diff --git a/src/mcserial/_utils.py b/src/mcserial/_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a08094
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mcserial/_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+"""Shared utility functions for file transfer protocols.
+
+These functions provide security and robustness for file receive operations.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+def sanitize_filename(filename: str) -> str:
+    """Remove path traversal attempts and dangerous characters from filename.
+
+    Security: Prevents directory traversal attacks where malicious senders
+    could write files outside the target directory using names like
+    '../../../etc/passwd' or absolute paths like '/etc/cron.d/backdoor'.
+
+    Args:
+        filename: Raw filename from remote sender (untrusted input)
+
+    Returns:
+        Safe filename with path components and dangerous characters removed
+    """
+    # Get just the basename, removing any directory components
+    name = Path(filename).name
+
+    # Reject empty names
+    if not name:
+        name = "unnamed_file"
+
+    # Prefix hidden files (starting with dot) to make them visible
+    if name.startswith("."):
+        name = "_" + name[1:]
+
+    # Replace any remaining problematic characters
+    name = name.replace("\x00", "_").replace("/", "_").replace("\\", "_")
+
+    return name
+
+
+def open_file_atomic(filepath: Path, overwrite: bool) -> tuple[object, str | None]:
+    """Open file for writing with atomic creation to prevent TOCTOU races.
+
+    Uses O_CREAT | O_EXCL to atomically fail if file exists (when overwrite=False),
+    preventing race conditions between existence check and file creation.
+
+    Args:
+        filepath: Path to the file to create/open
+        overwrite: If True, overwrite existing files. If False, fail if exists.
+
+    Returns:
+        Tuple of (file_object, None) on success, or (None, error_message) on failure
+    """
+    if overwrite:
+        # Overwrite mode: just open normally
+        return open(filepath, "wb"), None
+
+    try:
+        # Atomic create: fails if file exists (O_EXCL)
+        fd = os.open(filepath, os.O_WRONLY | os.O_CREAT | os.O_EXCL, 0o644)
+        return os.fdopen(fd, "wb"), None
+    except FileExistsError:
+        return None, "File exists"
+    except OSError as e:
+        return None, str(e)
diff --git a/src/mcserial/server.py b/src/mcserial/server.py
index 4c65c5b..1db3a12 100644
--- a/src/mcserial/server.py
+++ b/src/mcserial/server.py
@@ -1672,8 +1672,12 @@ def file_transfer_send(
         else:
             return {"error": f"Unknown protocol: {protocol}", "success": False}
 
-    except Exception as e:
-        return {"error": str(e), "success": False, "protocol": protocol}
+    except serial.SerialException as e:
+        return {"error": f"Serial error: {e}", "success": False, "protocol": protocol}
+    except OSError as e:
+        return {"error": f"File error: {e}", "success": False, "protocol": protocol}
+    except (ValueError, OverflowError) as e:
+        return {"error": f"Protocol error: {e}", "success": False, "protocol": protocol}
 
 
 @mcp.tool()
@@ -1759,8 +1763,12 @@ def file_transfer_receive(
         else:
             return {"error": f"Unknown protocol: {protocol}", "success": False}
 
-    except Exception as e:
-        return {"error": str(e), "success": False, "protocol": protocol}
+    except serial.SerialException as e:
+        return {"error": f"Serial error: {e}", "success": False, "protocol": protocol}
+    except OSError as e:
+        return {"error": f"File error: {e}", "success": False, "protocol": protocol}
+    except (ValueError, OverflowError) as e:
+        return {"error": f"Protocol error: {e}", "success": False, "protocol": protocol}
 
 
 @mcp.tool()
@@ -1818,8 +1826,12 @@ def file_transfer_send_batch(
         result["protocol"] = protocol
         return result
 
-    except Exception as e:
-        return {"error": str(e), "success": False, "protocol": protocol}
+    except serial.SerialException as e:
+        return {"error": f"Serial error: {e}", "success": False, "protocol": protocol}
+    except OSError as e:
+        return {"error": f"File error: {e}", "success": False, "protocol": protocol}
+    except (ValueError, OverflowError) as e:
+        return {"error": f"Protocol error: {e}", "success": False, "protocol": protocol}
 
 
 # ============================================================================
diff --git a/src/mcserial/xmodem.py b/src/mcserial/xmodem.py
index d58e300..71a2ad3 100644
--- a/src/mcserial/xmodem.py
+++ b/src/mcserial/xmodem.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ DEFAULT_RETRY_LIMIT = 16  # Max retries per block
 DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 60.0  # Total transfer timeout in seconds
 READ_TIMEOUT_RETRIES = 30  # Retries when waiting for response byte
 INIT_TIMEOUT_RETRIES = 10  # Retries when waiting for transfer initiation
+DEFAULT_MAX_TRANSFER_SIZE = 100 * 1024 * 1024  # 100MB default limit
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -134,6 +135,11 @@ class XModem:
         Returns:
             True if verification passes, False otherwise
         """
+        # Validate check_bytes length before accessing indices
+        expected_len = 2 if self.use_crc else 1
+        if len(check_bytes) < expected_len:
+            return False
+
         if self.use_crc:
             expected = _calc_crc16(data)
             received = (check_bytes[0] << 8) | check_bytes[1]
@@ -256,14 +262,22 @@ class XModem:
         callback: Callable[[int], None] | None = None,
         retry_limit: int = DEFAULT_RETRY_LIMIT,
         timeout: float = DEFAULT_TIMEOUT,
+        max_transfer_size: int = DEFAULT_MAX_TRANSFER_SIZE,
     ) -> dict:
         """Receive a file via XMODEM.
 
+        Note: XMODEM has no file metadata, so the exact file size is unknown.
+        Blocks are padded with SUB (0x1A) characters. For binary files, you may
+        need to know the expected size and truncate accordingly. For text files,
+        trailing 0x1A bytes are traditionally stripped by the receiver.
+
         Args:
             stream: File-like object to write to
             callback: Progress callback(bytes_received)
             retry_limit: Max retries per block
             timeout: Total timeout in seconds (enforced across entire transfer)
+            max_transfer_size: Maximum bytes to receive (default 100MB).
+                               Set to 0 to disable limit. Prevents disk exhaustion.
 
         Returns:
             Dict with transfer statistics
@@ -358,7 +372,22 @@ class XModem:
             if block_num == expected_block:
                 stream.write(data)
                 bytes_received += len(data)
+                # Block numbers wrap at 256 (8-bit counter)
                 expected_block = (expected_block + 1) & 0xFF
+
+                # Check transfer size limit to prevent disk exhaustion
+                if max_transfer_size > 0 and bytes_received > max_transfer_size:
+                    logger.warning(
+                        f"Transfer aborted: exceeded {max_transfer_size} byte limit "
+                        f"(received {bytes_received} bytes)"
+                    )
+                    self.write(bytes([CAN, CAN]))
+                    return {
+                        "success": False,
+                        "error": f"Transfer size exceeded {max_transfer_size} byte limit",
+                        "bytes_received": bytes_received,
+                    }
+
                 if callback:
                     callback(bytes_received)
             elif block_num == (expected_block - 1) & 0xFF:
diff --git a/src/mcserial/ymodem.py b/src/mcserial/ymodem.py
index 78d007b..39269f3 100644
--- a/src/mcserial/ymodem.py
+++ b/src/mcserial/ymodem.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import time
 from collections.abc import Callable
 from pathlib import Path
 
+from mcserial._utils import open_file_atomic, sanitize_filename
 from mcserial.xmodem import (
     ACK,
     CAN,
@@ -37,55 +38,10 @@ from mcserial.xmodem import (
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-# Transfer limits
+# Transfer limits and defaults
 DEFAULT_MAX_TRANSFER_SIZE = 100 * 1024 * 1024  # 100MB default limit per file
-
-
-def _sanitize_filename(filename: str) -> str:
-    """Remove path traversal attempts and dangerous characters from filename.
-
-    Security: Prevents directory traversal attacks where malicious senders
-    could write files outside the target directory using names like
-    '../../../etc/passwd' or absolute paths like '/etc/cron.d/backdoor'.
-    """
-    # Get just the basename, removing any directory components
-    name = Path(filename).name
-
-    # Reject empty names
-    if not name:
-        name = "unnamed_file"
-
-    # Prefix hidden files (starting with dot) to make them visible
-    if name.startswith("."):
-        name = "_" + name[1:]
-
-    # Replace any remaining problematic characters
-    name = name.replace("\x00", "_").replace("/", "_").replace("\\", "_")
-
-    return name
-
-
-def _open_file_atomic(filepath: Path, overwrite: bool) -> tuple:
-    """Open file for writing with atomic creation to prevent TOCTOU races.
-
-    Uses O_CREAT | O_EXCL to atomically fail if file exists (when overwrite=False),
-    preventing race conditions between existence check and file creation.
-
-    Returns:
-        Tuple of (file_object, None) on success, or (None, error_message) on failure
-    """
-    if overwrite:
-        # Overwrite mode: just open normally
-        return open(filepath, "wb"), None
-
-    try:
-        # Atomic create: fails if file exists (O_EXCL)
-        fd = os.open(filepath, os.O_WRONLY | os.O_CREAT | os.O_EXCL, 0o644)
-        return os.fdopen(fd, "wb"), None
-    except FileExistsError:
-        return None, "File exists"
-    except OSError as e:
-        return None, str(e)
+DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 60.0  # Total transfer timeout in seconds
+DEFAULT_RETRY_LIMIT = 16  # Max retries per block
 
 
 class YModemError(XModemError):
@@ -167,6 +123,12 @@ class YModem:
             rest = [x for x in rest if x and x != b"\x00"]
 
             filesize = int(rest[0]) if rest else 0
+            # Clamp filesize to reasonable bounds (prevent memory issues from malicious values)
+            if filesize < 0:
+                filesize = 0
+            elif filesize > 10 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024:  # 10GB sanity limit
+                logger.warning(f"Filesize {filesize} exceeds 10GB limit, clamping")
+                filesize = 10 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024
             mtime = int(rest[1], 8) if len(rest) > 1 else None
 
             return {
@@ -181,7 +143,8 @@ class YModem:
         self,
         files: list[str | Path],
         callback: Callable[[str, int, int], None] | None = None,
-        retry_limit: int = 16,
+        retry_limit: int = DEFAULT_RETRY_LIMIT,
+        timeout: float = DEFAULT_TIMEOUT,
     ) -> dict:
         """Send files via YMODEM batch transfer.
 
@@ -189,10 +152,12 @@ class YModem:
             files: List of file paths to send
             callback: Progress callback(filename, bytes_sent, total_bytes)
             retry_limit: Max retries per block
+            timeout: Total timeout in seconds (enforced across entire transfer)
 
         Returns:
             Dict with transfer statistics
         """
+        start_time = time.monotonic()
         results = []
         total_bytes = 0
         total_errors = 0
@@ -209,6 +174,8 @@ class YModem:
             # Wait for receiver 'C'
             logger.debug(f"Waiting for receiver to initiate {filepath.name}...")
             for _ in range(retry_limit * 10):
+                if time.monotonic() - start_time > timeout:
+                    return {"success": False, "error": f"Timeout ({timeout}s) waiting for receiver", "files": results}
                 b = self._read_byte(timeout_retries=3)
                 if b == CRC_MODE:
                     break
@@ -320,9 +287,10 @@ class YModem:
         self,
         directory: str | Path,
         callback: Callable[[str, int, int], None] | None = None,
-        retry_limit: int = 16,
+        retry_limit: int = DEFAULT_RETRY_LIMIT,
         overwrite: bool = False,
         max_transfer_size: int = DEFAULT_MAX_TRANSFER_SIZE,
+        timeout: float = DEFAULT_TIMEOUT,
     ) -> dict:
         """Receive files via YMODEM batch transfer.
 
@@ -333,10 +301,12 @@ class YModem:
             overwrite: Overwrite existing files
             max_transfer_size: Maximum bytes to receive per file (default 100MB).
                                Set to 0 to disable limit. Prevents unbounded memory usage.
+            timeout: Total timeout in seconds (enforced across entire transfer)
 
         Returns:
             Dict with transfer statistics
         """
+        start_time = time.monotonic()
         directory = Path(directory)
         directory.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
 
@@ -345,9 +315,15 @@ class YModem:
         total_errors = 0
 
         while True:
+            # Check timeout
+            if time.monotonic() - start_time > timeout:
+                return {"success": False, "error": f"Timeout ({timeout}s)", "files": results}
+
             # Initiate with 'C' for CRC mode
             logger.debug("Initiating YMODEM receive...")
             for _attempt in range(retry_limit):
+                if time.monotonic() - start_time > timeout:
+                    return {"success": False, "error": f"Timeout ({timeout}s)", "files": results}
                 self.write(bytes([CRC_MODE]))
                 header = self._read_byte(timeout_retries=30)
                 if header in (SOH, STX):
@@ -391,14 +367,14 @@ class YModem:
             logger.debug(f"Receiving: {filename} ({filesize} bytes)")
 
             # Security: sanitize filename to prevent path traversal attacks
-            safe_filename = _sanitize_filename(filename)
+            safe_filename = sanitize_filename(filename)
             if safe_filename != filename:
                 logger.warning(f"Sanitized filename: {filename!r} -> {safe_filename!r}")
 
             filepath = directory / safe_filename
 
             # Atomic file creation to prevent TOCTOU race conditions
-            f, file_error = _open_file_atomic(filepath, overwrite)
+            f, file_error = open_file_atomic(filepath, overwrite)
             if file_error:
                 results.append({"file": filename, "error": file_error})
                 self.write(bytes([CAN, CAN]))
diff --git a/src/mcserial/zmodem.py b/src/mcserial/zmodem.py
index 124fc03..1a72326 100644
--- a/src/mcserial/zmodem.py
+++ b/src/mcserial/zmodem.py
@@ -23,51 +23,19 @@ import time
 from collections.abc import Callable
 from pathlib import Path
 
+from mcserial._utils import open_file_atomic, sanitize_filename
+
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-def _sanitize_filename(filename: str) -> str:
-    """Remove path traversal attempts and dangerous characters from filename.
-
-    Security: Prevents directory traversal attacks where malicious senders
-    could write files outside the target directory.
-    """
-    name = Path(filename).name
-    if not name:
-        name = "unnamed_file"
-    if name.startswith("."):
-        name = "_" + name[1:]
-    name = name.replace("\x00", "_").replace("/", "_").replace("\\", "_")
-    return name
-
-
-def _open_file_atomic(filepath: Path, overwrite: bool) -> tuple:
-    """Open file for writing with atomic creation to prevent TOCTOU races.
-
-    Uses O_CREAT | O_EXCL to atomically fail if file exists (when overwrite=False),
-    preventing race conditions between existence check and file creation.
-
-    Returns:
-        Tuple of (file_object, None) on success, or (None, error_message) on failure
-    """
-    if overwrite:
-        return open(filepath, "wb"), None
-
-    try:
-        fd = os.open(filepath, os.O_WRONLY | os.O_CREAT | os.O_EXCL, 0o644)
-        return os.fdopen(fd, "wb"), None
-    except FileExistsError:
-        return None, "File exists"
-    except OSError as e:
-        return None, str(e)
-
-
 # Protocol constants
 ZPAD = 0x2A    # '*' - Padding character
 
 # Transfer limits
 DEFAULT_MAX_TRANSFER_SIZE = 100 * 1024 * 1024  # 100MB default limit per file
-MAX_SUBPACKET_SIZE = 8192  # Per-packet size limit (sanity check)
+MAX_SUBPACKET_SIZE = 32768  # Per-packet size limit (32KB - matches common implementations)
+DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 60.0  # Total transfer timeout in seconds
+MAX_HEADER_SEARCH_ITERATIONS = 1000  # Max iterations when searching for header sync
 ZDLE = 0x18    # Data Link Escape
 ZDLEE = 0x58   # Escaped ZDLE (ZDLE ^ 0x40)
 
@@ -222,8 +190,8 @@ class ZModem:
                 return b ^ 0x40
         return b
 
-    def _send_cancel(self) -> None:
-        """Send ZMODEM cancel sequence.
+    def _send_cancel(self, retries: int = 3) -> None:
+        """Send ZMODEM cancel sequence with retry for reliability.
 
         ZMODEM uses 8 CAN bytes followed by 8 backspaces to abort transfer.
         This is the proper way to cancel - just sending ZCAN header may not
@@ -232,10 +200,16 @@ class ZModem:
         Note: CAN (Cancel) and ZDLE share the same byte value 0x18. In ZMODEM,
         ZDLE is the escape character, but when sent 5+ times consecutively
         outside of frame context, it signals abort (CAN sequence).
+
+        Args:
+            retries: Number of times to send cancel sequence for reliability
         """
         # CAN = 0x18 (same as ZDLE) - 8 consecutive cancels + 8 backspaces
         cancel_seq = bytes([0x18] * 8 + [0x08] * 8)
-        self.write(cancel_seq)
+        for _ in range(retries):
+            self.write(cancel_seq)
+            # Brief delay between retries to ensure remote receives
+            time.sleep(0.1)
 
     def _make_hex_header(self, frame_type: int, data: bytes = b"\x00\x00\x00\x00") -> bytes:
         """Create a hex-encoded ZMODEM header."""
@@ -351,7 +325,7 @@ class ZModem:
         # Look for ZPAD ZPAD ZDLE or ZPAD ZDLE
         sync_count = 0
 
-        for _ in range(1000):
+        for _ in range(MAX_HEADER_SEARCH_ITERATIONS):
             b = self._read_byte(timeout_retries=10)
             if b is None:
                 continue
@@ -429,15 +403,32 @@ class ZModem:
                 "ZMODEM uses 32-bit position encoding and cannot handle files larger than 4GB."
             ) from None
 
-    def _bytes_to_pos(self, data: bytes) -> int:
-        """Convert 4-byte little-endian to position."""
-        return int.from_bytes(data[:4], "little")
+    def _bytes_to_pos(self, data: bytes, max_valid: int | None = None) -> int:
+        """Convert 4-byte little-endian to position.
+
+        Args:
+            data: At least 4 bytes of position data
+            max_valid: Optional maximum valid position (e.g., filesize).
+                       If provided and position exceeds this, returns max_valid.
+
+        Returns:
+            Position value, clamped to max_valid if specified
+        """
+        if len(data) < 4:
+            return 0
+        pos = int.from_bytes(data[:4], "little")
+        # Validate against maximum if provided (prevents seeking past EOF)
+        if max_valid is not None and pos > max_valid:
+            logger.debug(f"Position {pos} exceeds max {max_valid}, clamping")
+            return max_valid
+        return pos
 
     def send(
         self,
         files: list[str | Path],
         callback: Callable[[str, int, int], None] | None = None,
         retry_limit: int = 10,
+        timeout: float = DEFAULT_TIMEOUT,
     ) -> dict:
         """Send files via ZMODEM.
 
@@ -445,10 +436,12 @@ class ZModem:
             files: List of file paths to send
             callback: Progress callback(filename, bytes_sent, total_bytes)
             retry_limit: Max retries for errors
+            timeout: Total timeout in seconds (enforced across entire transfer)
 
         Returns:
             Dict with transfer statistics
         """
+        start_time = time.monotonic()
         results = []
         total_bytes = 0
 
@@ -458,6 +451,8 @@ class ZModem:
 
         # Wait for ZRINIT from receiver
         for _ in range(retry_limit * 3):
+            if time.monotonic() - start_time > timeout:
+                return {"success": False, "error": f"Timeout ({timeout}s) waiting for receiver", "files": results}
             header = self._read_header()
             if header is None:
                 self.write(self._make_hex_header(ZRQINIT))
@@ -595,6 +590,7 @@ class ZModem:
         retry_limit: int = 10,
         overwrite: bool = False,
         max_transfer_size: int = DEFAULT_MAX_TRANSFER_SIZE,
+        timeout: float = DEFAULT_TIMEOUT,
     ) -> dict:
         """Receive files via ZMODEM.
 
@@ -605,10 +601,12 @@ class ZModem:
             overwrite: Overwrite existing files
             max_transfer_size: Maximum bytes to receive per file (default 100MB).
                                Set to 0 to disable limit. Prevents unbounded memory usage.
+            timeout: Total timeout in seconds (enforced across entire transfer)
 
         Returns:
             Dict with transfer statistics
         """
+        start_time = time.monotonic()
         directory = Path(directory)
         directory.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
 
@@ -621,9 +619,15 @@ class ZModem:
         self.write(self._make_hex_header(ZRINIT, self._pos_to_bytes(buffer_size)))
 
         while True:
+            # Check timeout
+            if time.monotonic() - start_time > timeout:
+                return {"success": False, "error": f"Timeout ({timeout}s)", "files": results}
+
             # Wait for ZFILE or ZFIN
             header = None
             for _ in range(retry_limit * 3):
+                if time.monotonic() - start_time > timeout:
+                    return {"success": False, "error": f"Timeout ({timeout}s)", "files": results}
                 header = self._read_header()
                 if header:
                     break
@@ -667,14 +671,14 @@ class ZModem:
             logger.debug(f"Receiving: {filename} ({filesize} bytes)")
 
             # Security: sanitize filename to prevent path traversal attacks
-            safe_filename = _sanitize_filename(filename)
+            safe_filename = sanitize_filename(filename)
             if safe_filename != filename:
                 logger.warning(f"Sanitized filename: {filename!r} -> {safe_filename!r}")
 
             filepath = directory / safe_filename
 
             # Atomic file creation to prevent TOCTOU race conditions
-            f, file_error = _open_file_atomic(filepath, overwrite)
+            f, file_error = open_file_atomic(filepath, overwrite)
             if file_error:
                 logger.warning(f"Cannot create file {filepath}: {file_error}")
                 results.append({"file": filename, "error": file_error})