+
+	wire, err := msg.Pack()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("dns message Pack: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	messageType := dnstap.Message_CLIENT_RESPONSE
+	socketFamily := dnstap.SocketFamily_INET
+	socketProtocol := dnstap.SocketProtocol_UDP
+	queryPort := uint32(12345)
+	responsePort := uint32(53)
+	responseSec := uint64(1700000000)
+	responseNsec := uint32(0)
+
+	return marshalDnstap(t, &dnstap.Dnstap{
+		Type: dnstap.Dnstap_MESSAGE.Enum(),
+		Message: &dnstap.Message{
+			Type:             &messageType,
+			SocketFamily:     &socketFamily,
+			SocketProtocol:   &socketProtocol,
+			QueryAddress:     netip.MustParseAddr("198.51.100.10").AsSlice(),
+			ResponseAddress:  netip.MustParseAddr("198.51.100.53").AsSlice(),
+			QueryPort:        &queryPort,
+			ResponsePort:     &responsePort,
+			ResponseTimeSec:  &responseSec,
+			ResponseTimeNsec: &responseNsec,
+			ResponseMessage:  wire,
+		},
+	})
+}
+
+func marshalDnstap(t *testing.T, dt *dnstap.Dnstap, opts ...proto.MarshalOptions) []byte {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	var (
+		frame []byte
+		err   error
+	)
+	if len(opts) > 0 {
+		frame, err = opts[0].Marshal(dt)
+	} else {
+		frame, err = proto.Marshal(dt)
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("proto.Marshal: %s", err)
+	}
+	return frame
+}
+
+func waitOrFail(t *testing.T, wg *sync.WaitGroup, timeout time.Duration, message string) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		defer close(done)
+		wg.Wait()
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case <-done:
+	case <-time.After(timeout):
+		t.Fatal(message)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/runner/runner.go b/pkg/runner/runner.go
index 17cb068..bc3dd73 100644
--- a/pkg/runner/runner.go
+++ b/pkg/runner/runner.go
@@ -1936,8 +1936,16 @@ minimiserLoop:
 		case frame := <-edm.inputChannel:
 			edm.promDnstapProcessed.Inc()
 			if err := proto.Unmarshal(frame, dt); err != nil {
-				edm.log.Error("dnstapMinimiser.runMinimiser: proto.Unmarshal() failed, returning", "error", err, "minimiser_id", minimiserID)
-				break minimiserLoop
+				edm.log.Error("dnstapMinimiser.runMinimiser: proto.Unmarshal() failed, skipping frame", "error", err, "minimiser_id", minimiserID)
+				continue
+			}
+			if dt.Message == nil {
+				edm.log.Error("dnstapMinimiser.runMinimiser: dnstap message is missing, skipping frame", "minimiser_id", minimiserID)
+				continue
+			}
+			if dt.Message.Type == nil {
+				edm.log.Error("dnstapMinimiser.runMinimiser: dnstap message type is missing, skipping frame", "minimiser_id", minimiserID)
+				continue
 			}
 
 			// Keep in mind that this outputs the unmodified dnstap