diff --git a/server/client.go b/server/client.go
index 2c09f55b..05a19848 100644
--- a/server/client.go
+++ b/server/client.go
@@ -544,6 +544,13 @@ func (c *client) initClient() {
 	// Snapshots to avoid mutex access in fast paths.
 	c.out.wdl = opts.WriteDeadline
 	c.out.mp = opts.MaxPending
+	// Snapshot max control line since currently can not be changed on reload and we
+	// were checking it on each call to parse. If this changes and we allow MaxControlLine
+	// to be reloaded without restart, this code will need to change.
+	c.mcl = int32(opts.MaxControlLine)
+	if c.mcl == 0 {
+		c.mcl = MAX_CONTROL_LINE_SIZE
+	}
 
 	c.subs = make(map[string]*subscription)
 	c.echo = true
@@ -1005,15 +1012,6 @@ func (c *client) readLoop(pre []byte) {
 		c.mqtt.r = &mqttReader{reader: nc}
 	}
 	c.in.rsz = startBufSize
-	// Snapshot max control line since currently can not be changed on reload and we
-	// were checking it on each call to parse. If this changes and we allow MaxControlLine
-	// to be reloaded without restart, this code will need to change.
-	c.mcl = MAX_CONTROL_LINE_SIZE
-	if s != nil {
-		if opts := s.getOpts(); opts != nil {
-			c.mcl = int32(opts.MaxControlLine)
-		}
-	}
 
 	// Check the per-account-cache for closed subscriptions
 	cpacc := c.kind == ROUTER || c.kind == GATEWAY
diff --git a/server/const.go b/server/const.go
index 7e4a0d74..19dd9b02 100644
--- a/server/const.go
+++ b/server/const.go
@@ -124,6 +124,9 @@ const (
 	// PROTO_SNIPPET_SIZE is the default size of proto to print on parse errors.
 	PROTO_SNIPPET_SIZE = 32
 
+	// MAX_CONTOL_LINE_SNIPPET_SIZE is the default size of proto to print on max control line errors.
+	MAX_CONTOL_LINE_SNIPPET_SIZE = 128
+
 	// MAX_MSG_ARGS Maximum possible number of arguments from MSG proto.
 	MAX_MSG_ARGS = 4
 
diff --git a/server/log_test.go b/server/log_test.go
index 19c0aa97..edead35a 100644
--- a/server/log_test.go
+++ b/server/log_test.go
@@ -251,6 +251,7 @@ func TestNoPasswordsFromConnectTrace(t *testing.T) {
 	opts.Username = "derek"
 	opts.Password = "s3cr3t"
 	opts.PingInterval = 2 * time.Minute
+	setBaselineOptions(opts)
 	s := &Server{opts: opts}
 	dl := &DummyLogger{}
 	s.SetLogger(dl, false, true)
diff --git a/server/parser.go b/server/parser.go
index 1bccfd07..331ddf70 100644
--- a/server/parser.go
+++ b/server/parser.go
@@ -259,6 +259,9 @@ func (c *client) parse(buf []byte) error {
 				} else {
 					arg = buf[c.as : i-c.drop]
 				}
+				if err := c.overMaxControlLineLimit(arg, mcl); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 				if trace {
 					c.traceInOp("HPUB", arg)
 				}
@@ -319,6 +322,9 @@ func (c *client) parse(buf []byte) error {
 				} else {
 					arg = buf[c.as : i-c.drop]
 				}
+				if err := c.overMaxControlLineLimit(arg, mcl); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 				var err error
 				if c.kind == ROUTER || c.kind == GATEWAY {
 					if trace {
@@ -391,6 +397,9 @@ func (c *client) parse(buf []byte) error {
 				} else {
 					arg = buf[c.as : i-c.drop]
 				}
+				if err := c.overMaxControlLineLimit(arg, mcl); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 				if trace {
 					c.traceInOp("PUB", arg)
 				}
@@ -508,6 +517,9 @@ func (c *client) parse(buf []byte) error {
 				} else {
 					arg = buf[c.as : i-c.drop]
 				}
+				if err := c.overMaxControlLineLimit(arg, mcl); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 				if trace {
 					c.traceInOp("A+", arg)
 				}
@@ -547,6 +559,9 @@ func (c *client) parse(buf []byte) error {
 				} else {
 					arg = buf[c.as : i-c.drop]
 				}
+				if err := c.overMaxControlLineLimit(arg, mcl); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 				if trace {
 					c.traceInOp("A-", arg)
 				}
@@ -598,6 +613,9 @@ func (c *client) parse(buf []byte) error {
 				} else {
 					arg = buf[c.as : i-c.drop]
 				}
+				if err := c.overMaxControlLineLimit(arg, mcl); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 				var err error
 
 				switch c.kind {
@@ -730,6 +748,9 @@ func (c *client) parse(buf []byte) error {
 				} else {
 					arg = buf[c.as : i-c.drop]
 				}
+				if err := c.overMaxControlLineLimit(arg, mcl); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 				var err error
 
