diff --git a/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_async.c b/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_async.c
index a940b9a67107a9f1523ecaae5d49448d977cfe00..c97406c6004d421623c1a3b0b8e30e9237c1dfeb 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_async.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_async.c
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ ppp_async_encode(struct asyncppp *ap)
         * and 7 (code-reject) must be sent as though no options
         * had been negotiated.
         */
-       islcp = proto == PPP_LCP && 1 <= data[2] && data[2] <= 7;
+       islcp = proto == PPP_LCP && count >= 3 && 1 <= data[2] && data[2] <= 7;
 
        if (i == 0) {
                if (islcp)