diff --git a/src/lib_data_encoding/data_encoding.ml b/src/lib_data_encoding/data_encoding.ml
index 00e82eeeb..108077d9e 100644
--- a/src/lib_data_encoding/data_encoding.ml
+++ b/src/lib_data_encoding/data_encoding.ml
@@ -100,6 +100,11 @@ struct
     splitted ~json ~binary
   let make_lazy encoding value =
     { encoding ; state = Value value }
+  let fold_lazy fun_value fun_bytes fun_combine le =
+    match le.state with
+    | Value value -> fun_value value
+    | Bytes bytes -> fun_bytes bytes
+    | Both (bytes, value) -> fun_combine (fun_value value) (fun_bytes bytes)
 
 end
 
diff --git a/src/lib_data_encoding/data_encoding.mli b/src/lib_data_encoding/data_encoding.mli
index db9a12f79..5d73fbbcc 100644
--- a/src/lib_data_encoding/data_encoding.mli
+++ b/src/lib_data_encoding/data_encoding.mli
@@ -510,6 +510,11 @@ module Encoding: sig
   (** Make a lazy value from an immediate one. *)
   val make_lazy : 'a encoding -> 'a -> 'a lazy_t
 
+  (** Fold on structure of lazy value, and combine results *)
+  val fold_lazy :
+    ('a -> 'b) -> (MBytes.t -> 'b) -> ('b -> 'b -> 'b) ->
+    'a lazy_t -> 'b
+
 end
 
 include module type of Encoding with type 'a t = 'a Encoding.t
diff --git a/src/lib_protocol_environment/sigs/v1/data_encoding.mli b/src/lib_protocol_environment/sigs/v1/data_encoding.mli
index aefcc4f89..28da335b7 100644
--- a/src/lib_protocol_environment/sigs/v1/data_encoding.mli
+++ b/src/lib_protocol_environment/sigs/v1/data_encoding.mli
@@ -198,6 +198,9 @@ val lazy_encoding : 'a encoding -> 'a lazy_t encoding
 val force_decode : 'a lazy_t -> 'a option
 val force_bytes : 'a lazy_t -> MBytes.t
 val make_lazy : 'a encoding -> 'a -> 'a lazy_t
+val fold_lazy :
+  ('a -> 'b) -> (MBytes.t -> 'b) -> ('b -> 'b -> 'b) ->
+  'a lazy_t -> 'b
 
 module Json : sig
 
diff --git a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/alpha_context.mli b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/alpha_context.mli
index 89720e205..4707d5988 100644
--- a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/alpha_context.mli
+++ b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/alpha_context.mli
@@ -301,6 +301,7 @@ module Script : sig
   val prim_encoding: prim Data_encoding.t
   val encoding: t Data_encoding.t
   val lazy_expr_encoding: lazy_expr Data_encoding.t
+  val expr_cost : expr -> Gas.cost
 end
 
 module Constants : sig
diff --git a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/apply.ml b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/apply.ml
index 0829fcd91..02f80ece5 100644
--- a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/apply.ml
+++ b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/apply.ml
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ type error += Outdated_double_baking_evidence
   of { level: Raw_level.t ; last: Raw_level.t } (* `Permanent *)
 type error += Invalid_activation of { pkh : Ed25519.Public_key_hash.t }
 type error += Multiple_revelation
+type error += Not_enough_gas_minimal_deserialize
 
 let () =
   register_error_kind
@@ -318,7 +319,15 @@ let () =
           "Multiple revelations were included in a manager operation")
     Data_encoding.empty
     (function Multiple_revelation -> Some () | _ -> None)
-    (fun () -> Multiple_revelation)
+    (fun () -> Multiple_revelation) ;
+  register_error_kind
+    `Permanent
+    ~id:"not_enough_gas.minimal_deserialization"
+    ~title:"Not enough gas for minimal deserialization of transaction parameters"
+    ~description:"Gas quota is not enough for deserializing the transaction parameters, even for the cheapest case"
+    Data_encoding.empty
+    (function Not_enough_gas_minimal_deserialize -> Some () | _ -> None)
+    (fun () -> Not_enough_gas_minimal_deserialize)
 
 open Apply_results
 
@@ -491,6 +500,14 @@ let precheck_manager_contents
     match operation with
     | Reveal pk ->
         Contract.reveal_manager_key ctxt source pk
+    | Transaction { parameters = Some arg ; _ } ->
+        let min_gas = Michelson_v1_gas.Cost_of.Typechecking.minimal_deserialize arg in
+        (* Fail if not enough gas for minimal deserialization cost *)
+        begin
+          match Gas.consume ctxt min_gas with
+          | Ok _ -> return ctxt
+          | Error _ -> fail Not_enough_gas_minimal_deserialize
+        end
     | _ -> return ctxt
   end >>=? fun ctxt ->
   Contract.get_manager_key ctxt source >>=? fun public_key ->
diff --git a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/michelson_v1_gas.ml b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/michelson_v1_gas.ml
index 5d4582e90..c77d3d055 100644
--- a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/michelson_v1_gas.ml
+++ b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/michelson_v1_gas.ml
@@ -233,6 +233,12 @@ module Cost_of = struct
       (* TODO: proper handling of (de)serialization costs *)
       let len = MBytes.length b in
       alloc_cost len +@ step_cost (len * 10)
+    let minimal_deserialize expr =
+      Data_encoding.fold_lazy
+        Script.expr_cost
+        (fun b -> alloc_bytes_cost (MBytes.length b))
+        (fun c _ -> c) (* keep expr cost if present *)
+        expr
   end
 
   module Unparse = struct
diff --git a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/michelson_v1_gas.mli b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/michelson_v1_gas.mli
index 87498fa7e..a6f4aaaf7 100644
--- a/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/michelson_v1_gas.mli
+++ b/src/proto_alpha/lib_protocol/src/michelson_v1_gas.mli
@@ -132,6 +132,8 @@ module Cost_of : sig
     val two_arg_type : Gas.cost
 
     val operation : MBytes.t -> Gas.cost
+
+    val minimal_deserialize : Script.lazy_expr -> Gas.cost
   end
 
   module Unparse : sig