diff --git a/src/ssh/privkey.rs b/src/ssh/privkey.rs
index 27ff1b5..85a3d83 100644
--- a/src/ssh/privkey.rs
+++ b/src/ssh/privkey.rs
@@ -299,14 +299,15 @@ impl super::SSHCertificateSigner for PrivateKey {
 
                 // OpenSSH stores the scalar as an mpint, so it can be shorter
                 // than the curve size or have a leading zero byte. ring needs
-                // it to be exactly the curve size.
+                // it to be exactly the curve size. Like OpenSSH, reject
+                // scalars with half the curve's bits or fewer.
                 let start = key
                     .key
                     .iter()
                     .position(|&b| b != 0)
                     .unwrap_or(key.key.len());
                 let scalar = &key.key[start..];
-                if scalar.len() > scalar_len {
+                if scalar.len() <= scalar_len / 2 || scalar.len() > scalar_len {
                     return None;
                 }
                 let mut key = Zeroizing::new(vec![0; scalar_len]);
diff --git a/tests/keys/unencrypted/ecdsa_256_small_scalar b/tests/keys/unencrypted/ecdsa_256_small_scalar
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b799f71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/keys/unencrypted/ecdsa_256_small_scalar
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+-----BEGIN OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----
+b3BlbnNzaC1rZXktdjEAAAAABG5vbmUAAAAEbm9uZQAAAAAAAAABAAAAaAAAABNlY2RzYS
+1zaGEyLW5pc3RwMjU2AAAACG5pc3RwMjU2AAAAQQT6ox6CT4FDyusrDmje7nC9Rdxbmnj6
+B0HuIqanudCyL+YHi1pZjfi2W6PSiOcNtgSiXZAnnVhtESgtcE+L0Y8tAAAAkAAAAAcAAA
+AHAAAAE2VjZHNhLXNoYTItbmlzdHAyNTYAAAAIbmlzdHAyNTYAAABBBPqjHoJPgUPK6ysO
+aN7ucL1F3FuaePoHQe4ipqe50LIv5geLWlmN+LZbo9KI5w22BKJdkCedWG0RKC1wT4vRjy
+0AAAARAP////////////////////8AAAAAAQIDBAUGBw==
+-----END OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----
diff --git a/tests/signature-creation.rs b/tests/signature-creation.rs
index 119336b..7ffaf04 100644
--- a/tests/signature-creation.rs
+++ b/tests/signature-creation.rs
@@ -148,3 +148,15 @@ fn check_basic_creation_ecdsa_384_short_scalar_full_loop() {
 
     assert!(fl_vss.is_ok());
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn check_creation_ecdsa_256_small_scalar_fails() {
+    let private_key =
+        PrivateKey::from_string(include_str!("keys/unencrypted/ecdsa_256_small_scalar")).unwrap();
+
+    let message = include_bytes!("messages/Test").to_vec();
+
+    assert!(
+        VerifiedSshSignature::new_with_private_key(&message, "file", private_key, None).is_err()
+    );
+}