diff --git a/poi/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/WriteAccessRecord.java b/poi/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/WriteAccessRecord.java
index 88f8affd2d..712693554c 100644
--- a/poi/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/WriteAccessRecord.java
+++ b/poi/src/main/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/WriteAccessRecord.java
@@ -108,10 +108,19 @@ public final class WriteAccessRecord extends StandardRecord {
             data = IOUtils.safelyAllocate(in.remaining(), STRING_SIZE);
             in.readFully(data);
             if (UTF16FLAG.isSet(is16BitFlag)) {
-                byteCnt = Math.min(nChars * 2, data.length);
+                // the spec only allows up to 109 bytes for the string in this record, but it seems some broken
+                // software out there will generate invalid records
+                int min = Math.min(nChars * 2, data.length);
+
+                // make sure byteCnt is divisible by 2 as we read UTF-16LE
+                byteCnt = min - (min % 2);
+
                 charset = StandardCharsets.UTF_16LE;
             } else {
+                // the spec only allows up to 109 bytes for the string in this record, but it seems some broken
+                // software out there will generate invalid records
                 byteCnt = Math.min(nChars, data.length);
+
                 charset = StandardCharsets.ISO_8859_1;
             }
         }
@@ -130,7 +139,8 @@ public final class WriteAccessRecord extends StandardRecord {
         boolean is16bit = StringUtil.hasMultibyte(username);
         int encodedByteCount = username.length() * (is16bit ? 2 : 1);
         if (encodedByteCount > STRING_SIZE) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Name is too long: " + username);
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Name is too long, expecting up to " + STRING_SIZE +
+                    " bytes, but had: " + encodedByteCount + " bytes: " + username);
         }
 
         field_1_username = username;
diff --git a/poi/src/test/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/TestWriteAccessRecord.java b/poi/src/test/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/TestWriteAccessRecord.java
index ee3cfec38b..8286f442c0 100644
--- a/poi/src/test/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/TestWriteAccessRecord.java
+++ b/poi/src/test/java/org/apache/poi/hssf/record/TestWriteAccessRecord.java
@@ -93,4 +93,47 @@ final class TestWriteAccessRecord {
 
         confirmRecordEncoding(WriteAccessRecord.sid, expectedEncoding, rec.serialize());
     }
+
+    @Test
+    void testUTF16LE() {
+        byte[] data = HexRead.readFromString(""
+                + "5c 00 70 00 1C 00 01 "
+                + "44 00 61 00 74 00 61 00 20 00 44 00 79 00 6e 00 "
+                + "61 00 6d 00 69 00 63 00 73 00 27 00 20 00 53 00 "
+                + "70 00 72 00 65 00 61 00 64 00 42 00 75 00 69 00 "
+                + "6c 00 64 00 65 00 72 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 "
+                + "20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 "
+                + "20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 "
+                + "20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 "
+                + "20 00 20 00 20 00"
+        );
+        RecordInputStream in = TestcaseRecordInputStream.create(data);
+
+        WriteAccessRecord rec = new WriteAccessRecord(in);
+
+        assertEquals("Data Dynamics' SpreadBuilder", rec.getUsername());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void testUTF16LE_wrong_size() {
+        // "0x51" on position 5 is an incorrect size, as it would require 162 bytes to encode as UTF-16LE
+        // the spec only allows up to 109 bytes for the string in this record, but it seems some broken
+        // software out there will generate such a file
+        byte[] data = HexRead.readFromString(""
+                + "5c 00 70 00 51 00 01 "
+                + "44 00 61 00 74 00 61 00 20 00 44 00 79 00 6e 00 "
+                + "61 00 6d 00 69 00 63 00 73 00 27 00 20 00 53 00 "
+                + "70 00 72 00 65 00 61 00 64 00 42 00 75 00 69 00 "
+                + "6c 00 64 00 65 00 72 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 "
+                + "20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 "
+                + "20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 "
+                + "20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 20 00 "
+                + "20 00 20 00 20 00"
+        );
+        RecordInputStream in = TestcaseRecordInputStream.create(data);
+
+        WriteAccessRecord rec = new WriteAccessRecord(in);
+
+        assertEquals("Data Dynamics' SpreadBuilder", rec.getUsername());
+    }
 }