diff --git a/polyamide/device/send.go b/polyamide/device/send.go
index 1a50ee06..3f677e7c 100644
--- a/polyamide/device/send.go
+++ b/polyamide/device/send.go
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ func (device *Device) RoutineReadFromTUN() {
 			}
 			tce := device.GetTCElement()
 			tce.Buffer = bufs[i]
+			tce.Packet = bufs[i][offset : offset+sizes[i]]
 			tcBufs = append(tcBufs, tce)
 
 			bufs[i] = device.GetMessageBuffer()
diff --git a/polyamide/device/traffic_control.go b/polyamide/device/traffic_control.go
index 04147042..6ecb48b9 100644
--- a/polyamide/device/traffic_control.go
+++ b/polyamide/device/traffic_control.go
@@ -109,8 +109,7 @@ func (device *Device) TCBatch(batch []*TCElement, tcs *TCState) {
 	for i, elem := range batch {
 		// process TC Filters
 		act := TcPass
-		elem.ParsePacket()
-		if !elem.Validate() {
+		if !elem.ParsePacket() || !elem.Validate() {
 			device.Log.Errorf("Found malformed packet, dropping packet")
 			act = TcDrop
 		} else {
diff --git a/polyamide/device/traffic_manip.go b/polyamide/device/traffic_manip.go
index 23061fc4..89d956eb 100644
--- a/polyamide/device/traffic_manip.go
+++ b/polyamide/device/traffic_manip.go
@@ -20,10 +20,25 @@ func (elem *TCElement) InitPacket(ver int, len uint16) {
 	elem.SetLength(len)
 }
 
-func (elem *TCElement) ParsePacket() {
-	elem.Packet = elem.Buffer[MessageTransportHeaderSize:]
+func (elem *TCElement) ParsePacket() bool {
+	if elem == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	if len(elem.Packet) == 0 {
+		if elem.Buffer == nil {
+			return false
+		}
+		elem.Packet = elem.Buffer[MessageTransportHeaderSize:]
+	}
+	if !elem.hasPacketHeader() {
+		return false
+	}
 	l := elem.GetLength()
-	elem.Packet = elem.Buffer[MessageTransportHeaderSize : MessageTransportHeaderSize+l]
+	if int(l) > len(elem.Packet) {
+		return false
+	}
+	elem.Packet = elem.Packet[:l]
+	return true
 }
 
 func (elem *TCElement) Incoming() bool {
@@ -137,6 +152,9 @@ func (elem *TCElement) Validate() bool {
 	if elem == nil || len(elem.Packet) == 0 {
 		return false
 	}
+	if !elem.hasPacketHeader() {
+		return false
+	}
 	ver := elem.GetIPVersion()
 	if ver == 4 {
 		if elem.GetLength() < ipv4.HeaderLen {
@@ -154,6 +172,19 @@ func (elem *TCElement) Validate() bool {
 	return true
 }
 
+func (elem *TCElement) hasPacketHeader() bool {
+	if elem == nil || len(elem.Packet) < PolyHeaderSize {
+		return false
+	}
+	ver := elem.GetIPVersion()
+	if ver == 4 {
+		return len(elem.Packet) >= ipv4.HeaderLen
+	} else if ver == 6 {
+		return len(elem.Packet) >= ipv6.HeaderLen
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
 func (elem *TCElement) TTLBytes() []byte {
 	if elem.GetIPVersion() == 4 {
 		return elem.Packet[8:9]
diff --git a/polyamide/device/traffic_manip_test.go b/polyamide/device/traffic_manip_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bf9e3ad6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/polyamide/device/traffic_manip_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+package device
+
+import (
+	"encoding/binary"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestParsePacketRejectsLengthBeyondReadBuffer(t *testing.T) {
+	var buf [MaxMessageSize]byte
+	packet := buf[MessageTransportHeaderSize : MessageTransportHeaderSize+2016]
+	packet[0] = 6 << 4
+	binary.BigEndian.PutUint16(packet[IPv6offsetPayloadLength:IPv6offsetPayloadLength+2], 2010)
+
+	elem := &TCElement{
+		Buffer: &buf,
+		Packet: packet,
+	}
+
+	if elem.ParsePacket() {
+		t.Fatal("expected oversized packet to be rejected")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParsePacketTrimsToAdvertisedLength(t *testing.T) {
+	var buf [MaxMessageSize]byte
+	packet := buf[MessageTransportHeaderSize : MessageTransportHeaderSize+128]
+	packet[0] = 6 << 4
+	binary.BigEndian.PutUint16(packet[IPv6offsetPayloadLength:IPv6offsetPayloadLength+2], 8)
+
+	elem := &TCElement{
+		Buffer: &buf,
+		Packet: packet,
+	}
+
+	if !elem.ParsePacket() {
+		t.Fatal("expected valid packet to parse")
+	}
+	if len(elem.Packet) != 48 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected packet length 48, got %d", len(elem.Packet))
+	}
+}