diff --git a/src/NATS.Server/NatsClient.cs b/src/NATS.Server/NatsClient.cs
index 44cbc56..31b609a 100644
--- a/src/NATS.Server/NatsClient.cs
+++ b/src/NATS.Server/NatsClient.cs
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ public sealed class NatsClient : IDisposable
 
             case CommandType.Pub:
             case CommandType.HPub:
-                ProcessPub(cmd);
+                await ProcessPubAsync(cmd);
                 break;
         }
     }
@@ -220,11 +220,28 @@ public sealed class NatsClient : IDisposable
             sl.SubList.Remove(sub);
     }
 
-    private void ProcessPub(ParsedCommand cmd)
+    private async ValueTask ProcessPubAsync(ParsedCommand cmd)
     {
         Interlocked.Increment(ref InMsgs);
         Interlocked.Add(ref InBytes, cmd.Payload.Length);
 
+        // Max payload validation (always, hard close)
+        if (cmd.Payload.Length > _options.MaxPayload)
+        {
+            _logger.LogWarning("Client {ClientId} exceeded max payload: {Size} > {MaxPayload}",
+                Id, cmd.Payload.Length, _options.MaxPayload);
+            await SendErrAndCloseAsync(NatsProtocol.ErrMaxPayloadViolation);
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // Pedantic mode: validate publish subject
+        if (ClientOpts?.Pedantic == true && !SubjectMatch.IsValidPublishSubject(cmd.Subject!))
+        {
+            _logger.LogDebug("Client {ClientId} invalid publish subject: {Subject}", Id, cmd.Subject);
+            await SendErrAsync(NatsProtocol.ErrInvalidPublishSubject);
+            return;
+        }
+
         ReadOnlyMemory<byte> headers = default;
         ReadOnlyMemory<byte> payload = cmd.Payload;
 
diff --git a/src/NATS.Server/Protocol/NatsParser.cs b/src/NATS.Server/Protocol/NatsParser.cs
index 8497c61..2689ec0 100644
--- a/src/NATS.Server/Protocol/NatsParser.cs
+++ b/src/NATS.Server/Protocol/NatsParser.cs
@@ -203,10 +203,10 @@ public sealed class NatsParser
             throw new ProtocolViolationException("Invalid PUB arguments");
         }
 
-        if (size < 0 || size > _maxPayload)
+        if (size < 0)
             throw new ProtocolViolationException("Invalid payload size");
 
-        // Now read payload + \r\n
+        // Now read payload + \r\n (max payload enforcement is done at the client level)
         buffer = buffer.Slice(afterLine);
         _awaitingPayload = true;
         _expectedPayloadSize = size;
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ public sealed class NatsParser
             throw new ProtocolViolationException("Invalid HPUB arguments");
         }
 
-        if (hdrSize < 0 || totalSize < 0 || hdrSize > totalSize || totalSize > _maxPayload)
+        if (hdrSize < 0 || totalSize < 0 || hdrSize > totalSize)
             throw new ProtocolViolationException("Invalid HPUB sizes");
 
         buffer = buffer.Slice(afterLine);
diff --git a/src/NATS.Server/Subscriptions/SubList.cs b/src/NATS.Server/Subscriptions/SubList.cs
index 382689b..047bef2 100644
--- a/src/NATS.Server/Subscriptions/SubList.cs
+++ b/src/NATS.Server/Subscriptions/SubList.cs
@@ -15,8 +15,13 @@ public sealed class SubList : IDisposable
     private readonly TrieLevel _root = new();
     private Dictionary<string, SubListResult>? _cache = new(StringComparer.Ordinal);
     private uint _count;
+    private volatile bool _disposed;
 
