diff --git a/src/encoding.js b/src/encoding.js
index 6c80558..d82a2f5 100644
--- a/src/encoding.js
+++ b/src/encoding.js
@@ -55,17 +55,10 @@ export function readRleBitPackedHybrid(reader, width, length, output) {
 function readRle(reader, count, bitWidth, output, seen) {
   const width = bitWidth + 7 >> 3
   let value = 0
-  if (width === 1) {
-    value = reader.view.getUint8(reader.offset)
-    // assert(value < 1 << bitWidth)
-  } else if (width === 2) {
-    value = reader.view.getUint16(reader.offset, true)
-  } else if (width === 4) {
-    value = reader.view.getUint32(reader.offset, true)
-  } else if (width) {
-    throw new Error(`parquet invalid rle width ${width}`)
+  for (let i = 0; i < width; i++) {
+    value |= reader.view.getUint8(reader.offset++) << (i << 3)
   }
-  reader.offset += width
+  // assert(value < 1 << bitWidth)
 
   // repeat value count times
   for (let i = 0; i < count; i++) {
diff --git a/test/encoding.test.js b/test/encoding.test.js
index 399de76..b40d217 100644
--- a/test/encoding.test.js
+++ b/test/encoding.test.js
@@ -33,6 +33,22 @@ describe('readRleBitPackedHybrid', () => {
     expect(values).toEqual([65535, 65535, 65535])
   })
 
+  it('reads RLE values with bitwidth=24', () => {
+    const buffer = new ArrayBuffer(4)
+    const view = new DataView(buffer)
+    // RLE 2x 16777215
+    view.setUint8(0, 0b00000100)
+    view.setUint8(1, 255)
+    view.setUint8(2, 255)
+    view.setUint8(3, 255)
+    const reader = { view, offset: 0 }
+
+    const values = new Array(2)
+    readRleBitPackedHybrid(reader, 24, 4, values)
+    expect(reader.offset).toBe(4)
+    expect(values).toEqual([16777215, 16777215])
+  })
+
   it('reads RLE values with bitwidth=32', () => {
     const buffer = new ArrayBuffer(5)
     const view = new DataView(buffer)
@@ -47,17 +63,6 @@ describe('readRleBitPackedHybrid', () => {
     expect(values).toEqual([234000, 234000, 234000])
   })
 
-  it('throws for invalid bitwidth', () => {
-    const buffer = new ArrayBuffer(1)
-    const view = new DataView(buffer)
-    view.setUint8(0, 0b00000110)
-    const reader = { view, offset: 0 }
-
-    const values = new Array(3)
-    expect(() => readRleBitPackedHybrid(reader, 24, 3, values))
-      .toThrow('parquet invalid rle width 3')
-  })
-
   it('reads bit-packed values with implicit length', () => {
     // Bit-packed values: false, false, true
     const buffer = new ArrayBuffer(8)