diff --git a/include/fmt/std.h b/include/fmt/std.h
index ed169de5..1c43e007 100644
--- a/include/fmt/std.h
+++ b/include/fmt/std.h
@@ -549,9 +549,10 @@ template <> struct formatter<std::error_code> {
     if (it == end) return it;
 
     it = detail::parse_align(it, end, specs_);
+    if (it == end) return it;
 
     char c = *it;
-    if (it != end && ((c >= '1' && c <= '9') || c == '{'))
+    if ((c >= '1' && c <= '9') || c == '{')
       it = detail::parse_width(it, end, specs_, width_ref_, ctx);
 
     if (it != end && *it == '?') {
diff --git a/test/std-test.cc b/test/std-test.cc
index 9cb02dcd..eaf238b4 100644
--- a/test/std-test.cc
+++ b/test/std-test.cc
@@ -349,6 +349,16 @@ TEST(std_test, error_code) {
             "{\"generic:42\": 0}");
 }
 
+TEST(std_test, error_code_truncated_alignment) {
+  // No null terminator: reading past the format string must be detectable.
+  const char format[] = {'{', ':', '>'};
+  auto ec = std::error_code(42, std::generic_category());
+  EXPECT_THROW(
+      (void)fmt::vformat(fmt::string_view(format, sizeof(format)),
+                         fmt::make_format_args(ec)),
+      fmt::format_error);
+}
+
 template <typename Catch> void exception_test() {
   try {
     throw std::runtime_error("Test Exception");