diff --git a/src/local-peers.js b/src/local-peers.js
index 5cfd1edb0..ebd0309c4 100644
--- a/src/local-peers.js
+++ b/src/local-peers.js
@@ -152,6 +152,15 @@ class Peer {
     this.#connected.reject(new PeerFailedConnectionError())
     this.#log('disconnected')
   }
+  /**
+   * Exposed for tests.
+   * @param {Buffer} buf
+   */
+  __sendRawInvite(buf) {
+    this.#assertConnected()
+    const messageType = MESSAGE_TYPES.Invite
+    this.#channel.messages[messageType].send(buf)
+  }
   /** @param {Invite} invite */
   sendInvite(invite) {
     this.#assertConnected()
@@ -213,6 +222,7 @@ class Peer {
  * @property {(peerId: string, inviteResponse: InviteResponse) => void} invite-response Emitted when an invite response is received
  * @property {(peerId: string, details: ProjectJoinDetails) => void} got-project-details Emitted when project details are received
  * @property {(discoveryKey: Buffer, protomux: Protomux<import('@hyperswarm/secret-stream')>) => void} discovery-key Emitted when a new hypercore is replicated (by a peer) to a peer protomux instance (passed as the second parameter)
+ * @property {(messageType: string, errorMessage?: string) => void} failed-to-handle-message Emitted when we received a message we couldn't handle for some reason. Primarily useful for testing
  */
 
 /** @extends {TypedEmitter<LocalPeersEvents>} */
@@ -301,6 +311,17 @@ export class LocalPeers extends TypedEmitter {
     peer.sendDeviceInfo(deviceInfo)
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Used for tests.
+   * @param {string} deviceId
+   * @param {Buffer} buf
+   */
+  async __sendRawInvite(deviceId, buf) {
+    await this.#waitForPendingConnections()
+    const peer = await this.#getPeerByDeviceId(deviceId)
+    peer.__sendRawInvite(buf)
+  }
+
   /**
    * Connect to a peer over an existing NoiseSecretStream
    *
@@ -391,7 +412,9 @@ export class LocalPeers extends TypedEmitter {
               message
             )
           } catch (err) {
-            this.#l.log(`Error handling ${type} message: ${String(err)}`)
+            const errorMessage = String(err)
+            this.emit('failed-to-handle-message', type, errorMessage)
+            this.#l.log(`Error handling ${type} message: ${errorMessage}`)
           }
         },
       }
diff --git a/tests/local-peers.js b/tests/local-peers.js
index fed5bb1c2..8c9fc59da 100644
--- a/tests/local-peers.js
+++ b/tests/local-peers.js
@@ -151,6 +151,28 @@ test('messages to unknown peers', async (t) => {
   )
 })
 
+test('handles invalid invites', async (t) => {
+  t.plan(1)
+
+  const r1 = new LocalPeers()
+  const r2 = new LocalPeers()
+
+  r1.once('peers', async ([peer]) => {
+    await r1.__sendRawInvite(peer.deviceId, Buffer.from([1, 2, 3]))
+  })
+
+  r2.on('invite', () => {
+    t.fail('should not receive invite')
+  })
+
+  r2.once('failed-to-handle-message', (messageType) => {
+    t.is(messageType, 'Invite')
+  })
+
+  const destroy = replicate(r1, r2)
+  t.teardown(destroy)
+})
+
 test('Disconnected peer shows in state', async (t) => {
   t.plan(6)
   const r1 = new LocalPeers()