diff --git a/org.hl7.fhir.r5/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r5/elementmodel/ParserBase.java b/org.hl7.fhir.r5/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r5/elementmodel/ParserBase.java
index c3d2a3023..7a32ded0b 100644
--- a/org.hl7.fhir.r5/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r5/elementmodel/ParserBase.java
+++ b/org.hl7.fhir.r5/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r5/elementmodel/ParserBase.java
@@ -118,11 +118,13 @@ public abstract class ParserBase {
 
 	//FIXME: i18n should be done here
 	public void logError(int line, int col, String path, IssueType type, String message, IssueSeverity level) throws FHIRFormatError {
-	  if (policy == ValidationPolicy.EVERYTHING) {
-	    ValidationMessage msg = new ValidationMessage(Source.InstanceValidator, type, line, col, path, message, level);
-	    errors.add(msg);
-	  } else if (level == IssueSeverity.FATAL || (level == IssueSeverity.ERROR && policy == ValidationPolicy.QUICK))
-	    throw new FHIRFormatError(message+String.format(" at line %d col %d", line, col));
+	  if (errors != null) {
+	    if (policy == ValidationPolicy.EVERYTHING) {
+	      ValidationMessage msg = new ValidationMessage(Source.InstanceValidator, type, line, col, path, message, level);
+	      errors.add(msg);
+	    } else if (level == IssueSeverity.FATAL || (level == IssueSeverity.ERROR && policy == ValidationPolicy.QUICK))
+	      throw new FHIRFormatError(message+String.format(" at line %d col %d", line, col));
+	  }
 	}
 	
 	
diff --git a/org.hl7.fhir.r5/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r5/elementmodel/SHCParser.java b/org.hl7.fhir.r5/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r5/elementmodel/SHCParser.java
index dfdaf3b51..a7c89f4b0 100644
--- a/org.hl7.fhir.r5/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r5/elementmodel/SHCParser.java
+++ b/org.hl7.fhir.r5/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/r5/elementmodel/SHCParser.java
@@ -237,6 +237,7 @@ public class SHCParser extends ParserBase {
 
   private static final int BUFFER_SIZE = 1024;
   public static final String CURRENT_PACKAGE = "hl7.fhir.uv.shc-vaccination#0.6.2";
+  private static final int MAX_ALLOWED_SHC_LENGTH = 1195;
   
   // todo: deal with chunking
   public static String decodeQRCode(String src) {
@@ -253,10 +254,14 @@ public class SHCParser extends ParserBase {
     return b.toString();
   }
 
-  public static JWT decodeJWT(String jwt) throws IOException, DataFormatException {
+  public JWT decodeJWT(String jwt) throws IOException, DataFormatException {
     if (jwt.startsWith("shc:/")) {
       jwt = decodeQRCode(jwt);
     }
+    if (jwt.length() > MAX_ALLOWED_SHC_LENGTH) {
+      logError(-1, -1, "jwt", IssueType.TOOLONG, "JWT Payload limit length is "+MAX_ALLOWED_SHC_LENGTH+" bytes for a single image - this has "+jwt.length()+" bytes", IssueSeverity.ERROR);
+    }
+
     String[] parts = splitToken(jwt);
     byte[] headerJson;
     byte[] payloadJson;
diff --git a/org.hl7.fhir.validation/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/validation/ResourceChecker.java b/org.hl7.fhir.validation/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/validation/ResourceChecker.java
index ab0c772f4..0aa551594 100644
--- a/org.hl7.fhir.validation/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/validation/ResourceChecker.java
+++ b/org.hl7.fhir.validation/src/main/java/org/hl7/fhir/validation/ResourceChecker.java
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ public class ResourceChecker {
       String s = new String(cnt, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
       if (s.startsWith("shc:/")) 
         s = SHCParser.decodeQRCode(s);
-      JWT jwt = SHCParser.decodeJWT(s);
+      JWT jwt = new SHCParser(context).decodeJWT(s);
       return Manager.FhirFormat.SHC;
     } catch (Exception e) {
       if (debug) {