diff --git a/core-buffer/src/UdpRecvModule.cpp b/core-buffer/src/UdpRecvModule.cpp
index 49a77fc..c0514af 100644
--- a/core-buffer/src/UdpRecvModule.cpp
+++ b/core-buffer/src/UdpRecvModule.cpp
@@ -87,6 +87,18 @@ void UdpRecvModule::receive_thread(
         metadata->n_recv_packets = 0;
 
         char* frame_buffer = ring_buffer_.reserve(metadata);
+        if (frame_buffer == nullptr) {
+            stringstream err_msg;
+
+            using namespace date;
+            using namespace chrono;
+            err_msg << "[" << system_clock::now() << "]";
+            err_msg << "[UdpRecvModule::receive_thread]";
+            err_msg << " Ring buffer is full.";
+            err_msg << endl;
+
+            throw runtime_error(err_msg.str());
+        }
 
         jungfrau_packet packet_buffer;
 
@@ -118,6 +130,18 @@ void UdpRecvModule::receive_thread(
                 metadata->n_recv_packets = 0;
 
                 frame_buffer = ring_buffer_.reserve(metadata);
+                if (frame_buffer == nullptr) {
+                    stringstream err_msg;
+
+                    using namespace date;
+                    using namespace chrono;
+                    err_msg << "[" << system_clock::now() << "]";
+                    err_msg << "[UdpRecvModule::receive_thread]";
+                    err_msg << " Ring buffer is full.";
+                    err_msg << endl;
+
+                    throw runtime_error(err_msg.str());
+                }
                 memset(frame_buffer, 0, JUNGFRAU_DATA_BYTES_PER_FRAME);
 
                 frame_metadata->frame_index = packet_buffer.framenum;
@@ -146,6 +170,18 @@ void UdpRecvModule::receive_thread(
                 metadata->n_recv_packets = 0;
 
                 frame_buffer = ring_buffer_.reserve(metadata);
+                if (frame_buffer == nullptr) {
+                    stringstream err_msg;
+
+                    using namespace date;
+                    using namespace chrono;
+                    err_msg << "[" << system_clock::now() << "]";
+                    err_msg << "[UdpRecvModule::receive_thread]";
+                    err_msg << " Ring buffer is full.";
+                    err_msg << endl;
+
+                    throw runtime_error(err_msg.str());
+                }
                 memset(frame_buffer, 0, JUNGFRAU_DATA_BYTES_PER_FRAME);
             }
         }
diff --git a/core-writer/src/RingBuffer.cpp b/core-writer/src/RingBuffer.cpp
index 0adae43..750cb54 100644
--- a/core-writer/src/RingBuffer.cpp
+++ b/core-writer/src/RingBuffer.cpp
@@ -132,17 +132,7 @@ char* RingBuffer<T>::reserve(shared_ptr<T> frame_metadata)
             buffer_used_slots_++;
 
         } else {
-            stringstream err_msg;
-
-            using namespace date;
-            using namespace chrono; 
-            err_msg << "[" << system_clock::now() << "]";
-            err_msg << "[RingBuffer::reserve]";
-            err_msg << " Ring buffer is full.";
-            err_msg << " Collision at write_index = " << write_index_;
-            err_msg << endl;
-
-            throw runtime_error(err_msg.str());
+            return nullptr;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/core-writer/src/module/ZmqRecvModule.cpp b/core-writer/src/module/ZmqRecvModule.cpp
index c1ab03d..c9f8c88 100644
--- a/core-writer/src/module/ZmqRecvModule.cpp
+++ b/core-writer/src/module/ZmqRecvModule.cpp
@@ -185,6 +185,19 @@ void ZmqRecvModule::receive_thread(const string& connect_address)
             }
 
             char* buffer = ring_buffer_.reserve(frame_metadata);
+            if (buffer == nullptr) {
+                stringstream err_msg;
+
+                using namespace date;
+                using namespace chrono;
+                err_msg << "[" << system_clock::now() << "]";
+                err_msg << "[UdpRecvModule::receive_thread]";
+                err_msg << " Ring buffer is full.";
+                err_msg << endl;
+
+                throw runtime_error(err_msg.str());
+            }
+
             memcpy(
                     buffer,
                     static_cast<const char*>(frame_data),