diff --git a/apps/fwd/src/main/java/org/onosproject/fwd/ReactiveForwarding.java b/apps/fwd/src/main/java/org/onosproject/fwd/ReactiveForwarding.java
index fcf8efbdc3..06febb1485 100644
--- a/apps/fwd/src/main/java/org/onosproject/fwd/ReactiveForwarding.java
+++ b/apps/fwd/src/main/java/org/onosproject/fwd/ReactiveForwarding.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Modified;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Property;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Reference;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.ReferenceCardinality;
+import org.onlab.packet.Ethernet;
 import org.onosproject.core.ApplicationId;
 import org.onosproject.core.CoreService;
 import org.onosproject.net.Host;
@@ -46,7 +47,6 @@ import org.onosproject.net.packet.PacketContext;
 import org.onosproject.net.packet.PacketProcessor;
 import org.onosproject.net.packet.PacketService;
 import org.onosproject.net.topology.TopologyService;
-import org.onlab.packet.Ethernet;
 import org.osgi.service.component.ComponentContext;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 
@@ -167,6 +167,10 @@ public class ReactiveForwarding {
             InboundPacket pkt = context.inPacket();
             Ethernet ethPkt = pkt.parsed();
 
+            if (ethPkt == null) {
+                return;
+            }
+
             // Bail if this is deemed to be a control packet.
             if (isControlPacket(ethPkt)) {
                 return;
diff --git a/apps/ifwd/src/main/java/org/onosproject/ifwd/IntentReactiveForwarding.java b/apps/ifwd/src/main/java/org/onosproject/ifwd/IntentReactiveForwarding.java
index 2db3df2add..5450bb4419 100644
--- a/apps/ifwd/src/main/java/org/onosproject/ifwd/IntentReactiveForwarding.java
+++ b/apps/ifwd/src/main/java/org/onosproject/ifwd/IntentReactiveForwarding.java
@@ -15,11 +15,14 @@
  */
 package org.onosproject.ifwd;
 
+import static org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger;
+
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Activate;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Component;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Deactivate;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Reference;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.ReferenceCardinality;
+import org.onlab.packet.Ethernet;
 import org.onosproject.core.ApplicationId;
 import org.onosproject.core.CoreService;
 import org.onosproject.net.Host;
@@ -39,11 +42,8 @@ import org.onosproject.net.packet.PacketContext;
 import org.onosproject.net.packet.PacketProcessor;
 import org.onosproject.net.packet.PacketService;
 import org.onosproject.net.topology.TopologyService;
-import org.onlab.packet.Ethernet;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 
-import static org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger;
-
 /**
  * WORK-IN-PROGRESS: Sample reactive forwarding application using intent framework.
  */
@@ -100,6 +100,10 @@ public class IntentReactiveForwarding {
             InboundPacket pkt = context.inPacket();
             Ethernet ethPkt = pkt.parsed();
 
+            if (ethPkt == null) {
+                return;
+            }
+
             HostId srcId = HostId.hostId(ethPkt.getSourceMAC());
             HostId dstId = HostId.hostId(ethPkt.getDestinationMAC());
 
diff --git a/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/proxyarp/impl/ProxyArpManager.java b/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/proxyarp/impl/ProxyArpManager.java
index cd35359745..5a7dacd331 100644
--- a/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/proxyarp/impl/ProxyArpManager.java
+++ b/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/proxyarp/impl/ProxyArpManager.java
@@ -31,6 +31,12 @@ import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Deactivate;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Reference;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.ReferenceCardinality;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Service;
+import org.onlab.packet.ARP;
+import org.onlab.packet.Ethernet;
+import org.onlab.packet.Ip4Address;
+import org.onlab.packet.IpAddress;
+import org.onlab.packet.MacAddress;
+import org.onlab.packet.VlanId;
 import org.onosproject.core.ApplicationId;
 import org.onosproject.core.CoreService;
 import org.onosproject.net.ConnectPoint;
@@ -61,12 +67,6 @@ import org.onosproject.net.packet.InboundPacket;
 import org.onosproject.net.packet.PacketContext;
 import org.onosproject.net.packet.PacketService;
 import org.onosproject.net.proxyarp.ProxyArpService;
-import org.onlab.packet.ARP;
-import org.onlab.packet.Ethernet;
-import org.onlab.packet.Ip4Address;
-import org.onlab.packet.IpAddress;
-import org.onlab.packet.MacAddress;
-import org.onlab.packet.VlanId;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.HashMultimap;
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ public class ProxyArpManager implements ProxyArpService {
     public boolean handleArp(PacketContext context) {
         InboundPacket pkt = context.inPacket();
         Ethernet ethPkt = pkt.parsed();
-        if (ethPkt.getEtherType() == Ethernet.TYPE_ARP) {
+        if (ethPkt != null && ethPkt.getEtherType() == Ethernet.TYPE_ARP) {
             ARP arp = (ARP) ethPkt.getPayload();
             if (arp.getOpCode() == ARP.OP_REPLY) {
                 forward(ethPkt);
diff --git a/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/DefaultOpenFlowPacketContext.java b/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/DefaultOpenFlowPacketContext.java
index 2ea634000b..de1d6f05dd 100644
--- a/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/DefaultOpenFlowPacketContext.java
+++ b/openflow/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/openflow/controller/DefaultOpenFlowPacketContext.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 package org.onosproject.openflow.controller;
 
