diff --git a/pyroaring/abstract_bitmap.pxi b/pyroaring/abstract_bitmap.pxi
index ab30abc..786be9a 100644
--- a/pyroaring/abstract_bitmap.pxi
+++ b/pyroaring/abstract_bitmap.pxi
@@ -12,18 +12,32 @@ try:
 except NameError: # python 3
     pass
 
-cdef croaring.roaring_bitmap_t *deserialize_ptr(char *buff):
+cdef croaring.roaring_bitmap_t *deserialize_ptr(bytes buff):
     cdef croaring.roaring_bitmap_t *ptr
-    ptr = croaring.roaring_bitmap_portable_deserialize(buff)
+    cdef const char *reason_failure = NULL
+    buff_size = len(buff)
+    ptr = croaring.roaring_bitmap_portable_deserialize_safe(buff, buff_size)
+    if ptr == NULL:
+      raise ValueError("Could not deserialize bitmap")
+    # Validate the bitmap
+    if not croaring.roaring_bitmap_internal_validate(ptr, &reason_failure):
+        # If validation fails, free the bitmap and raise an exception
+        croaring.roaring_bitmap_free(ptr)
+        raise ValueError(f"Invalid bitmap after deserialization: {reason_failure.decode('utf-8')}")
     return ptr
 
 cdef croaring.roaring64_bitmap_t *deserialize64_ptr(bytes buff):
     cdef croaring.roaring64_bitmap_t *ptr
+    cdef const char *reason_failure = NULL
     buff_size = len(buff)
-    bm_size = croaring.roaring64_bitmap_portable_deserialize_size(buff, buff_size)
-    if bm_size == 0:
-        raise ValueError("Invalid bitmap serialization")
-    ptr = croaring.roaring64_bitmap_portable_deserialize_safe(buff, bm_size)
+    ptr = croaring.roaring64_bitmap_portable_deserialize_safe(buff, buff_size)
+    if ptr == NULL:
+      raise ValueError("Could not deserialize bitmap")
+    # Validate the bitmap
+    if not croaring.roaring64_bitmap_internal_validate(ptr, &reason_failure):
+        # If validation fails, free the bitmap and raise an exception
+        croaring.roaring64_bitmap_free(ptr)
+        raise ValueError(f"Invalid bitmap after deserialization: {reason_failure.decode('utf-8')}")
     return ptr
 
 def _string_rep(bm):
@@ -744,7 +758,7 @@ cdef class AbstractBitMap:
 
 
     @classmethod
-    def deserialize(cls, char *buff):
+    def deserialize(cls, bytes buff):
         """
         Generate a bitmap from the given serialization. See AbstractBitMap.serialize for the reverse operation.
 
diff --git a/pyroaring/croaring.pxd b/pyroaring/croaring.pxd
index ed5a33b..9b94de5 100644
--- a/pyroaring/croaring.pxd
+++ b/pyroaring/croaring.pxd
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ cdef extern from "roaring.h":
     size_t roaring_bitmap_portable_size_in_bytes(const roaring_bitmap_t *ra)
     size_t roaring_bitmap_portable_serialize(const roaring_bitmap_t *ra, char *buf)
     roaring_bitmap_t *roaring_bitmap_portable_deserialize(const char *buf)
+    roaring_bitmap_t *roaring_bitmap_portable_deserialize_safe(const char *buf, size_t maxbytes)
+    bool roaring_bitmap_internal_validate(const roaring_bitmap_t *r, const char **reason)
     roaring_uint32_iterator_t *roaring_iterator_create(const roaring_bitmap_t *ra)
     bool roaring_uint32_iterator_advance(roaring_uint32_iterator_t *it)
     uint32_t roaring_uint32_iterator_read(roaring_uint32_iterator_t *it, uint32_t* buf, uint32_t count)
@@ -163,6 +165,7 @@ cdef extern from "roaring.h":
     size_t roaring64_bitmap_portable_serialize(const roaring64_bitmap_t *r, char *buf)
     size_t roaring64_bitmap_portable_deserialize_size(const char *buf, size_t maxbytes)
     roaring64_bitmap_t *roaring64_bitmap_portable_deserialize_safe(const char *buf, size_t maxbytes)
+    bool roaring64_bitmap_internal_validate(const roaring64_bitmap_t *r, const char **reason)
     roaring64_iterator_t *roaring64_iterator_create(const roaring64_bitmap_t *r)
     void roaring64_iterator_free(roaring64_iterator_t *it)
     bool roaring64_iterator_has_value(const roaring64_iterator_t *it)
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 9d1ae83..68e663b 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
     version=VERSION,
     description='Library for handling efficiently sorted integer sets.',
     long_description=long_description,
-    setup_requires=['cython'],
+    setup_requires=['cython>=3.0.2'],
     url='https://github.com/Ezibenroc/PyRoaringBitMap',
     author='Tom Cornebize',
     author_email='tom.cornebize@gmail.com',
diff --git a/test.py b/test.py
index 0374831..1d297da 100755
--- a/test.py
+++ b/test.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 import operator
 import unittest
 import functools
+import base64
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 from collections.abc import Set, Callable, Iterable, Iterator
 
@@ -886,6 +887,27 @@ def test_pickle_protocol(
         assert old_bm == new_bm
         self.assert_is_not(old_bm, new_bm)
 
+    @given(bitmap_cls)
+    def test_impossible_deserialization(
+        self,
+        cls: type[EitherBitMap],
+    ) -> None:
+        wrong_input = base64.b64decode('aGVsbG8gd29ybGQ=')
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match='Could not deserialize bitmap'):
+            bitmap = cls.deserialize(wrong_input)
+
+    @given(bitmap_cls)
+    def test_invalid_deserialization(
+        self,
+        cls: type[EitherBitMap],
+    ) -> None:
+        wrong_input = base64.b64decode('aGVsbG8gd29ybGQ=')
+        bm = cls(list(range(0, 1000000, 3)))
+        bitmap_bytes = bm.serialize()
+        bitmap_bytes = bitmap_bytes[:42] + wrong_input + bitmap_bytes[42:]
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match='Invalid bitmap after deserialization'):
+            bitmap = cls.deserialize(bitmap_bytes)
+
 
 class TestStatistics(Util):
 
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 58c58cf..f4def40 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 [tox]
 envlist =
-	cython_pre3
 	cython3
 	test_wheel
 
@@ -10,19 +9,6 @@ setenv =
     PYTHONFAULTHANDLER=1
 
 
-[testenv:cython_pre3]
-deps =
-	hypothesis
-    pytest
-	cython<3.0.0
-passenv =
-	HYPOTHESIS_PROFILE
-	ROARING_BITSIZE
-commands =
-	py.test -v test.py test_state_machine.py
-	python cydoctest.py
-
-
 [testenv:cython3]
 deps =
 	hypothesis