diff --git a/lib/index.ts b/lib/index.ts
index 4319d2c..d858915 100644
--- a/lib/index.ts
+++ b/lib/index.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,18 @@ import debugModule from "debug"; // debug()
 
 const debug = debugModule("socket.io-parser"); // debug()
 
+/**
+ * These strings must not be used as event names, as they have a special meaning.
+ */
+const RESERVED_EVENTS = [
+  "connect", // used on the client side
+  "connect_error", // used on the client side
+  "disconnect", // used on both sides
+  "disconnecting", // used on the server side
+  "newListener", // used by the Node.js EventEmitter
+  "removeListener", // used by the Node.js EventEmitter
+];
+
 /**
  * Protocol version.
  *
@@ -277,7 +289,9 @@ export class Decoder extends Emitter<{}, {}, DecoderReservedEvents> {
       case PacketType.BINARY_EVENT:
         return (
           Array.isArray(payload) &&
-          (typeof payload[0] === "string" || typeof payload[0] === "number")
+          (typeof payload[0] === "number" ||
+            (typeof payload[0] === "string" &&
+              RESERVED_EVENTS.indexOf(payload[0]) === -1))
         );
       case PacketType.ACK:
       case PacketType.BINARY_ACK:
diff --git a/test/parser.js b/test/parser.js
index c78e675..915e746 100644
--- a/test/parser.js
+++ b/test/parser.js
@@ -121,6 +121,8 @@ describe("socket.io-parser", () => {
     isInvalidPayload('2[{"toString":"foo"}]');
     isInvalidPayload('2[true,"foo"]');
     isInvalidPayload('2[null,"bar"]');
+    isInvalidPayload('2["connect"]');
+    isInvalidPayload('2["disconnect","123"]');
 
     expect(() => new Decoder().add("999")).to.throwException(
       /^unknown packet type 9$/