 
+import java.nio.BufferUnderflowException;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
 
@@ -85,8 +86,12 @@ public final class DefaultOpenFlowPacketContext implements OpenFlowPacketContext
     @Override
     public Ethernet parsed() {
         Ethernet eth = new Ethernet();
-        eth.deserialize(pktin.getData(), 0, pktin.getTotalLen());
-        return eth;
+        try {
+            eth.deserialize(pktin.getData(), 0, pktin.getData().length);
+            return eth;
+        } catch (BufferUnderflowException e) {
+            return null;
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/providers/host/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/host/impl/HostLocationProvider.java b/providers/host/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/host/impl/HostLocationProvider.java
index 7c3d2ecc32..0aa050d741 100644
--- a/providers/host/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/host/impl/HostLocationProvider.java
+++ b/providers/host/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/host/impl/HostLocationProvider.java
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@
  */
 package org.onosproject.provider.host.impl;
 
+import static org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger;
+
+import java.util.Dictionary;
+import java.util.Set;
+
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Activate;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Component;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Deactivate;
@@ -22,6 +27,14 @@ import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Modified;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Property;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.Reference;
 import org.apache.felix.scr.annotations.ReferenceCardinality;
+import org.onlab.packet.ARP;
+import org.onlab.packet.Ethernet;
+import org.onlab.packet.IPacket;
+import org.onlab.packet.IPv6;
+import org.onlab.packet.IpAddress;
+import org.onlab.packet.VlanId;
+import org.onlab.packet.ndp.NeighborAdvertisement;
+import org.onlab.packet.ndp.NeighborSolicitation;
 import org.onosproject.core.ApplicationId;
 import org.onosproject.core.CoreService;
 import org.onosproject.net.ConnectPoint;
@@ -52,22 +65,9 @@ import org.onosproject.net.provider.AbstractProvider;
 import org.onosproject.net.provider.ProviderId;
 import org.onosproject.net.topology.Topology;
 import org.onosproject.net.topology.TopologyService;
-import org.onlab.packet.ARP;
-import org.onlab.packet.Ethernet;
-import org.onlab.packet.IpAddress;
-import org.onlab.packet.IPacket;
-import org.onlab.packet.IPv6;
-import org.onlab.packet.ndp.NeighborAdvertisement;
-import org.onlab.packet.ndp.NeighborSolicitation;
-import org.onlab.packet.VlanId;
 import org.osgi.service.component.ComponentContext;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 
-import java.util.Dictionary;
-import java.util.Set;
-
-import static org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger;
-
 /**
  * Provider which uses an OpenFlow controller to detect network
  * end-station hosts.
@@ -200,6 +200,10 @@ public class HostLocationProvider extends AbstractProvider implements HostProvid
             }
             Ethernet eth = context.inPacket().parsed();
 
+            if (eth == null) {
+                return;
+            }
+
             VlanId vlan = VlanId.vlanId(eth.getVlanID());
             ConnectPoint heardOn = context.inPacket().receivedFrom();
 
diff --git a/providers/lldp/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/lldp/impl/LinkDiscovery.java b/providers/lldp/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/lldp/impl/LinkDiscovery.java
index 863fbc01f5..85d1bec939 100644
--- a/providers/lldp/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/lldp/impl/LinkDiscovery.java
+++ b/providers/lldp/src/main/java/org/onosproject/provider/lldp/impl/LinkDiscovery.java
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 
 import org.jboss.netty.util.Timeout;
 import org.jboss.netty.util.TimerTask;
+import org.onlab.packet.Ethernet;
+import org.onlab.packet.ONOSLLDP;
+import org.onlab.util.Timer;
 import org.onosproject.mastership.MastershipService;
 import org.onosproject.net.ConnectPoint;
 import org.onosproject.net.Device;
@@ -47,9 +50,6 @@ import org.onosproject.net.packet.DefaultOutboundPacket;
 import org.onosproject.net.packet.OutboundPacket;
 import org.onosproject.net.packet.PacketContext;
 import org.onosproject.net.packet.PacketService;
-import org.onlab.packet.Ethernet;
-import org.onlab.packet.ONOSLLDP;
-import org.onlab.util.Timer;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 
 // TODO: add 'fast discovery' mode: drop LLDPs in destination switch but listen for flow_removed messages
@@ -208,6 +208,10 @@ public class LinkDiscovery implements TimerTask {
      */
     public boolean handleLLDP(PacketContext context) {
         Ethernet eth = context.inPacket().parsed();
+        if (eth == null) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
         ONOSLLDP onoslldp = ONOSLLDP.parseONOSLLDP(eth);
         if (onoslldp != null) {
             final PortNumber dstPort =