diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 45b1018..f94c88a 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -325,6 +325,10 @@ fn run<Device: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite + Unpin + Send + 'static>(
                             log::info!("Device EOF, stopping IP stack");
                             return Ok(());
                         }
+                        Ok(n) if n <= offset => {
+                            log::warn!("Discarding packet smaller than header offset: received {n} bytes, expected > {offset} bytes");
+                            continue;
+                        }
                         Ok(n) => n,
                         Err(e) => {
                             log::error!("Device read error: {e}");
@@ -453,12 +457,72 @@ async fn process_upstream_recv<Device: AsyncWrite + Unpin + 'static>(
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
-    use std::time::Duration;
+    use std::{
+        collections::VecDeque,
+        pin::Pin,
+        task::{Context, Poll},
+        time::Duration,
+    };
 
-    use tokio::{io::duplex, time::timeout};
+    use tokio::{
+        io::{duplex, AsyncRead, AsyncWrite, ReadBuf},
+        time::timeout,
+    };
 
     use super::*;
 
+    struct ChunkedDevice {
+        chunks: VecDeque<Vec<u8>>,
+    }
+
+    impl ChunkedDevice {
+        fn new(chunks: Vec<Vec<u8>>) -> Self {
+            Self {
+                chunks: chunks.into(),
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    impl AsyncRead for ChunkedDevice {
+        fn poll_read(
+            mut self: Pin<&mut Self>,
+            _cx: &mut Context<'_>,
+            buf: &mut ReadBuf<'_>,
+        ) -> Poll<std::io::Result<()>> {
+            if let Some(mut chunk) = self.chunks.pop_front() {
+                let to_copy = buf.remaining().min(chunk.len());
+                buf.put_slice(&chunk[..to_copy]);
+                chunk.drain(..to_copy);
+                if !chunk.is_empty() {
+                    self.chunks.push_front(chunk);
+                }
+            }
+
+            Poll::Ready(Ok(()))
+        }
+    }
+
+    impl AsyncWrite for ChunkedDevice {
+        fn poll_write(
+            self: Pin<&mut Self>,
+            _cx: &mut Context<'_>,
+            buf: &[u8],
+        ) -> Poll<std::io::Result<usize>> {
+            Poll::Ready(Ok(buf.len()))
+        }
+
+        fn poll_flush(self: Pin<&mut Self>, _cx: &mut Context<'_>) -> Poll<std::io::Result<()>> {
+            Poll::Ready(Ok(()))
+        }
+
+        fn poll_shutdown(
+            self: Pin<&mut Self>,
+            _cx: &mut Context<'_>,
+        ) -> Poll<std::io::Result<()>> {
+            Poll::Ready(Ok(()))
+        }
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn device_eof_closes_accept_channel() {
         let (device, peer) = duplex(64);
@@ -471,4 +535,23 @@ mod tests {
             .expect("accept should not hang after device EOF");
         assert!(matches!(accept_result, Err(IpStackError::AcceptError)));
     }
+
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn packet_smaller_than_header_offset_is_discarded_without_panic() {
+        let mut config = IpStackConfig::default();
+        config.packet_information(true);
+        let mut packet_data = vec![0u8; 4];
+        let builder = etherparse::PacketBuilder::ipv4([10, 0, 0, 1], [10, 0, 0, 2], 64).udp(1234, 5678);
+        builder.write(&mut packet_data, &[1, 2, 3, 4]).unwrap();
+
+        let device = ChunkedDevice::new(vec![vec![0x00, 0x01], packet_data]);
+        let mut ip_stack = IpStack::new(config, device);
+
+        let accepted = timeout(Duration::from_secs(1), ip_stack.accept())
+            .await
+            .expect("accept timed out")
+            .expect("accept returned error");
+        assert!(matches!(accepted, IpStackStream::Udp(_)));
+    }
 }