diff --git a/frontend/src/liboperator/operator/clients.go b/frontend/src/liboperator/operator/clients.go
index 66043b4ea5a..f5b687a3383 100644
--- a/frontend/src/liboperator/operator/clients.go
+++ b/frontend/src/liboperator/operator/clients.go
@@ -80,16 +80,17 @@ func (c *PolledClient) ToDevice(msg interface{}) error {
 func (c *PolledClient) GetMessages(start int, count int) []interface{} {
 	c.msgMtx.Lock()
 	defer c.msgMtx.Unlock()
-	if count < 0 {
-		count = len(c.messages) - start
+	if start < 0 {
+		start = 0
+	}
+	if start > len(c.messages) {
+		start = len(c.messages)
 	}
-	end := start + count
-	if end > len(c.messages) {
-		end = len(c.messages)
-		count = end - start
+	if count < 0 || count > len(c.messages)-start {
+		count = len(c.messages) - start
 	}
 	ret := make([]interface{}, count)
-	copy(ret, c.messages[start:end])
+	copy(ret, c.messages[start:start+count])
 	return ret
 }
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/liboperator/operator/clients_test.go b/frontend/src/liboperator/operator/clients_test.go
index 28da6eace81..748e5b25db8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/liboperator/operator/clients_test.go
+++ b/frontend/src/liboperator/operator/clients_test.go
@@ -78,6 +78,30 @@ func TestMessages(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestGetMessagesBounds(t *testing.T) {
+	ps := NewPolledSet()
+	c := ps.NewConnection(newDevice("d1", nil, 0, ""))
+	c.Send("msg1")
+	c.Send("msg2")
+	c.Send("msg3")
+
+	// Negative start is clamped to the beginning of the buffer.
+	if msgs := c.GetMessages(-1, -1); len(msgs) != 3 {
+		t.Errorf("negative start: got %d messages, want 3", len(msgs))
+	}
+	// start past the end of the buffer returns an empty slice.
+	if msgs := c.GetMessages(10, -1); len(msgs) != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("start past end: got %d messages, want 0", len(msgs))
+	}
+	if msgs := c.GetMessages(10, 2); len(msgs) != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("start past end with count: got %d messages, want 0", len(msgs))
+	}
+	// A count larger than the remaining messages is clamped.
+	if msgs := c.GetMessages(2, 100); len(msgs) != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("oversized count: got %d messages, want 1", len(msgs))
+	}
+}
+
 func TestDestroy(t *testing.T) {
 	ps := NewPolledSet()
 	c := ps.NewConnection(newDevice("d1", nil, 0, ""))