diff --git a/openpgp/packet/config.go b/openpgp/packet/config.go
index 6e8d25773..f9208158b 100644
--- a/openpgp/packet/config.go
+++ b/openpgp/packet/config.go
@@ -85,6 +85,15 @@ type Config struct {
 	// when producing a generic certification signature onto an existing user ID.
 	// The identity must be present in the signer Entity.
 	SigningIdentity string
+	// InsecureAllowUnauthenticatedMessages controls, whether it is tolerated to read
+	// encrypted messages without Modification Detection Code (MDC).
+	// MDC is mandated by the IETF OpenPGP Crypto Refresh draft and has long been implemented
+	// in most OpenPGP implementations. Messages without MDC are considered unnecessarily
+	// insecure and should be prevented whenever possible.
+	// In case one needs to deal with messages from very old OpenPGP implementations, there
+	// might be no other way than to tolerate the missing MDC. Setting this flag, allows this
+	// mode of operation. It should be considered a measure of last resort.
+	InsecureAllowUnauthenticatedMessages bool
 }
 
 func (c *Config) Random() io.Reader {
@@ -186,3 +195,10 @@ func (c *Config) SigningUserId() string {
 	}
 	return c.SigningIdentity
 }
+
+func (c *Config) AllowUnauthenticatedMessages() bool {
+	if c == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	return c.InsecureAllowUnauthenticatedMessages
+}
diff --git a/openpgp/packet/symmetrically_encrypted.go b/openpgp/packet/symmetrically_encrypted.go
index ad864e945..8b84de177 100644
--- a/openpgp/packet/symmetrically_encrypted.go
+++ b/openpgp/packet/symmetrically_encrypted.go
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@ func (se *SymmetricallyEncrypted) parse(r io.Reader) error {
 		if buf[0] != symmetricallyEncryptedVersion {
 			return errors.UnsupportedError("unknown SymmetricallyEncrypted version")
 		}
-	} else {
-		return errors.UnsupportedError("Symmetrically encrypted packets without MDC are not supported")
 	}
 	se.Contents = r
 	return nil
diff --git a/openpgp/read.go b/openpgp/read.go
index d8985c8e6..f9233f6d2 100644
--- a/openpgp/read.go
+++ b/openpgp/read.go
@@ -130,8 +130,14 @@ ParsePackets:
 					pubKeys = append(pubKeys, keyEnvelopePair{k, p})
 				}
 			}
-		case *packet.SymmetricallyEncrypted, *packet.AEADEncrypted:
-			edp = p.(packet.EncryptedDataPacket)
+		case *packet.SymmetricallyEncrypted:
+			if !p.MDC && !config.AllowUnauthenticatedMessages() {
+				return nil, errors.UnsupportedError("message is not authenticated")
+			}
+			edp = p
+			break ParsePackets
+		case *packet.AEADEncrypted:
+			edp = p
 			break ParsePackets
 		case *packet.Compressed, *packet.LiteralData, *packet.OnePassSignature:
 			// This message isn't encrypted.
diff --git a/openpgp/read_test.go b/openpgp/read_test.go
index 6fb35f2ca..664a939d8 100644
--- a/openpgp/read_test.go
+++ b/openpgp/read_test.go
@@ -716,3 +716,56 @@ func TestCorruptedMessageWrongLength(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Expected error '%s', but got error '%s'", expectedErr, err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestMessageWithoutMdc(t *testing.T) {
+	armored, err := os.Open("test_data/aead-ocb-asym-key.asc")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer armored.Close()
+
+	el, err := ReadArmoredKeyRing(armored)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	armoredMessageWithoutMdc, err := ioutil.ReadFile("test_data/sym-message-without-mdc.asc")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	t.Run("fails with InsecureAllowUnauthenticatedMessages disabled", func(t *testing.T) {
+		messageWithoutMdc, err := armor.Decode(bytes.NewReader(armoredMessageWithoutMdc))
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		_, err = ReadMessage(messageWithoutMdc.Body, el, nil, nil)
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Fatal("reading the message should have failed")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("succeeds with InsecureAllowUnauthenticatedMessages enabled", func(t *testing.T) {
+		messageWithoutMdc, err := armor.Decode(bytes.NewReader(armoredMessageWithoutMdc))
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		md, err := ReadMessage(messageWithoutMdc.Body, el, nil, &packet.Config{
+			InsecureAllowUnauthenticatedMessages: true,
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal("reading the message should have worked")
+		}
+
+		b, err := ioutil.ReadAll(md.UnverifiedBody)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal("reading the message should have worked")
+		}
+
+		if !bytes.Equal(b, []byte("message without mdc\n")) {
+			t.Error("unexpected message content")
+		}
+	})
+}
diff --git a/openpgp/test_data/sym-message-without-mdc.asc b/openpgp/test_data/sym-message-without-mdc.asc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e28fd5ce9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openpgp/test_data/sym-message-without-mdc.asc
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----
+
+hF4DaLVM+JXUh9ESAQdA7E42KKhtMn7vjYN+CIcoM4QMXODako4DQPYLwhYjHTow
+hBVmQWk+WyyDjqB2yZEJPVTDYSvebBynwCGN9AFR6u5dXjFqtNNX6EJEJBzLLL2+
+yUMNiMt8/ujn4y4GNaZEbFdf4+K/oQbz6fvQgNipWZGg2Ys0foHi50EzhTDyVG7s
+nwkVrIpSuhaZLoqzxbizw5o6YVMc
+=//7h
+-----END PGP MESSAGE-----