diff --git a/src/message.js b/src/message.js
index f575f0168..52de88e17 100644
--- a/src/message.js
+++ b/src/message.js
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ export class Message {
     );
 
     if (symEncryptedPacketlist.length === 0) {
-      return this;
+      throw new Error('No encrypted data found');
     }
 
     const symEncryptedPacket = symEncryptedPacketlist[0];
diff --git a/test/general/openpgp.js b/test/general/openpgp.js
index 6fe34246c..d2fd51df5 100644
--- a/test/general/openpgp.js
+++ b/test/general/openpgp.js
@@ -3825,22 +3825,27 @@ amnR6g==
       });
     });
 
-    describe('Sign and verify with each curve', function() {
-      const curves = ['secp256k1' , 'p256', 'p384', 'p521', 'curve25519', 'brainpoolP256r1', 'brainpoolP384r1', 'brainpoolP512r1'];
-      curves.forEach(curve => {
-        it(`sign/verify with ${curve}`, async function() {
-          const config = { rejectCurves: new Set() };
-          const plaintext = 'short message';
-          const { privateKey: key } = await openpgp.generateKey({ curve, userIDs: { name: 'Alice', email: 'info@alice.com' }, format: 'object', config });
-          const signed = await openpgp.sign({ signingKeys:[key], message: await openpgp.createCleartextMessage({ text: plaintext }), config });
-          const verified = await openpgp.verify({ verificationKeys:[key], message: await openpgp.readCleartextMessage({ cleartextMessage: signed }), config });
-          expect(await verified.signatures[0].verified).to.be.true;
-        });
-      });
+    it('should fail to decrypt a message containing a literal packet (and no session key)', async function() {
+      const message = await openpgp.createMessage({ text: 'plaintext' });
+      await expect(openpgp.decrypt({ message, passwords: 'password' })).to.be.rejectedWith(/Error decrypting message/);
+    });
+
+    it('should fail to decrypt a message containing a literal packet (and a session key)', async function() {
+      const skeskPlusLiteralData = `-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----
+
+wy4ECQMIjvrInhvTxJwAbkqXp+KWFdBcjoPn03jCdyspVi9qXBDbyGaP1lrM
+habAyxd1AGKaNp1wbGFpbnRleHQgbWVzc2FnZQ==
+=XoUx
+-----END PGP MESSAGE-----
+      `;
 
-      it('should fail to decrypt non-integrity-protected message by default', async function() {
-        const key = await openpgp.readKey({
-          armoredKey: `-----BEGIN PGP PRIVATE KEY BLOCK-----
+      const message = await openpgp.readMessage({ armoredMessage: skeskPlusLiteralData });
+      await expect(openpgp.decrypt({ message, passwords: 'password' })).to.be.rejectedWith(/No encrypted data found/);
+    });
+
+    it('should fail to decrypt non-integrity-protected message by default', async function() {
+      const key = await openpgp.readKey({
+        armoredKey: `-----BEGIN PGP PRIVATE KEY BLOCK-----
 
 xVgEYD9r8xYJKwYBBAHaRw8BAQdApTaQJ6R/uooTqAuscoxYwbLrtoKndnsX
 ydhqMybJqh0AAQCxNwi9Pezy03OQE0XOooBWaHiuhBtKA1eAuqjJFuuLuQ/+
@@ -3855,9 +3860,9 @@ ESqhlK5rrbc62SmfAQDVf5l1B6IDASBCKtC0VPPpYiK6AUcEISpaSXOa+pNI
 Bw==
 =3Fja
 -----END PGP PRIVATE KEY BLOCK-----`
-        });
-        const message = await openpgp.readMessage({
-          armoredMessage: `-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----
+      });
+      const message = await openpgp.readMessage({
+        armoredMessage: `-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----
 
 wV4D+3VwOibHmagSAQdATlMJlvrkaq46zMkbIuKBOJO5X3ugVwZpEyAterQC
 /RUw0OPWeO+4swh/U7ZurV8cRr/fPnyGUUKI7rI+va3kWUZv4RRpUs7eYE57
@@ -3867,15 +3872,15 @@ rWwIiEQEBPt+tXOuVF4Peumovp3WgziudrJa5Jxt2Dz+8nicBglbZLXTsZNu
 bsZgJWVlAa5eil6J9ePX2xbo1vVAkLQdzE9+1jL+l7PRIZuVBQ==
 =T4iR
 -----END PGP MESSAGE-----`
-        });
-        await expect(
-          openpgp.decrypt({ message, decryptionKeys: key, verificationKeys: key })
-        ).to.be.rejectedWith('Error decrypting message: Message is not authenticated.');
       });
+      await expect(
+        openpgp.decrypt({ message, decryptionKeys: key, verificationKeys: key })
+      ).to.be.rejectedWith('Error decrypting message: Message is not authenticated.');
+    });
 
-      it('should allow decrypting non-integrity-protected message when enabled', async function() {
-        const key = await openpgp.readKey({
-          armoredKey: `-----BEGIN PGP PRIVATE KEY BLOCK-----
+    it('should allow decrypting non-integrity-protected message when enabled', async function() {
+      const key = await openpgp.readKey({
+        armoredKey: `-----BEGIN PGP PRIVATE KEY BLOCK-----
 
 xVgEYD9r8xYJKwYBBAHaRw8BAQdApTaQJ6R/uooTqAuscoxYwbLrtoKndnsX
 ydhqMybJqh0AAQCxNwi9Pezy03OQE0XOooBWaHiuhBtKA1eAuqjJFuuLuQ/+
@@ -3890,9 +3895,9 @@ ESqhlK5rrbc62SmfAQDVf5l1B6IDASBCKtC0VPPpYiK6AUcEISpaSXOa+pNI
 Bw==
 =3Fja
 -----END PGP PRIVATE KEY BLOCK-----`
-        });
-        const message = await openpgp.readMessage({
-          armoredMessage: `-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----
+      });
+      const message = await openpgp.readMessage({
+        armoredMessage: `-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----
 
 wV4D+3VwOibHmagSAQdATlMJlvrkaq46zMkbIuKBOJO5X3ugVwZpEyAterQC
 /RUw0OPWeO+4swh/U7ZurV8cRr/fPnyGUUKI7rI+va3kWUZv4RRpUs7eYE57
@@ -3902,14 +3907,14 @@ rWwIiEQEBPt+tXOuVF4Peumovp3WgziudrJa5Jxt2Dz+8nicBglbZLXTsZNu
 bsZgJWVlAa5eil6J9ePX2xbo1vVAkLQdzE9+1jL+l7PRIZuVBQ==
 =T4iR
 -----END PGP MESSAGE-----`
-        });
-        const decrypted = await openpgp.decrypt({ message, decryptionKeys: key, verificationKeys: key, config: { allowUnauthenticatedMessages: true } });
-        expect(decrypted.data).to.equal('test');
       });
+      const decrypted = await openpgp.decrypt({ message, decryptionKeys: key, verificationKeys: key, config: { allowUnauthenticatedMessages: true } });
+      expect(decrypted.data).to.equal('test');
+    });
 
-      it('should allow stream-decrypting non-integrity-protected message when enabled', async function() {
-        const key = await openpgp.readKey({
-          armoredKey: `-----BEGIN PGP PRIVATE KEY BLOCK-----
+    it('should allow stream-decrypting non-integrity-protected message when enabled', async function() {
+      const key = await openpgp.readKey({
+        armoredKey: `-----BEGIN PGP PRIVATE KEY BLOCK-----
 
 xVgEYD9r8xYJKwYBBAHaRw8BAQdApTaQJ6R/uooTqAuscoxYwbLrtoKndnsX
 ydhqMybJqh0AAQCxNwi9Pezy03OQE0XOooBWaHiuhBtKA1eAuqjJFuuLuQ/+
@@ -3924,9 +3929,9 @@ ESqhlK5rrbc62SmfAQDVf5l1B6IDASBCKtC0VPPpYiK6AUcEISpaSXOa+pNI
 Bw==
 =3Fja
 -----END PGP PRIVATE KEY BLOCK-----`
-        });
-        const message = await openpgp.readMessage({
-          armoredMessage: stream.toStream(`-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----
+      });
+      const message = await openpgp.readMessage({
+        armoredMessage: stream.toStream(`-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----
 
 wV4D+3VwOibHmagSAQdATlMJlvrkaq46zMkbIuKBOJO5X3ugVwZpEyAterQC
 /RUw0OPWeO+4swh/U7ZurV8cRr/fPnyGUUKI7rI+va3kWUZv4RRpUs7eYE57
@@ -3936,10 +3941,23 @@ rWwIiEQEBPt+tXOuVF4Peumovp3WgziudrJa5Jxt2Dz+8nicBglbZLXTsZNu
 bsZgJWVlAa5eil6J9ePX2xbo1vVAkLQdzE9+1jL+l7PRIZuVBQ==
 =T4iR
 -----END PGP MESSAGE-----`)
+      });
+      const decrypted = await openpgp.decrypt({ message, decryptionKeys: key, verificationKeys: key, config: { allowUnauthenticatedMessages: true } });
+      const data = await stream.readToEnd(decrypted.data);
+      expect(data).to.equal('test');
+    });
+
+    describe('Sign and verify with each curve', function() {
+      const curves = ['secp256k1' , 'p256', 'p384', 'p521', 'curve25519', 'brainpoolP256r1', 'brainpoolP384r1', 'brainpoolP512r1'];
+      curves.forEach(curve => {
+        it(`sign/verify with ${curve}`, async function() {
+          const config = { rejectCurves: new Set() };
+          const plaintext = 'short message';
+          const { privateKey: key } = await openpgp.generateKey({ curve, userIDs: { name: 'Alice', email: 'info@alice.com' }, format: 'object', config });
+          const signed = await openpgp.sign({ signingKeys:[key], message: await openpgp.createCleartextMessage({ text: plaintext }), config });
+          const verified = await openpgp.verify({ verificationKeys:[key], message: await openpgp.readCleartextMessage({ cleartextMessage: signed }), config });
+          expect(await verified.signatures[0].verified).to.be.true;
         });
-        const decrypted = await openpgp.decrypt({ message, decryptionKeys: key, verificationKeys: key, config: { allowUnauthenticatedMessages: true } });
-        const data = await stream.readToEnd(decrypted.data);
-        expect(data).to.equal('test');
       });
     });