diff --git a/daemon/mgmt/face-manager.cpp b/daemon/mgmt/face-manager.cpp
index c88329c..03e2f42 100644
--- a/daemon/mgmt/face-manager.cpp
+++ b/daemon/mgmt/face-manager.cpp
@@ -844,10 +844,18 @@
 {
   const Name& command = request.getName();
   const size_t commandNComps = command.size();
-  const Name::Component& verb = command.get(COMMAND_PREFIX.size());
 
-  UnsignedVerbDispatchTable::const_iterator unsignedVerbProcessor =
-    m_unsignedVerbDispatch.find(verb);
+  if (commandNComps <= COMMAND_PREFIX.size())
+    {
+      // command is too short to have a verb
+      NFD_LOG_DEBUG("command result: malformed");
+      sendResponse(command, 400, "Malformed command");
+      return;
+    }
+
+  const Name::Component& verb = command.at(COMMAND_PREFIX.size());
+
+  const auto unsignedVerbProcessor = m_unsignedVerbDispatch.find(verb);
   if (unsignedVerbProcessor != m_unsignedVerbDispatch.end())
     {
       NFD_LOG_DEBUG("command result: processing verb: " << verb);