diff --git a/src/auth/digest/Config.cc b/src/auth/digest/Config.cc
index 1008ca6..274a20c 100644
--- a/src/auth/digest/Config.cc
+++ b/src/auth/digest/Config.cc
@@ -839,11 +839,15 @@ Auth::Digest::Config::decode(char const *proxy_auth, const char *aRequestRealm)
             break;
 
         case DIGEST_NC:
-            if (value.size() != 8) {
+            if (value.size() == 8) {
+                // for historical reasons, the nc value MUST be exactly 8 bytes
+                static_assert(sizeof(digest_request->nc) == 8 + 1, "bad nc buffer size");
+                xstrncpy(digest_request->nc, value.rawBuf(), value.size() + 1);
+                debugs(29, 9, "Found noncecount '" << digest_request->nc << "'");
+            } else {
                 debugs(29, 9, "Invalid nc '" << value << "' in '" << temp << "'");
+                digest_request->nc[0] = 0;
             }
-            xstrncpy(digest_request->nc, value.rawBuf(), value.size() + 1);
-            debugs(29, 9, "Found noncecount '" << digest_request->nc << "'");
             break;
 
         case DIGEST_CNONCE: