diff --git a/lib/messages/commands/pong.js b/lib/messages/commands/pong.js
index d447daf..f5ff9d6 100644
--- a/lib/messages/commands/pong.js
+++ b/lib/messages/commands/pong.js
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ var Message = require('../message');
 var inherits = require('util').inherits;
 var bitcore = require('bitcore');
 var utils = require('../utils');
+var $ = bitcore.util.preconditions;
+var _ = bitcore.deps._;
+var BufferUtil = bitcore.util.buffer;
 var BufferReader = bitcore.encoding.BufferReader;
 
 /**
@@ -18,7 +21,14 @@ function PongMessage(arg, options) {
   Message.call(this, arg, options);
   this.command = 'pong';
   this.magicNumber = options.magicNumber;
+  $.checkArgument(
+    _.isUndefined(arg) || (BufferUtil.isBuffer(arg) && arg.length === 8),
+    'First argument is expected to be an 8 byte buffer'
+  );
   this.nonce = arg;
+  if (!this.nonce) {
+    this.nonce = utils.getNonce();
+  }
 }
 inherits(PongMessage, Message);
 
diff --git a/test/messages/commands/index.js b/test/messages/commands/index.js
index a9db1de..cbb276f 100644
--- a/test/messages/commands/index.js
+++ b/test/messages/commands/index.js
@@ -58,6 +58,28 @@ describe('Command Messages', function() {
 
   });
 
+  describe('Pong', function() {
+
+    it('should error if nonce is not a buffer', function() {
+      (function() {
+        var message = messages.Pong('not a buffer');
+      }).should.throw('First argument is expected to be an 8 byte buffer');
+    });
+
+    it('should error if nonce buffer has invalid length', function() {
+      (function() {
+        var message = messages.Pong(new Buffer(Array(9)));
+      }).should.throw('First argument is expected to be an 8 byte buffer');
+    });
+
+    it('should set a nonce if not included', function() {
+      var message = messages.Pong();
+      should.exist(message.nonce);
+      message.nonce.length.should.equal(8);
+    });
+
+  });
+
   describe('FilterLoad', function() {
 
     it('should return a null payload', function() {