diff --git a/sdk/vaa/structs.go b/sdk/vaa/structs.go
index 23b0495e1..be2957145 100644
--- a/sdk/vaa/structs.go
+++ b/sdk/vaa/structs.go
@@ -368,13 +368,18 @@ func Unmarshal(data []byte) (*VAA, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read commitment: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	payload := make([]byte, InternalTruncatedPayloadSafetyLimit)
-	n, err := reader.Read(payload)
-	if err != nil || n == 0 {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read payload [%d]: %w", n, err)
-	}
+	// Make sure to only read the payload if the VAA has one; VAAs may have a 0 length payload
+	if reader.Len() != 0 {
+		payload := make([]byte, InternalTruncatedPayloadSafetyLimit)
+		n, err := reader.Read(payload)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read payload [%d]: %w", n, err)
+		}
 
-	v.Payload = payload[:n]
+		v.Payload = payload[:n]
+	} else {
+		v.Payload = []byte{}
+	}
 
 	return v, nil
 }
diff --git a/sdk/vaa/structs_test.go b/sdk/vaa/structs_test.go
index e7175e32c..e965cd89c 100644
--- a/sdk/vaa/structs_test.go
+++ b/sdk/vaa/structs_test.go
@@ -198,6 +198,24 @@ func getVaa() VAA {
 	}
 }
 
+func getEmptyPayloadVaa() VAA {
+	var payload = []byte{}
+	var governanceEmitter = Address{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 4}
+
+	return VAA{
+		Version:          uint8(1),
+		GuardianSetIndex: uint32(1),
+		Signatures:       []*Signature{},
+		Timestamp:        time.Unix(0, 0),
+		Nonce:            uint32(1),
+		Sequence:         uint64(1),
+		ConsistencyLevel: uint8(32),
+		EmitterChain:     ChainIDSolana,
+		EmitterAddress:   governanceEmitter,
+		Payload:          payload,
+	}
+}
+
 func TestAddSignature(t *testing.T) {
 	vaa := getVaa()
 
@@ -256,6 +274,14 @@ func TestUnmarshal(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, &vaa1, vaa2)
 }
 
+func TestUnmarshalNoPayload(t *testing.T) {
+	vaaBytes := []byte{0x1, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x1, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x1, 0x0, 0x1, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x4, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x1, 0x20}
+	vaa1 := getEmptyPayloadVaa()
+	vaa2, err := Unmarshal(vaaBytes)
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, &vaa1, vaa2)
+}
+
 func TestUnmarshalTooBig(t *testing.T) {
 	vaa := getVaa()