diff --git a/protocol/chainsync/messages.go b/protocol/chainsync/messages.go
index 64a7c924..650d654d 100644
--- a/protocol/chainsync/messages.go
+++ b/protocol/chainsync/messages.go
@@ -184,18 +184,19 @@ func NewMsgRollForwardNtN(
 	byronType uint,
 	blockCbor []byte,
 	tip Tip,
-) *MsgRollForwardNtN {
+) (*MsgRollForwardNtN, error) {
 	m := &MsgRollForwardNtN{
 		MessageBase: protocol.MessageBase{
 			MessageType: MessageTypeRollForward,
 		},
 		Tip: tip,
 	}
-	wrappedHeader := NewWrappedHeader(era, byronType, blockCbor)
-	if wrappedHeader != nil {
-		m.WrappedHeader = *wrappedHeader
+	wrappedHeader, err := NewWrappedHeader(era, byronType, blockCbor)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create wrapped header: %w", err)
 	}
-	return m
+	m.WrappedHeader = *wrappedHeader
+	return m, nil
 }
 
 type MsgRollBackward struct {
diff --git a/protocol/chainsync/messages_test.go b/protocol/chainsync/messages_test.go
index d0da8c7c..dc06d0f0 100644
--- a/protocol/chainsync/messages_test.go
+++ b/protocol/chainsync/messages_test.go
@@ -127,6 +127,15 @@ func TestMsgAwaitReply(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestMsgRollForwardNodeToNode(t *testing.T) {
+	createMsg := func(t *testing.T, era uint, filePath string, tip Tip) *MsgRollForwardNtN {
+		blockData := hexDecode(string(readFile(filePath)))
+		msg, err := NewMsgRollForwardNtN(era, 0, blockData, tip)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("failed to create NewMsgRollForwardNtN: %v", err)
+		}
+		return msg
+	}
+
 	tests := []testDefinition{
 		// Byron EBB (NtN)
 		{
@@ -135,16 +144,10 @@ func TestMsgRollForwardNodeToNode(t *testing.T) {
 					"testdata/rollforward_ntn_byron_ebb_testnet_8f8602837f7c6f8b8867dd1cbc1842cf51a27eaed2c70ef48325d00f8efb320f.hex",
 				),
 			),
-			Message: NewMsgRollForwardNtN(
+			Message: createMsg(
+				t,
 				ledger.BlockHeaderTypeByron,
-				0,
-				hexDecode(
-					string(
-						readFile(
-							"testdata/byron_ebb_testnet_8f8602837f7c6f8b8867dd1cbc1842cf51a27eaed2c70ef48325d00f8efb320f.hex",
-						),
-					),
-				),
+				"testdata/byron_ebb_testnet_8f8602837f7c6f8b8867dd1cbc1842cf51a27eaed2c70ef48325d00f8efb320f.hex",
 				Tip{
 					Point: common.Point{
 						Slot: 55740899,
@@ -165,16 +168,10 @@ func TestMsgRollForwardNodeToNode(t *testing.T) {
 					"testdata/rollforward_ntn_shelley_block_testnet_02b1c561715da9e540411123a6135ee319b02f60b9a11a603d3305556c04329f.hex",
 				),
 			),
-			Message: NewMsgRollForwardNtN(
+			Message: createMsg(
+				t,
 				ledger.BlockHeaderTypeShelley,
-				0,
-				hexDecode(
-					string(
-						readFile(
-							"testdata/shelley_block_testnet_02b1c561715da9e540411123a6135ee319b02f60b9a11a603d3305556c04329f.hex",
-						),
-					),
-				),
+				"testdata/shelley_block_testnet_02b1c561715da9e540411123a6135ee319b02f60b9a11a603d3305556c04329f.hex",
 				Tip{
 					Point: common.Point{
 						Slot: 55770176,
@@ -192,6 +189,26 @@ func TestMsgRollForwardNodeToNode(t *testing.T) {
 	runTests(tests, t)
 }
 
+func TestMsgRollForwardNodeToNode_CorruptedCBOR(t *testing.T) {
+	badCBOR := []byte{0x01, 0x02, 0x03} // garbage CBOR
+
+	_, err := NewMsgRollForwardNtN(
+		ledger.BlockHeaderTypeShelley,
+		0,
+		badCBOR,
+		Tip{
+			Point: common.Point{
+				Slot: 1,
+				Hash: []byte{0xDE, 0xAD, 0xBE, 0xEF},
+			},
+			BlockNumber: 1,
+		},
+	)
+
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected error from NewMsgRollForwardNtN with corrupted CBOR, got nil")
+	}
+}
 func TestMsgRollForwardNodeToClient(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []testDefinition{
 		// Byron EBB (NtC)
diff --git a/protocol/chainsync/server.go b/protocol/chainsync/server.go
index 39f36944..12664564 100644
--- a/protocol/chainsync/server.go
+++ b/protocol/chainsync/server.go
@@ -126,12 +126,15 @@ func (s *Server) RollForward(blockType uint, blockData []byte, tip Tip) error {
 		)
 	if s.Mode() == protocol.ProtocolModeNodeToNode {
 		eraId := ledger.BlockToBlockHeaderTypeMap[blockType]
-		msg := NewMsgRollForwardNtN(
+		msg, err := NewMsgRollForwardNtN(
 			eraId,
 			0,
 			blockData,
 			tip,
 		)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to create roll forward message: %w", err)
+		}
 		return s.SendMessage(msg)
 	} else {
 		msg := NewMsgRollForwardNtC(
diff --git a/protocol/chainsync/wrappers.go b/protocol/chainsync/wrappers.go
index d0f4058c..7ec47b08 100644
--- a/protocol/chainsync/wrappers.go
+++ b/protocol/chainsync/wrappers.go
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
 package chainsync
 
 import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+
 	"github.com/blinklabs-io/gouroboros/cbor"
 	"github.com/blinklabs-io/gouroboros/ledger"
 )
@@ -51,7 +54,7 @@ func NewWrappedHeader(
 	era uint,
 	byronType uint,
 	blockCbor []byte,
-) *WrappedHeader {
+) (*WrappedHeader, error) {
 	w := &WrappedHeader{
 		Era:       era,
 		byronType: byronType,
@@ -64,12 +67,14 @@ func NewWrappedHeader(
 	}
 	// Parse block and extract header
 	tmp := []cbor.RawMessage{}
-	// TODO: figure out a better way to handle an error (#856)
 	if _, err := cbor.Decode(blockCbor, &tmp); err != nil {
-		return nil
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("CBOR decode failed in NewWrappedHeader: %w", err)
+	}
+	if len(tmp) == 0 {
+		return nil, errors.New("decoded CBOR header is empty")
 	}
 	w.headerCbor = tmp[0]
-	return w
+	return w, nil
 }
 
 func (w *WrappedHeader) UnmarshalCBOR(data []byte) error {