 				switch c.kind {
@@ -876,6 +897,9 @@ func (c *client) parse(buf []byte) error {
 				} else {
 					arg = buf[c.as : i-c.drop]
 				}
+				if err := c.overMaxControlLineLimit(arg, mcl); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 				if trace {
 					c.traceInOp("CONNECT", removePassFromTrace(arg))
 				}
@@ -934,6 +958,9 @@ func (c *client) parse(buf []byte) error {
 				} else {
 					arg = buf[c.as : i-c.drop]
 				}
+				if err := c.overMaxControlLineLimit(arg, mcl); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 				var err error
 				if c.kind == ROUTER || c.kind == GATEWAY {
 					switch c.op {
@@ -1010,6 +1037,9 @@ func (c *client) parse(buf []byte) error {
 				} else {
 					arg = buf[c.as : i-c.drop]
 				}
+				if err := c.overMaxControlLineLimit(arg, mcl); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 				if err := c.processInfo(arg); err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
@@ -1086,6 +1116,9 @@ func (c *client) parse(buf []byte) error {
 				} else {
 					arg = buf[c.as : i-c.drop]
 				}
+				if err := c.overMaxControlLineLimit(arg, mcl); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 				c.processErr(string(arg))
 				c.drop, c.as, c.state = 0, i+1, OP_START
 			default:
@@ -1113,11 +1146,7 @@ func (c *client) parse(buf []byte) error {
 		// Check for violations of control line length here. Note that this is not
 		// exact at all but the performance hit is too great to be precise, and
 		// catching here should prevent memory exhaustion attacks.
-		if len(c.argBuf) > int(mcl) {
-			err := NewErrorCtx(ErrMaxControlLine, "State %d, max_control_line %d, Buffer len %d",
-				c.state, int(mcl), len(c.argBuf))
-			c.sendErr(err.Error())
-			c.closeConnection(MaxControlLineExceeded)
+		if err := c.overMaxControlLineLimit(c.argBuf, mcl); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
@@ -1160,13 +1189,13 @@ authErr:
 
 parseErr:
 	c.sendErr("Unknown Protocol Operation")
-	snip := protoSnippet(i, buf)
+	snip := protoSnippet(i, PROTO_SNIPPET_SIZE, buf)
 	err := fmt.Errorf("%s parser ERROR, state=%d, i=%d: proto='%s...'", c.typeString(), c.state, i, snip)
 	return err
 }
 
-func protoSnippet(start int, buf []byte) string {
-	stop := start + PROTO_SNIPPET_SIZE
+func protoSnippet(start, max int, buf []byte) string {
+	stop := start + max
 	bufSize := len(buf)
 	if start >= bufSize {
 		return `""`
@@ -1177,6 +1206,23 @@ func protoSnippet(start int, buf []byte) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%q", buf[start:stop])
 }
 
+// Check if the length of buffer `arg` is over the max control line limit `mcl`.
+// If so, an error is sent to the client and the connection is closed.
+// The error ErrMaxControlLine is returned.
+func (c *client) overMaxControlLineLimit(arg []byte, mcl int32) error {
+	if c.kind != CLIENT {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if len(arg) > int(mcl) {
+		err := NewErrorCtx(ErrMaxControlLine, "State %d, max_control_line %d, Buffer len %d (snip: %s...)",
+			c.state, int(mcl), len(c.argBuf), protoSnippet(0, MAX_CONTOL_LINE_SNIPPET_SIZE, arg))
+		c.sendErr(err.Error())
+		c.closeConnection(MaxControlLineExceeded)
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // clonePubArg is used when the split buffer scenario has the pubArg in the existing read buffer, but
 // we need to hold onto it into the next read.
 func (c *client) clonePubArg(lmsg bool) error {
diff --git a/server/parser_test.go b/server/parser_test.go
index 00ff79ea..c92350bc 100644
--- a/server/parser_test.go
+++ b/server/parser_test.go
@@ -775,7 +775,7 @@ func TestProtoSnippet(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		got := protoSnippet(tt.input, sample)
+		got := protoSnippet(tt.input, PROTO_SNIPPET_SIZE, sample)
 		if tt.expected != got {
 			t.Errorf("Expected protocol snippet to be %s when start=%d but got %s\n", tt.expected, tt.input, got)
 		}
@@ -811,12 +811,60 @@ func TestParseOK(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestMaxControlLine(t *testing.T) {
-	c := dummyClient()
-	c.mcl = 8
+	for _, test := range []struct {
+		name       string
+		kind       int
+		shouldFail bool
+	}{
+		{"client", CLIENT, true},
+		{"leaf", LEAF, false},
+		{"route", ROUTER, false},
+		{"gateway", GATEWAY, false},
+	} {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			pub := []byte("PUB foo.bar.baz 2\r\nok\r\n")
 
-	pub := []byte("PUB foo.bar 11\r")
-	err := c.parse(pub)
-	if !ErrorIs(err, ErrMaxControlLine) {
-		t.Fatalf("Expected an error parsing longer than expected control line")
+			setupClient := func() *client {
+				c := dummyClient()
+				c.setNoReconnect()
+				c.flags.set(connectReceived)
+				c.kind = test.kind
+				if test.kind == GATEWAY {
+					c.gw = &gateway{outbound: false, connected: true, insim: make(map[string]*insie)}
+				}
+				c.mcl = 8
+				return c
+			}
+
+			c := setupClient()
+			// First try with a partial:
+			// PUB foo.bar.baz 2\r\nok\r\n
+			// .............^
+			err := c.parse(pub[:14])
+			switch test.shouldFail {
+			case true:
+				if !ErrorIs(err, ErrMaxControlLine) {
+					t.Fatalf("Expected an error parsing longer than expected control line")
+				}
+			case false:
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("Should not have failed, got %v", err)
+				}
+			}
+
+			// Now with full protocol (no split) and we should still enforce.
+			c = setupClient()
+			err = c.parse(pub)
+			switch test.shouldFail {
+			case true:
+				if !ErrorIs(err, ErrMaxControlLine) {
+					t.Fatalf("Expected an error parsing longer than expected control line")
+				}
+			case false:
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("Should not have failed, got %v", err)
+				}
+			}
+		})
 	}
 }