diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/rivereactnative/RiveReactNativeView.kt b/android/src/main/java/com/rivereactnative/RiveReactNativeView.kt
index 4078d65d..9a164215 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/rivereactnative/RiveReactNativeView.kt
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/rivereactnative/RiveReactNativeView.kt
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import app.rive.runtime.kotlin.controllers.RiveFileController
 import app.rive.runtime.kotlin.core.*
 import app.rive.runtime.kotlin.core.errors.*
 import app.rive.runtime.kotlin.renderers.PointerEvents
+import com.android.volley.DefaultRetryPolicy
 import com.android.volley.NetworkResponse
 import com.android.volley.ParseError
 import com.android.volley.Request
@@ -720,9 +721,33 @@ class RiveReactNativeView(private val context: ThemedReactContext) : FrameLayout
   }
 
 
-  private fun setUrlRiveResource(url: String, autoplay: Boolean = this.autoplay) {
+  private fun setUrlRiveResource(url: String) {
     downloadUrlAsset(url) { bytes ->
       try {
+        // Validate that we have valid content before attempting to create Rive file
+        if (bytes.isEmpty()) {
+          if (isUserHandlingErrors) {
+            val rnRiveError = RNRiveError.IncorrectRiveFileUrl
+            rnRiveError.message = "Downloaded file is empty from: $url"
+            sendErrorToRN(rnRiveError)
+          } else {
+            showRNRiveError("Downloaded file is empty from: $url", null)
+          }
+          return@downloadUrlAsset
+        }
+
+        // Basic validation - check if the content starts with the Rive file signature
+        if (!isValidRiveContent(bytes)) {
+          if (isUserHandlingErrors) {
+            val rnRiveError = RNRiveError.MalformedFile
+            rnRiveError.message = "Downloaded content is not a valid Rive file from: $url"
+            sendErrorToRN(rnRiveError)
+          } else {
+            showRNRiveError("Downloaded content is not a valid Rive file from: $url", null)
+          }
+          return@downloadUrlAsset
+        }
+
         riveAnimationView?.setRiveBytes(
           bytes,
           fit = this.fit,
@@ -741,6 +766,42 @@ class RiveReactNativeView(private val context: ThemedReactContext) : FrameLayout
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Validates if the downloaded content is a valid Rive file by checking file signatures
+   */
+  private fun isValidRiveContent(bytes: ByteArray): Boolean {
+    if (bytes.size < 4) return false
+    
+    // Check for Rive file signature (RIVE magic number)
+    // Rive files start with specific byte patterns
+    val header = bytes.take(4).toByteArray()
+    
+    // Check for "RIVE" header (0x52495645)
+    if (header[0] == 0x52.toByte() && 
+        header[1] == 0x49.toByte() && 
+        header[2] == 0x56.toByte() && 
+        header[3] == 0x45.toByte()) {
+      return true
+    }
+    
+    // Additional validation - check for common non-Rive content patterns
+    val headerString = String(header, Charsets.UTF_8)
+    
+    // Check if it's HTML (error pages)
+    if (headerString.startsWith("<!DO") || headerString.startsWith("<htm")) {
+      return false
+    }
+    
+    // Check if it's JSON (API error responses)
+    if (headerString.startsWith("{") || headerString.startsWith("[")) {
+      return false
+    }
+    
+    // If we can't definitively identify it as non-Rive, let the Rive runtime validate it
+    // This allows for different Rive file formats/versions
+    return true
+  }
+
   fun setArtboardName(artboardName: String) {
     try {
       this.artboardName = artboardName
diff --git a/example/app/(examples)/ErrorHandledManually.tsx b/example/app/(examples)/ErrorHandledManually.tsx
index 217e33cd..8fd862c3 100644
--- a/example/app/(examples)/ErrorHandledManually.tsx
+++ b/example/app/(examples)/ErrorHandledManually.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { SafeAreaView, ScrollView, StyleSheet } from 'react-native';
+import { SafeAreaView, ScrollView, StyleSheet, Text } from 'react-native';
 import Rive, {
   Alignment,
   Fit,
@@ -10,47 +10,67 @@ export default function ErrorHandledManually() {
   return (
     <SafeAreaView style={styles.safeAreaViewContainer}>
       <ScrollView contentContainerStyle={styles.container}>
+        <Text style={styles.title}>Testing Issue #327 Fix</Text>
+        <Text style={styles.description}>
+          Testing the URL that was causing MalformedFileException crashes
+        </Text>
+        
         <Rive
           fit={Fit.Contain}
           alignment={Alignment.Center}
           style={styles.animation}
           animationName="exampleName"
-          url={'wrongUrl'}
+          url={
+            'https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/shubham-k2/assets@main/Updated%20surprise_sale_banner.riv'
+          }
           onError={(riveError: RNRiveError) => {
+            console.log('📱 Rive Error Received:', riveError);
             switch (riveError.type) {
               case RNRiveErrorType.IncorrectRiveFileUrl: {
-                console.log(`${riveError.message}`);
+                console.log(`❌ URL Error: ${riveError.message}`);
                 return;
               }
               case RNRiveErrorType.MalformedFile: {
-                console.log('Malformed File');
+                console.log(`❌ Malformed File: ${riveError.message}`);
                 return;
               }
               case RNRiveErrorType.FileNotFound: {
-                console.log('File not found');
+                console.log(`❌ File not found: ${riveError.message}`);
                 return;
               }
               case RNRiveErrorType.IncorrectArtboardName: {
-                console.log('IncorrectAnimationName');
+                console.log(`❌ Incorrect Artboard: ${riveError.message}`);
                 return;
               }
               case RNRiveErrorType.UnsupportedRuntimeVersion: {
-                console.log('Runtime version unsupported');
+                console.log(`❌ Runtime version unsupported: ${riveError.message}`);
                 return;
               }
               case RNRiveErrorType.IncorrectStateMachineName: {
-                console.log(`${riveError.message}`);
+                console.log(`❌ State Machine Error: ${riveError.message}`);
                 return;
               }
               case RNRiveErrorType.IncorrectStateMachineInput: {
-                console.log(`${riveError.message}`);
+                console.log(`❌ State Machine Input Error: ${riveError.message}`);
                 return;
               }
               default:
+                console.log(`❌ Unknown Error: ${riveError.message}`);
                 return;
             }
           }}
         />
+        
+        <Text style={styles.subtitle}>Testing Working URL</Text>
+        <Rive
+          fit={Fit.Contain}
+          alignment={Alignment.Center}
+          style={styles.animation}
+          url={'https://public.rive.app/community/runtime-files/2195-4346-avatar-pack-use-case.riv'}
+          onError={(riveError: RNRiveError) => {
+            console.log('📱 Working URL Error (unexpected):', riveError);
+          }}
+        />
       </ScrollView>
     </SafeAreaView>
   );
@@ -62,11 +82,30 @@ const styles = StyleSheet.create({
   },
   container: {
     flexGrow: 1,
-    alignItems: 'center',
-    justifyContent: 'center',
+    padding: 20,
+  },
+  title: {
+    fontSize: 20,
+    fontWeight: 'bold',
+    marginBottom: 10,
+    textAlign: 'center',
+  },
+  subtitle: {
+    fontSize: 16,
+    fontWeight: 'bold',
+    marginTop: 20,
+    marginBottom: 10,
+    textAlign: 'center',
+  },
+  description: {
+    fontSize: 14,
+    marginBottom: 20,
+    textAlign: 'center',
+    color: '#666',
   },
   animation: {
-    width: '100%',
-    height: 600,
+    width: 200,
+    height: 200,
+    marginBottom: 20,
   },
 });
diff --git a/ios/RNRiveError.swift b/ios/RNRiveError.swift
index 690bbd47..ce5f30dd 100644
--- a/ios/RNRiveError.swift
+++ b/ios/RNRiveError.swift
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ func createFileNotFoundError() -> NSError {
 }
 
