diff --git a/field.go b/field.go
index dfc098237..341695816 100644
--- a/field.go
+++ b/field.go
@@ -316,18 +316,30 @@ func (f *Field) mergeRemoteAvailableShards(b *roaring.Bitmap) {
 
 // loadAvailableShards reads remoteAvailableShards data for the field, if any.
 func (f *Field) loadAvailableShards() error {
-	bm := roaring.NewBitmap()
 	// Read data from meta file.
 	path := filepath.Join(f.path, ".available.shards")
 	buf, err := ioutil.ReadFile(path)
+	// doesn't exist: this is fine
 	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
 		return nil
-	} else if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "reading available shards")
-	} else {
-		if err := bm.UnmarshalBinary(buf); err != nil {
-			return errors.Wrap(err, "unmarshaling")
+	}
+	// some other problem:
+	if err != nil {
+		f.logger.Printf("available shards file present but unreadable, discarding: %v", err)
+		err = os.Remove(path)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "deleting corrupt available shards list")
 		}
+		return nil
+	}
+	bm := roaring.NewBitmap()
+	if err = bm.UnmarshalBinary(buf); err != nil {
+		f.logger.Printf("available shards file corrupt, discarding: %v", err)
+		err = os.Remove(path)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "deleting corrupt available shards list")
+		}
+		return nil
 	}
 	// Merge bitmap from file into field.
 	f.mergeRemoteAvailableShards(bm)
diff --git a/field_internal_test.go b/field_internal_test.go
index 3fe3dc83f..41cb5832b 100644
--- a/field_internal_test.go
+++ b/field_internal_test.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"math"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -366,6 +367,62 @@ func TestField_PersistAvailableShards(t *testing.T) {
 
 }
 
+func TestField_CorruptAvailableShards(t *testing.T) {
+	f := MustOpenField(OptFieldTypeDefault())
+
+	// bm represents remote available shards.
+	bm := roaring.NewBitmap(1, 2, 3)
+
+	if err := f.AddRemoteAvailableShards(bm); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	path := filepath.Join(f.path, ".available.shards")
+
+	avail, err := os.OpenFile(path, os.O_APPEND|os.O_WRONLY, 0644)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	n, err := avail.Write([]byte{23})
+	if err != nil || n != 1 {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	avail.Close()
+
+	// Reload field and verify that shard data is persisted.
+	if err := f.Reopen(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	} else if !reflect.DeepEqual(f.remoteAvailableShards.Slice(), []uint64(nil)) {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected available shards (reopen). expected: %#v, but got: %#v", []uint64{}, f.remoteAvailableShards.Slice())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestField_TruncatedAvailableShards(t *testing.T) {
+	f := MustOpenField(OptFieldTypeDefault())
+
+	// bm represents remote available shards.
+	bm := roaring.NewBitmap(1, 2, 3)
+
+	if err := f.AddRemoteAvailableShards(bm); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	path := filepath.Join(f.path, ".available.shards")
+
+	avail, err := os.OpenFile(path, os.O_TRUNC|os.O_WRONLY, 0644)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	avail.Close()
+
+	// Reload field and verify that shard data is persisted.
+	if err := f.Reopen(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	} else if !reflect.DeepEqual(f.remoteAvailableShards.Slice(), []uint64(nil)) {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected available shards (reopen). expected: %#v, but got: %#v", []uint64{}, f.remoteAvailableShards.Slice())
+	}
+}
+
 // Ensure that persisting available shards having a smaller footprint (for example,
 // when going from a bitmap to a smaller, RLE representation) succeeds.
 func TestField_PersistAvailableShardsFootprint(t *testing.T) {