diff --git a/swarm/storage/chunker.go b/swarm/storage/chunker.go
index 41c0c17c12..b4ede2dbf8 100644
--- a/swarm/storage/chunker.go
+++ b/swarm/storage/chunker.go
@@ -496,9 +496,14 @@ func (self *LazyChunkReader) join(b []byte, off int64, eoff int64, depth int, tr
 	start := off / treeSize
 	end := (eoff + treeSize - 1) / treeSize
 
+	// last non-leaf chunk can be shorter than default chunk size, let's not read it further then its end
+	currentBranches := int64(len(chunkData)-8) / self.hashSize
+	if end > currentBranches {
+		end = currentBranches
+	}
+
 	wg := &sync.WaitGroup{}
 	defer wg.Wait()
-
 	for i := start; i < end; i++ {
 		soff := i * treeSize
 		roff := soff
diff --git a/swarm/storage/chunker_test.go b/swarm/storage/chunker_test.go
index 5d9ea26a01..5dac669407 100644
--- a/swarm/storage/chunker_test.go
+++ b/swarm/storage/chunker_test.go
@@ -129,6 +129,21 @@ func testRandomData(usePyramid bool, hash string, n int, tester *chunkerTester)
 		}
 	}
 
+	// testing partial read
+	for i := 1; i < n; i += 10000 {
+		readableLength := n - i
+		output := make([]byte, readableLength)
+		r, err := reader.ReadAt(output, int64(i))
+		if r != readableLength || err != io.EOF {
+			tester.t.Fatalf("readAt error with offset %v read: %v  n = %v  err = %v\n", i, r, readableLength, err)
+		}
+		if input != nil {
+			if !bytes.Equal(output, input[i:]) {
+				tester.t.Fatalf("input and output mismatch\n IN: %v\nOUT: %v\n", input[i:], output)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	return key
 }