diff --git a/Emulator/src/main/java/com/eu/habbo/habbohotel/items/interactions/InteractionGift.java b/Emulator/src/main/java/com/eu/habbo/habbohotel/items/interactions/InteractionGift.java
index f00252f2..8a7ec640 100644
--- a/Emulator/src/main/java/com/eu/habbo/habbohotel/items/interactions/InteractionGift.java
+++ b/Emulator/src/main/java/com/eu/habbo/habbohotel/items/interactions/InteractionGift.java
@@ -13,11 +13,13 @@ import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 import java.sql.ResultSet;
 import java.sql.SQLException;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
 
 public class InteractionGift extends HabboItem {
     private static final Logger LOGGER = LoggerFactory.getLogger(InteractionGift.class);
 
     public boolean explode = false;
+    private final AtomicBoolean opening = new AtomicBoolean(false);
     private int[] itemId;
     private int colorId = 0;
     private int ribbonId = 0;
@@ -46,6 +48,15 @@ public class InteractionGift extends HabboItem {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Claims the right to open this gift, returning true exactly once. Guards
+     * against two near-simultaneous OpenRecycleBox packets both scheduling an
+     * (async, delayed) OpenGift before the wrapper is removed from the room.
+     */
+    public boolean tryStartOpening() {
+        return this.opening.compareAndSet(false, true);
+    }
+
     @Override
     public void serializeExtradata(ServerMessage serverMessage) {
         //serverMessage.appendInt(this.colorId * 1000 + this.ribbonId);
diff --git a/Emulator/src/main/java/com/eu/habbo/messages/ClientMessage.java b/Emulator/src/main/java/com/eu/habbo/messages/ClientMessage.java
index 55fdae44..3cdfb710 100644
--- a/Emulator/src/main/java/com/eu/habbo/messages/ClientMessage.java
+++ b/Emulator/src/main/java/com/eu/habbo/messages/ClientMessage.java
@@ -61,7 +61,14 @@ public class ClientMessage {
 
     public String readString() {
         try {
-            int length = this.readShort();
+            // Length is an unsigned short in the protocol; mask to avoid a
+            // negative array size, and clamp to what's actually buffered so a
+            // bogus length can't throw mid-read and desync the remaining fields.
+            int length = this.readShort() & 0xFFFF;
+            int available = this.buffer.readableBytes();
+            if (length > available) {
+                length = available;
+            }
             byte[] data = new byte[length];
             this.buffer.readBytes(data);
             return new String(data);
diff --git a/Emulator/src/main/java/com/eu/habbo/messages/incoming/catalog/recycler/OpenRecycleBoxEvent.java b/Emulator/src/main/java/com/eu/habbo/messages/incoming/catalog/recycler/OpenRecycleBoxEvent.java
index 523d5d0d..bd8cd616 100644
--- a/Emulator/src/main/java/com/eu/habbo/messages/incoming/catalog/recycler/OpenRecycleBoxEvent.java
+++ b/Emulator/src/main/java/com/eu/habbo/messages/incoming/catalog/recycler/OpenRecycleBoxEvent.java
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@ public class OpenRecycleBoxEvent extends MessageHandler {
             if (item.getUserId() != this.client.getHabbo().getHabboInfo().getId()) return;
 
             if (item instanceof InteractionGift) {
+                // The actual unwrap (OpenGift) runs async/delayed and only then
+                // removes the wrapper, so a second packet would otherwise pass
+                // the room/owner checks and double-process the gift. Claim it once.
+                if (!((InteractionGift) item).tryStartOpening()) return;
+
                 if (item.getBaseItem().getName().contains("present_wrap")) {
                     ((InteractionGift) item).explode = true;
                     room.updateItem(item);