diff --git a/collector/filesystem_linux.go b/collector/filesystem_linux.go
index 65614a97..9cada1e9 100644
--- a/collector/filesystem_linux.go
+++ b/collector/filesystem_linux.go
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ package collector
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -139,11 +141,20 @@ func mountPointDetails() ([]filesystemLabels, error) {
 	}
 	defer file.Close()
 
-	filesystems := []filesystemLabels{}
-	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(file)
+	return parseFilesystemLabels(file)
+}
+
+func parseFilesystemLabels(r io.Reader) ([]filesystemLabels, error) {
+	var filesystems []filesystemLabels
+
+	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(r)
 	for scanner.Scan() {
 		parts := strings.Fields(scanner.Text())
 
+		if len(parts) < 4 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("malformed mount point information: %q", scanner.Text())
+		}
+
 		// Ensure we handle the translation of \040 and \011
 		// as per fstab(5).
 		parts[1] = strings.Replace(parts[1], "\\040", " ", -1)
@@ -156,5 +167,6 @@ func mountPointDetails() ([]filesystemLabels, error) {
 			options:    parts[3],
 		})
 	}
+
 	return filesystems, scanner.Err()
 }
diff --git a/collector/filesystem_linux_test.go b/collector/filesystem_linux_test.go
index 2b0a848b..17c2d165 100644
--- a/collector/filesystem_linux_test.go
+++ b/collector/filesystem_linux_test.go
@@ -16,11 +16,32 @@
 package collector
 
 import (
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	kingpin "gopkg.in/alecthomas/kingpin.v2"
 )
 
+func Test_parseFilesystemLabelsError(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		in   string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "too few fields",
+			in:   "hello world",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if _, err := parseFilesystemLabels(strings.NewReader(tt.in)); err == nil {
+				t.Fatal("expected an error, but none occurred")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestMountPointDetails(t *testing.T) {
 	if _, err := kingpin.CommandLine.Parse([]string{"--path.procfs", "./fixtures/proc"}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)