 func createMalformedFileError() -> NSError {
-    return NSError(domain: RiveErrorDomain, code: RiveErrorCode.malformedFile.rawValue, userInfo: [NSLocalizedDescriptionKey: "Malformed Rive File", "name": "Malformed"])
+    return NSError(domain: RiveErrorDomain, code: RiveErrorCode.malformedFile.rawValue, userInfo: [NSLocalizedDescriptionKey: "Malformed Rive File - downloaded content is not a valid .riv file", "name": "Malformed"])
 }
 
 func createAssetFileError(_ assetName: String) -> NSError {
diff --git a/ios/RiveReactNativeView.swift b/ios/RiveReactNativeView.swift
index 381a8201..08896d78 100644
--- a/ios/RiveReactNativeView.swift
+++ b/ios/RiveReactNativeView.swift
@@ -353,6 +353,13 @@ class RiveReactNativeView: RCTView, RivePlayerDelegate, RiveStateMachineDelegate
           handleRiveError(error: createIncorrectRiveURL(url))
           return
         }
+        
+        // Validate that we have valid Rive content before attempting to create RiveFile
+        if !isValidRiveContent(data) {
+          handleRiveError(error: createMalformedFileError())
+          return
+        }
+        
         do {
           let riveFile = try RiveFile(data: data, loadCdn: true, customAssetLoader: customLoader)
           let riveModel = RiveModel(riveFile: riveFile)
@@ -380,6 +387,38 @@ class RiveReactNativeView: RCTView, RivePlayerDelegate, RiveStateMachineDelegate
       
     }
     
+    /**
+     * Validates if the downloaded content is a valid Rive file by checking file signatures
+     */
+    private func isValidRiveContent(_ data: Data) -> Bool {
+        guard data.count >= 4 else { return false }
+        
+        // Check for Rive file signature (RIVE magic number)
+        let header = data.prefix(4)
+        
+        // Check for "RIVE" header (0x52495645)
+        if header[0] == 0x52 && header[1] == 0x49 && header[2] == 0x56 && header[3] == 0x45 {
+            return true
+        }
+        
+        // Additional validation - check for common non-Rive content patterns
+        if let headerString = String(data: header, encoding: .utf8) {
+            // Check if it's HTML (error pages)
+            if headerString.hasPrefix("<!DO") || headerString.hasPrefix("<htm") {
+                return false
+            }
+            
+            // Check if it's JSON (API error responses)
+            if headerString.hasPrefix("{") || headerString.hasPrefix("[") {
+                return false
+            }
+        }
+        
+        // If we can't definitively identify it as non-Rive, let the Rive runtime validate it
+        // This allows for different Rive file formats/versions
+        return true
+    }
+    
     private func reloadView() {
         if resourceFromBundle {
             if requiresLocalResourceReconfigure {
@@ -577,7 +616,30 @@ class RiveReactNativeView: RCTView, RivePlayerDelegate, RiveStateMachineDelegate
             if error != nil {
                 self?.handleInvalidUrlError(url: url.absoluteString)
             } else if let data = data {
-                listener(data)
+                // Check HTTP response status
+                if let httpResponse = response as? HTTPURLResponse {
+                    switch httpResponse.statusCode {
+                    case 200...299:
+                        listener(data)
+                    case 404:
+                        let error = createIncorrectRiveURL("File not found (404) at: \(url)")
+                        self.handleRiveError(error: error)
+                    case 403:
+                        let error = createIncorrectRiveURL("Access forbidden (403) for: \(url)")
+                        self.handleRiveError(error: error)
+                    case 500...599:
+                        let error = createIncorrectRiveURL("Server error (\(httpResponse.statusCode)) for: \(url)")
+                        self.handleRiveError(error: error)
+                    default:
+                        let error = createIncorrectRiveURL("HTTP error (\(httpResponse.statusCode)) for: \(url)")
+                        self.handleRiveError(error: error)
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    listener(data)
+                }
+            } else {
+                let error = createIncorrectRiveURL("No data received from: \(url)")
+                self.handleRiveError(error: error)
             }
         }