diff --git a/src/dev/net/etherpkt.hh b/src/dev/net/etherpkt.hh
--- a/src/dev/net/etherpkt.hh
+++ b/src/dev/net/etherpkt.hh
@@ -55,6 +55,11 @@
     uint8_t *data;
 
     /**
+     * Total size of the allocated data buffer.
+     */
+    unsigned bufLength;
+
+    /**
      * Amount of space occupied by the payload in the data buffer
      */
     unsigned length;
@@ -69,11 +74,11 @@
     unsigned simLength;
 
     EthPacketData()
-        : data(nullptr), length(0), simLength(0)
+        : data(nullptr), bufLength(0), length(0), simLength(0)
     { }
 
     explicit EthPacketData(unsigned size)
-        : data(new uint8_t[size]), length(0), simLength(0)
+        : data(new uint8_t[size]), bufLength(size), length(0), simLength(0)
     { }
 
     ~EthPacketData() { if (data) delete [] data; }
# Node ID b8cb39c6221a46517100017e7f0a2e301f20bfeb
# Parent  c38fcdaa5fe508dbb18cc084e758ad0ce8e2e2f4
diff --git a/src/dev/net/etherpkt.cc b/src/dev/net/etherpkt.cc
--- a/src/dev/net/etherpkt.cc
+++ b/src/dev/net/etherpkt.cc
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 EthPacketData::serialize(const string &base, CheckpointOut &cp) const
 {
     paramOut(cp, base + ".simLength", simLength);
+    paramOut(cp, base + ".bufLength", bufLength);
     paramOut(cp, base + ".length", length);
     arrayParamOut(cp, base + ".data", data, length);
 }
@@ -50,11 +51,23 @@
 EthPacketData::unserialize(const string &base, CheckpointIn &cp)
 {
     paramIn(cp, base + ".length", length);
-    if (length) {
-        assert(data == nullptr);
-        data = new uint8_t[length];
-        arrayParamIn(cp, base + ".data", data, length);
+    unsigned chkpt_buf_length;
+    if (optParamIn(cp, base + ".bufLength", chkpt_buf_length)) {
+        // If bufLength is in the checkpoint, make sure that the current buffer
+        // is unallocated or that the checkpoint requested size is smaller than
+        // the current buffer.
+        assert(!data || chkpt_buf_length <= bufLength);
+        bufLength = chkpt_buf_length;
+    } else {
+        // If bufLength is not in the checkpoint, try to use the existing
+        // buffer or use length to size the buffer
+        if (!data)
+            bufLength = length;
     }
+    assert(length <= bufLength);
+    if (!data)
+        data = new uint8_t[bufLength];
+    arrayParamIn(cp, base + ".data", data, length);
     if (!optParamIn(cp, base + ".simLength", simLength))
         simLength = length;
 }
diff --git a/src/dev/net/i8254xGBe.cc b/src/dev/net/i8254xGBe.cc
--- a/src/dev/net/i8254xGBe.cc
+++ b/src/dev/net/i8254xGBe.cc
@@ -2522,7 +2522,7 @@
     bool txPktExists;
     UNSERIALIZE_SCALAR(txPktExists);
     if (txPktExists) {
-        txPacket = std::make_shared<EthPacketData>();
+        txPacket = std::make_shared<EthPacketData>(16384);
         txPacket->unserialize("txpacket", cp);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/dev/net/ns_gige.cc b/src/dev/net/ns_gige.cc
--- a/src/dev/net/ns_gige.cc
+++ b/src/dev/net/ns_gige.cc
@@ -2352,7 +2352,7 @@
     bool txPacketExists;
     UNSERIALIZE_SCALAR(txPacketExists);
     if (txPacketExists) {
-        txPacket = make_shared<EthPacketData>();
+        txPacket = make_shared<EthPacketData>(16384);
         txPacket->unserialize("txPacket", cp);
         uint32_t txPktBufPtr;
         UNSERIALIZE_SCALAR(txPktBufPtr);
diff --git a/src/dev/net/sinic.cc b/src/dev/net/sinic.cc
--- a/src/dev/net/sinic.cc
+++ b/src/dev/net/sinic.cc
@@ -1496,7 +1496,7 @@
     UNSERIALIZE_SCALAR(txPacketExists);
     txPacket = 0;
     if (txPacketExists) {
-        txPacket = make_shared<EthPacketData>();
+        txPacket = make_shared<EthPacketData>(16384);
         txPacket->unserialize("txPacket", cp);
         UNSERIALIZE_SCALAR(txPacketOffset);
         UNSERIALIZE_SCALAR(txPacketBytes);