diff --git a/lib/include/packet.h b/lib/include/packet.h
index cf336458f..ea9fb0ca0 100644
--- a/lib/include/packet.h
+++ b/lib/include/packet.h
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ struct packet {
         uint8_t length;
 	volatile struct packet * left;
 	volatile struct packet * right;
+        /* offset into data for first byte of the packet payload */
+	/* On TX this should be 0 */
+	/* On RX this should be 1 since the maca puts the length as the first byte*/
+	uint8_t offset; 	
 	uint8_t data[MAX_PACKET_SIZE+1]; /* + 1 since maca returns the length as the first byte */
 };
 typedef struct packet packet_t;
diff --git a/lib/maca.c b/lib/maca.c
index 93e216c2f..fe0d54ab2 100644
--- a/lib/maca.c
+++ b/lib/maca.c
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ void post_tx(void) {
 	last_post = TX_POST;
 	dma_tx = tx_head; 	
 	*MACA_TXLEN = (uint32_t)((dma_tx->length) + 2);
-	*MACA_DMATX = (uint32_t)&(dma_tx->data[0]);
+	*MACA_DMATX = (uint32_t)&(dma_tx->data[ 0 + dma_tx->offset]);
 	if(dma_rx == 0) {
 		dma_rx = get_free_packet();
 		if (dma_rx == 0)
@@ -255,8 +255,9 @@ void free_tx_head(void) {
 
 void add_to_rx(volatile packet_t *p) {
 	safe_irq_disable(MACA);
-
+	
 	if(!p) {  PRINTF("add_to_rx passed packet 0\n\r"); return; }
+	p->offset = 1; /* first byte is the length */
 	if(rx_head == 0) {
 		/* start a new queue if empty */
 		rx_end = p;
diff --git a/tests/per.c b/tests/per.c
index 826ba640f..82e9f8ffb 100644
--- a/tests/per.c
+++ b/tests/per.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ uint32_t get_time(void) {
 #define random_short_addr() (*MACA_RANDOM & ones(sizeof(short_addr_t)*8))
 
 void build_session_req(volatile packet_t *p) {
-	p->length = 4;
+	p->length = 4; p->offset = 0;
 	p->data[0] = 0x01;
 	p->data[1] = 0x02;
 	p->data[2] = 0x03;
diff --git a/tests/rftest-tx.c b/tests/rftest-tx.c
index fb5b3dbe1..84bdfb638 100644
--- a/tests/rftest-tx.c
+++ b/tests/rftest-tx.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ void fill_packet(volatile packet_t *p) {
 	static volatile uint8_t count=0;
 	volatile uint8_t i;
 	p->length = PAYLOAD_LEN;
+	p->offset = 0;
 	for(i=0; i<PAYLOAD_LEN; i++) {
 		p->data[i] = count++;
 	}		
diff --git a/tests/tests.c b/tests/tests.c
index f9a56eeef..e5442ed3a 100644
--- a/tests/tests.c
+++ b/tests/tests.c
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ void print_packet(volatile packet_t *p) {
 		for(j=0, k=0; j <= ((p->length)%PER_ROW); j++) {
 			for(i=0; i < PER_ROW; i++, k++) {
 				if(k >= (p->length + 1) ) { goto out; } /* + 1 since first byte is len+2 */
-				printf("%02x ",p->data[j*PER_ROW+i]);
+				printf("%02x ",p->data[j*PER_ROW + i + p->offset]);
 			}
 			printf("\n\r");
 		}