diff --git a/HISTORY.rst b/HISTORY.rst
index 755aba2..234b105 100644
--- a/HISTORY.rst
+++ b/HISTORY.rst
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ History
 * The pure Python reader now raises ``InvalidDatabaseError`` when a record map
   key is not a string, as the C extension does. Previously, it returned the
   non-string key or raised ``TypeError``.
+* The pure Python reader now raises ``InvalidDatabaseError`` for extended type
+  byte 0. Previously, it decoded the value as a map. The C extension still
+  decodes it as a map, because libmaxminddb does not check this byte.
 * An empty database file now raises ``InvalidDatabaseError`` in ``MODE_FILE``,
   as in ``MODE_MEMORY``. Previously, it raised ``OSError`` on platforms with
   ``os.pread``.
diff --git a/maxminddb/decoder.py b/maxminddb/decoder.py
index 575eebe..7b5e8ff 100644
--- a/maxminddb/decoder.py
+++ b/maxminddb/decoder.py
@@ -349,9 +349,15 @@ def _decode(  # noqa: C901, PLR0911, PLR0912
         new_offset = offset + 1
         ctrl_byte = self._buffer[offset]
         type_num = ctrl_byte >> 5
-        # Extended type
+        # Extended type. The next byte holds the type number minus 7.
         if not type_num:
-            (type_num, new_offset) = self._read_extended(new_offset)
+            if new_offset >= self._data_end:
+                raise InvalidDatabaseError(_BAD_DATA)
+            type_num = self._buffer[new_offset] + 7
+            new_offset += 1
+            if type_num == 7:
+                msg = "Invalid extended type byte (0)"
+                raise InvalidDatabaseError(msg)
 
         size = ctrl_byte & 0x1F
         # Sizes under 29 are stored in the ctrl byte, and a pointer's size bits
@@ -394,22 +400,11 @@ def _decode(  # noqa: C901, PLR0911, PLR0912
             case 15:
                 return self._decode_float(size, new_offset, budget)
             case _:
-                msg = f"Unexpected type number ({type_num}) encountered"
+                # Only an extended type byte can give a type number that is
+                # not handled above.
+                msg = f"Invalid extended type byte ({type_num - 7})"
                 raise InvalidDatabaseError(msg)
 
-    def _read_extended(self, offset: int) -> tuple[int, int]:
-        next_byte = self._buffer[offset]
-        type_num = next_byte + 7
-        if type_num < 7:
-            msg = (
-                "Something went horribly wrong in the decoder. An "
-                f"extended type resolved to a type number < 8 ({type_num})"
-            )
-            raise InvalidDatabaseError(
-                msg,
-            )
-        return type_num, offset + 1
-
     @staticmethod
     def _verify_size(expected: int, actual: int) -> None:
         if expected != actual:
diff --git a/tests/decoder_test.py b/tests/decoder_test.py
index c2820a3..c2ac04f 100644
--- a/tests/decoder_test.py
+++ b/tests/decoder_test.py
@@ -550,6 +550,31 @@ def test_oversized_int32_is_bounded(self) -> None:
         with self.assertRaises(InvalidDatabaseError):
             Decoder(oversized_int32, pointer_base=0).decode(0)
 
+    def test_invalid_extended_type_byte_is_rejected(self) -> None:
+        # Types below 8 use the type field of the ctrl byte, so extended type
+        # byte 0 (map) is invalid. Bytes 5 and 6 are types 12 and 13 (data
+        # cache container and end marker), which a record cannot hold. Bytes
+        # 9 to 255 are types 16 to 262, which are not defined. 0x00: extended
+        # type, size 0.
+        for type_byte in (0x00, 0x05, 0x06, 0x09, 0xFF):
+            with (
+                self.subTest(type_byte=type_byte),
+                self.assertRaisesRegex(
+                    InvalidDatabaseError, rf"extended type byte \({type_byte}\)"
+                ),
+            ):
+                Decoder(bytes([0x00, type_byte]), pointer_base=0).decode(0)
+
+    def test_extended_type_byte_past_data_end_is_rejected(self) -> None:
+        # The buffer continues past data_end, as the metadata follows the data
+        # section in a database. 0x04: array, 0x07: boolean.
+        for data in (b"\x00\x04", b"\x01\x07"):
+            with (
+                self.subTest(data=data.hex()),
+                self.assertRaisesRegex(InvalidDatabaseError, "bad data"),
+            ):
+                Decoder(data, pointer_base=0, data_end=1).decode(0)
+
     def test_truncated_data_raises_invalid_database_error(self) -> None:
         # A ctrl byte past the buffer end, a string header missing its size
         # bytes, a pointer missing its offset byte, and a map missing its key
diff --git a/tests/reader_test.py b/tests/reader_test.py
index b8c716e..1fb0ce9 100644
--- a/tests/reader_test.py
+++ b/tests/reader_test.py
@@ -1086,6 +1086,29 @@ def test_non_string_map_key_is_rejected(self) -> None:
                 ):
                     reader.get(self.ipf("1.1.1.1"))
 
+    def test_extended_type_byte_0(self) -> None:
+        # The pure Python reader rejects extended type byte 0. The bundled
+        # libmaxminddb does not check this byte, so the C extension decodes it
+        # as an empty map. If the bundled libmaxminddb starts to reject it,
+        # update HISTORY.rst too. A system libmaxminddb can already reject it.
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
+            path = pathlib.Path(directory) / "extended-type-byte-0.mmdb"
+            path.write_bytes(_database((17, 17), ip_version=4, data=b"\x00\x00"))
+            with open_database(str(path), self.mode) as reader:
+                if self.reader_class is maxminddb.reader.Reader:
+                    with self.assertRaisesRegex(
+                        InvalidDatabaseError, r"extended type byte \(0\)"
+                    ):
+                        reader.get(self.ipf("1.1.1.1"))
+                    return
+                try:
+                    record = reader.get(self.ipf("1.1.1.1"))
+                except InvalidDatabaseError:
+                    if not os.environ.get("MAXMINDDB_USE_SYSTEM_LIBMAXMINDDB"):
+                        raise
+                    return
+                self.assertEqual(record, {})
+
     def test_too_many_constructor_args(self) -> None:
         with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
             self.reader_class("README.md", self.mode, 1)  # type: ignore[arg-type,call-arg]