diff --git a/src/claude_agent_sdk/_internal/message_parser.py b/src/claude_agent_sdk/_internal/message_parser.py
index 931cc2a63..160bd745e 100644
--- a/src/claude_agent_sdk/_internal/message_parser.py
+++ b/src/claude_agent_sdk/_internal/message_parser.py
@@ -147,6 +147,11 @@ def parse_message(data: dict[str, Any]) -> Message | None:
                 raise MessageParseError(
                     f"Missing required field in user message: {e}", data
                 ) from e
+            except (TypeError, AttributeError) as e:
+                # e.g. data["message"] is not a dict, so indexing into it fails
+                raise MessageParseError(
+                    f"Malformed user message: {e}", data
+                ) from e
 
         case "assistant":
             try:
@@ -222,6 +227,11 @@ def parse_message(data: dict[str, Any]) -> Message | None:
                 raise MessageParseError(
                     f"Missing required field in assistant message: {e}", data
                 ) from e
+            except (TypeError, AttributeError) as e:
+                # e.g. data["message"] is not a dict, so indexing into it fails
+                raise MessageParseError(
+                    f"Malformed assistant message: {e}", data
+                ) from e
 
         case "system":
             try:
diff --git a/src/claude_agent_sdk/_internal/session_store_validation.py b/src/claude_agent_sdk/_internal/session_store_validation.py
index 16addd216..a8ffb5e56 100644
--- a/src/claude_agent_sdk/_internal/session_store_validation.py
+++ b/src/claude_agent_sdk/_internal/session_store_validation.py
@@ -6,13 +6,22 @@
 
 
 def _store_implements(store: SessionStore, method: str) -> bool:
-    """True if ``store`` overrides ``method`` rather than inheriting the
-    Protocol default that raises :class:`NotImplementedError`."""
+    """True if ``store`` provides ``method`` rather than inheriting the
+    Protocol default that raises :class:`NotImplementedError`.
+
+    Resolved against the instance rather than the class: ``SessionStore`` is a
+    structural Protocol, so an implementation assigned in ``__init__``
+    (delegation, ``functools.partial``, a test double) counts just as much as a
+    class-level ``def``.
+    """
     impl = getattr(store, method, None)
     if impl is None:
         return False
     default = getattr(SessionStore, method, None)
-    return getattr(type(store), method, None) is not default
+    # Compare the underlying function so a bound method is matched against the
+    # Protocol default; anything that is not a bound method (a plain callable
+    # assigned on the instance) is compared directly and is never the default.
+    return getattr(impl, "__func__", impl) is not default
 
 
 def validate_session_store_options(options: ClaudeAgentOptions) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/test_message_parser.py b/tests/test_message_parser.py
index e55fd1556..0962d3c6e 100644
--- a/tests/test_message_parser.py
+++ b/tests/test_message_parser.py
@@ -976,6 +976,13 @@ def test_parse_invalid_data_type(self):
         assert "Invalid message data type" in str(exc_info.value)
         assert "expected dict, got str" in str(exc_info.value)
 
+    def test_parse_non_dict_message_field(self):
+        """A non-dict 'message' field raises MessageParseError, not a bare TypeError."""
+        for message_type in ("user", "assistant"):
+            with pytest.raises(MessageParseError) as exc_info:
+                parse_message({"type": message_type, "message": "not a dict"})
+            assert f"Malformed {message_type} message" in str(exc_info.value)
+
     def test_parse_missing_type_field(self):
         """Test that missing 'type' field raises MessageParseError."""
         with pytest.raises(MessageParseError) as exc_info:
diff --git a/tests/test_session_store_conformance.py b/tests/test_session_store_conformance.py
index 4768c4cdc..441ac86b4 100644
--- a/tests/test_session_store_conformance.py
+++ b/tests/test_session_store_conformance.py
@@ -178,6 +178,31 @@ def test_continue_conversation_ok_when_store_implements_list_sessions(
             )
         )
 
+    def test_continue_conversation_ok_when_list_sessions_set_on_instance(
+        self,
+    ) -> None:
+        """SessionStore is a structural Protocol, so an implementation assigned
+        on the instance (delegation, functools.partial, a test double) satisfies
+        it just as a class-level def does.
+        """
+
+        class DelegatingStore(SessionStore):
+            def __init__(self, inner: SessionStore) -> None:
+                self.list_sessions = inner.list_sessions
+
+            async def append(self, key, entries):
+                pass
+
+            async def load(self, key):
+                return None
+
+        validate_session_store_options(
+            ClaudeAgentOptions(
+                session_store=DelegatingStore(InMemorySessionStore()),
+                continue_conversation=True,
+            )
+        )
+
     def test_continue_with_resume_and_store_lacking_list_sessions(self) -> None:
         """Parity with TS: when resume is explicitly set, continue=True
         should not require list_sessions() — list_sessions is provably