diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 7dc89d3..cfd3689 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "hatchling.build"
 
 [project]
 name = "meshcore"
-version = "2.2.16"
+version = "2.2.17"
 authors = [
   { name="Florent de Lamotte", email="florent@frizoncorrea.fr" },
   { name="Alex Wolden", email="awolden@gmail.com" },
diff --git a/src/meshcore/reader.py b/src/meshcore/reader.py
index b825f1c..b6b46ad 100644
--- a/src/meshcore/reader.py
+++ b/src/meshcore/reader.py
@@ -627,7 +627,7 @@ class MessageReader:
 
                 channel = None
                 for c in self.channels:
-                    if c["channel_hash"] == chan_hash : # validate against MAC
+                    if "channel_hash" in c and c["channel_hash"] == chan_hash : # validate against MAC
                         h = HMAC.new(c["channel_secret"], digestmod=SHA256)
                         h.update(msg)
                         if h.digest()[0:2] == cipher_mac: