diff --git a/src/ResponseParser.cpp b/src/ResponseParser.cpp
index bf7ac95..9560bb3 100644
--- a/src/ResponseParser.cpp
+++ b/src/ResponseParser.cpp
@@ -245,10 +245,12 @@ ResponseParser::Status ResponseParser::parse(Buffer* buf, int& pos)
         SString<64> bufHex;
         bufHex.printHex(buf->data() + pos, buf->length() - pos);
         SString<16> errHex;
-        errHex.printHex(cursor - 1, end - cursor + 1);
+        // Clamp errStart to the buffer head to avoid underflow on first-byte errors.
+        const char* errStart = cursor > buf->data() ? cursor - 1 : cursor;
+        errHex.printHex(errStart, end - errStart);
         logError("response parse error %d state %d buf:%s errpos %d err:%s",
                 error, mState, bufHex.data(),
-                cursor - 1 - buf->data() - pos, errHex.data());
+                (errStart - buf->data()) - pos, errHex.data());
         return ParseError;
     }
     pos = cursor + 1 - buf->data();
diff --git a/test/response_parser_error_log.py b/test/response_parser_error_log.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f4c0dd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/response_parser_error_log.py
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+#
+# Start a temporary predixy instance with a fake backend that returns
+# invalid responses to exercise response parser error logging safely.
+#
+
+import os
+import socket
+import subprocess
+import tempfile
+import threading
+import time
+
+from test_util import parse_args, exit_with_result
+
+
+def wait_for_port(host, port, timeout=5.0):
+    deadline = time.time() + timeout
+    while time.time() < deadline:
+        try:
+            with socket.create_connection((host, port), timeout=0.5):
+                return True
+        except Exception:
+            time.sleep(0.05)
+    return False
+
+
+def start_fake_backend(host="127.0.0.1"):
+    server = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+    server.bind((host, 0))
+    server.listen(1)
+    port = server.getsockname()[1]
+
+    def handler():
+        try:
+            conn, _ = server.accept()
+            conn.recv(1024)
+            conn.sendall(b"!")
+            conn.close()
+        finally:
+            server.close()
+
+    thread = threading.Thread(target=handler, daemon=True)
+    thread.start()
+    return port
+
+
+def start_predixy(root, backend_port):
+    predixy_bin = os.path.join(root, "src", "predixy")
+    if not os.path.exists(predixy_bin):
+        raise RuntimeError("predixy binary not found")
+
+    listen_sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+    listen_sock.bind(("127.0.0.1", 0))
+    listen_port = listen_sock.getsockname()[1]
+    listen_sock.close()
+
+    tmp_dir = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory()
+    conf_path = os.path.join(tmp_dir.name, "predixy_test.conf")
+    with open(conf_path, "w") as f:
+        f.write(
+            "Name PredixyRespParserTest\n"
+            f"Bind 127.0.0.1:{listen_port}\n"
+            "WorkerThreads 1\n"
+            "ClientTimeout 3\n"
+            "LogVerbSample 0\n"
+            "LogDebugSample 0\n"
+            "LogInfoSample 10000\n"
+            "LogNoticeSample 1\n"
+            "LogWarnSample 1\n"
+            "LogErrorSample 1\n"
+            "\n"
+            "StandaloneServerPool {\n"
+            "    RefreshMethod fixed\n"
+            "    Group test {\n"
+            f"        + 127.0.0.1:{backend_port}\n"
+            "    }\n"
+            "}\n"
+        )
+
+    proc = subprocess.Popen([predixy_bin, conf_path],
+                            stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+                            stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL)
+    if not wait_for_port("127.0.0.1", listen_port, timeout=5.0):
+        proc.terminate()
+        tmp_dir.cleanup()
+        raise RuntimeError("predixy did not start")
+
+    return proc, listen_port, tmp_dir
+
+
+def run_test(project_root):
+    backend_port = start_fake_backend()
+    proc, predixy_port, tmp_dir = start_predixy(project_root, backend_port)
+    try:
+        sock = socket.create_connection(("127.0.0.1", predixy_port), timeout=1.0)
+        sock.sendall(b"*1\r\n$4\r\nping\r\n")
+        try:
+            sock.recv(16)
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+        sock.close()
+
+        time.sleep(0.2)
+        if proc.poll() is not None:
+            print("FAIL: predixy exited after invalid backend response")
+            return False
+
+        try:
+            with socket.create_connection(("127.0.0.1", predixy_port), timeout=1.0):
+                pass
+        except Exception as exc:
+            print("FAIL: predixy not accepting connections:", exc)
+            return False
+    finally:
+        proc.terminate()
+        try:
+            proc.wait(timeout=2.0)
+        except Exception:
+            proc.kill()
+        tmp_dir.cleanup()
+
+    return True
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    args = parse_args("Response parser error logging test")
+    root = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), ".."))
+    success = run_test(root)
+    exit_with_result(success, "response parser error logging",
+                     "response parser error logging")
diff --git a/test/run.sh b/test/run.sh
index 9336250..4870d39 100755
--- a/test/run.sh
+++ b/test/run.sh
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ TESTS=(
     "test/null_response_handling.py"
     "test/request_parser_boundary.py"
     "test/request_parser_error_log.py"
+    "test/response_parser_error_log.py"
     "test/pubsub_long_name.py"
     "test/pubsub_large_message.py"
     "test/transaction_forbid.py"