-    public void Dispose() => _lock.Dispose();
+    public void Dispose()
+    {
+        _disposed = true;
+        _lock.Dispose();
+    }
 
     public uint Count
     {
@@ -95,6 +100,7 @@ public sealed class SubList : IDisposable
 
     public void Remove(Subscription sub)
     {
+        if (_disposed) return;
         _lock.EnterWriteLock();
         try
         {
diff --git a/tests/NATS.Server.Tests/ServerTests.cs b/tests/NATS.Server.Tests/ServerTests.cs
index e80bf7c..476e0c6 100644
--- a/tests/NATS.Server.Tests/ServerTests.cs
+++ b/tests/NATS.Server.Tests/ServerTests.cs
@@ -123,6 +123,94 @@ public class ServerTests : IAsyncLifetime
 
         msg.ShouldContain("MSG foo.bar 1 5\r\n");
     }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task Server_pedantic_rejects_invalid_publish_subject()
+    {
+        using var pub = await ConnectClientAsync();
+        using var sub = await ConnectClientAsync();
+
+        // Read INFO from both
+        await ReadLineAsync(pub);
+        await ReadLineAsync(sub);
+
+        // Connect with pedantic mode ON
+        await pub.SendAsync(Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(
+            "CONNECT {\"pedantic\":true}\r\nPING\r\n"));
+        var pong = await ReadUntilAsync(pub, "PONG");
+
+        // Subscribe on sub
+        await sub.SendAsync(Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes("CONNECT {}\r\nSUB foo.* 1\r\nPING\r\n"));
+        await ReadUntilAsync(sub, "PONG");
+
+        // PUB with wildcard subject (invalid for publish)
+        await pub.SendAsync(Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes("PUB foo.* 5\r\nHello\r\n"));
+
+        // Publisher should get -ERR
+        var errResponse = await ReadUntilAsync(pub, "-ERR", timeoutMs: 3000);
+        errResponse.ShouldContain("-ERR 'Invalid Publish Subject'");
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task Server_nonpedantic_allows_wildcard_publish_subject()
+    {
+        using var pub = await ConnectClientAsync();
+        using var sub = await ConnectClientAsync();
+
+        await ReadLineAsync(pub);
+        await ReadLineAsync(sub);
+
+        // Connect without pedantic mode (default)
+        await sub.SendAsync(Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes("CONNECT {}\r\nSUB foo.* 1\r\nPING\r\n"));
+        await ReadUntilAsync(sub, "PONG");
+
+        await pub.SendAsync(Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes("CONNECT {}\r\nPUB foo.* 5\r\nHello\r\n"));
+
+        // Sub should still receive the message (no validation in non-pedantic mode)
+        var msg = await ReadUntilAsync(sub, "Hello\r\n");
+        msg.ShouldContain("MSG foo.* 1 5\r\nHello\r\n");
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task Server_rejects_max_payload_violation()
+    {
+        // Create server with tiny max payload
+        var port = GetFreePort();
+        using var cts = new CancellationTokenSource();
+        var server = new NatsServer(new NatsOptions { Port = port, MaxPayload = 10 }, NullLoggerFactory.Instance);
+        _ = server.StartAsync(cts.Token);
+        await server.WaitForReadyAsync();
+
+        try
+        {
+            var client = new Socket(AddressFamily.InterNetwork, SocketType.Stream, ProtocolType.Tcp);
+            await client.ConnectAsync(IPAddress.Loopback, port);
+
+            var buf = new byte[4096];
+            await client.ReceiveAsync(buf, SocketFlags.None); // INFO
+
+            await client.SendAsync(Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes("CONNECT {}\r\n"));
+
+            // Send PUB with payload larger than MaxPayload (10 bytes)
+            await client.SendAsync(Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes("PUB foo 20\r\n12345678901234567890\r\n"));
+
+            using var readCts = new CancellationTokenSource(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
+            var n = await client.ReceiveAsync(buf, SocketFlags.None, readCts.Token);
+            var response = Encoding.ASCII.GetString(buf, 0, n);
+            response.ShouldContain("-ERR 'Maximum Payload Violation'");
+
+            // Connection should be closed
+            n = await client.ReceiveAsync(buf, SocketFlags.None, readCts.Token);
+            n.ShouldBe(0);
+
+            client.Dispose();
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            await cts.CancelAsync();
+            server.Dispose();
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 public class MaxConnectionsTests : IAsyncLifetime