diff --git a/python/vasp/test/_vaspio/EIGENVAL.wrong b/python/vasp/test/_vaspio/EIGENVAL.wrong
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..04b5ed4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/vasp/test/_vaspio/EIGENVAL.wrong
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+    1    1    1    1
+  0.1333597E+02  0.2587511E-09  0.2587511E-09  0.2587511E-09  0.5000000E-15
+  1.000000000000000E-004
+  CAR 
+ V                                       
+   11    4    9
+ 
+  0.0000000E+00  0.0000000E+00  0.0000000E+00  0.3703704E-01
+   1      -31.099965
+   2      -31.099965
+   3      -31.099965
+   4       -0.813470
+   5        5.974027
+   6        5.974027
+   7        5.974027
+   8        7.986328
+   9        7.986328
+ 
+  0.3333333E+00  0.0000000E+00  0.0000000E+00  0.4444444E+00
+   1      -31.819277
+   2      -31.322999
+   3      -31.105684
+   4        2.193081
+   5        4.784864
+   6        5.839340
+   7        7.833446
+   8        8.202781
+   9        8.589551
+ 
+  0.3333333E+00  0.3333333E+00  0.0000000E+00  0.2962963E+00
+   1      -31.750021
+   2      -31.750021
+   3      -31.217560
+   4        3.978315
+   5        4.708263
+   6        4.708263
+   7        8.262522
+   8        8.262522
+   9       14.771374
+ 
+ -0.3333333E+00  0.3333333E+00  0.3333333E+00  0.2222222E+00
+   1      -31.719893
+   2      -31.577292
+   3      -31.577292
+   4        3.383714
+   5        3.756320
+   6        7.355029
+   7        7.355029
+   8        8.411511
+   9       11.054129
diff --git a/python/vasp/test/_vaspio/test_eigenval.py b/python/vasp/test/_vaspio/test_eigenval.py
index 6a55f548..d94047a2 100644
--- a/python/vasp/test/_vaspio/test_eigenval.py
+++ b/python/vasp/test/_vaspio/test_eigenval.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ class TestEigenval(mytest.MyTestCase):
 
     Scenarios:
     - correct EIGENVAL file
+    - wrong EIGENVAL file from old versions of VASP
 
     """
 # Scenario 1
@@ -48,3 +49,12 @@ class TestEigenval(mytest.MyTestCase):
         expected = _rpath + 'EIGENVAL.example.out'
         self.assertFileEqual(testout, expected)
 
+# Scenario 2
+    def test_bad_example(self):
+        filename = 'EIGENVAL.wrong'
+        eigenval = Eigenval()
+
+        err_mess = "EIGENVAL file is incorrect"
+        with self.assertRaisesRegexp(AssertionError, err_mess):
+            eigenval.from_file(vasp_dir=_rpath, eig_filename=filename)
+
diff --git a/python/vasp/vaspio.py b/python/vasp/vaspio.py
index efdfac75..4498cfef 100644
--- a/python/vasp/vaspio.py
+++ b/python/vasp/vaspio.py
@@ -445,6 +445,7 @@ class Eigenval:
             for ib in xrange(self.nband):
                 sline = f.next().split()
                 tmp = map(float, sline)
+                assert len(tmp) == 2 * self.ispin + 1, "EIGENVAL file is incorrect (probably from old versions of VASP)"
                 self.eigs[ik, ib, :] = tmp[1:self.ispin+1]
                 self.ferw[ik, ib, :] = tmp[self.ispin+1:]