diff --git a/src/common/packet-history.cc b/src/common/packet-history.cc
index a95c59013..63712a7d5 100644
--- a/src/common/packet-history.cc
+++ b/src/common/packet-history.cc
@@ -338,7 +338,8 @@ PacketHistory::PacketHistory (uint32_t uid, uint32_t size)
 {
   if (size > 0)
     {
-      AddSmall (true, 0, size);
+      uint16_t written = AddSmall (true, 0, size);
+      Update (true, written);
     }
 }
 PacketHistory::PacketHistory (PacketHistory const &o)
@@ -602,7 +603,7 @@ PacketHistory::Update (bool atStart, uint16_t written)
   m_data->m_dirtyEnd = m_used;
 }
 
-void
+uint16_t
 PacketHistory::AddSmall (bool atStart,
                          uint32_t typeUid, uint32_t size)
 {
@@ -645,9 +646,8 @@ PacketHistory::AddSmall (bool atStart,
         {
           uintptr_t written = buffer - start;
           NS_ASSERT (written <= 0xffff);
-          Update (atStart, written);
           g_one++;
-          return;
+          return written;
         }
     }
   g_two++;
@@ -659,7 +659,7 @@ PacketHistory::AddSmall (bool atStart,
   goto append;
 }
 
-void
+uint16_t
 PacketHistory::AddBig (bool atStart,
                        const PacketHistory::SmallItem *item, 
                        const PacketHistory::ExtraItem *extraItem)
@@ -705,8 +705,7 @@ PacketHistory::AddBig (bool atStart,
         {
           uintptr_t written = buffer - start;
           NS_ASSERT (written <= 0xffff);
-          Update (atStart, written);
-          return;
+          return written;
         }
     }
   
@@ -758,10 +757,12 @@ PacketHistory::ReplaceTail (const PacketHistory::SmallItem *item,
       struct PacketHistory::SmallItem tmpItem;
       PacketHistory::ExtraItem tmpExtraItem;
       ReadItems (current, &tmpItem, &tmpExtraItem);
-      h.AddBig (false, &tmpItem, &tmpExtraItem);
+      uint16_t written = h.AddBig (false, &tmpItem, &tmpExtraItem);
+      h.Update (false, written);
     }
   // append new tail.
-  h.AddBig (false, item, extraItem);
+  uint16_t written = h.AddBig (false, item, extraItem);
+  h.Update (false, written);
 
   *this = h;
 }
@@ -899,7 +900,8 @@ PacketHistory::AddHeader (uint32_t uid, Chunk const & header, uint32_t size)
     {
       return;
     }
-  AddSmall (true, uid, size);
+  uint16_t written = AddSmall (true, uid, size);
+  Update (true, written);
 }
 void 
 PacketHistory::RemoveHeader (uint32_t uid, Chunk const & header, uint32_t size)
@@ -946,7 +948,8 @@ PacketHistory::AddTrailer (uint32_t uid, Chunk const & trailer, uint32_t size)
     {
       return;
     }
-  AddSmall (false, uid, size);
+  uint16_t written = AddSmall (false, uid, size);
+  Update (false, written);
 }
 void 
 PacketHistory::RemoveTrailer (uint32_t uid, Chunk const & trailer, uint32_t size)
@@ -1031,7 +1034,8 @@ PacketHistory::AddAtEnd (PacketHistory const&o)
       else
         {
           // append the extra items.
-          AddBig (false, &item, &extraItem);
+          uint16_t written = AddBig (false, &item, &extraItem);
+          Update (false, written);
         }
       if (current == o.m_tail)
         {
@@ -1080,12 +1084,14 @@ PacketHistory::RemoveAtStart (uint32_t start)
           PacketHistory fragment (m_packetUid, 0);
           extraItem.fragmentStart += leftToRemove;
           leftToRemove = 0;
-          fragment.AddBig (false, &item, &extraItem);
+          uint16_t written = fragment.AddBig (false, &item, &extraItem);
+          Update (false, written);
           current = item.next;
           while (current != 0xffff)
             {
               ReadItems (current, &item, &extraItem);
-              fragment.AddBig (false, &item, &extraItem);
+              written = fragment.AddBig (false, &item, &extraItem);
+              Update (false, written);
               if (current == m_tail)
                 {
                   break;
@@ -1137,12 +1143,14 @@ PacketHistory::RemoveAtEnd (uint32_t end)
           NS_ASSERT (extraItem.fragmentEnd > leftToRemove);
           extraItem.fragmentEnd -= leftToRemove;
           leftToRemove = 0;
-          fragment.AddBig (true, &item, &extraItem);
+          uint16_t written = fragment.AddBig (true, &item, &extraItem);
+          Update (true, written);
           current = item.prev;
           while (current != 0xffff)
             {
               ReadItems (current, &item, &extraItem);
-              fragment.AddBig (true, &item, &extraItem);
+              written = fragment.AddBig (true, &item, &extraItem);
+              Update (true, written);
               if (current == m_head)
                 {
                   break;
diff --git a/src/common/packet-history.h b/src/common/packet-history.h
index ada462a29..1d853742e 100644
--- a/src/common/packet-history.h
+++ b/src/common/packet-history.h
@@ -98,11 +98,11 @@ private:
   void AddTrailer (uint32_t uid, Chunk const & trailer, uint32_t size);
   void RemoveTrailer (uint32_t uid, Chunk const & trailer, uint32_t size);
 
-  void AddSmall (bool atStart,
-                 uint32_t typeUid, uint32_t size);
-  void AddBig (bool atStart,
-               const PacketHistory::SmallItem *item, 
-               const PacketHistory::ExtraItem *extraItem);
+  uint16_t AddSmall (bool atStart,
+                     uint32_t typeUid, uint32_t size);
+  uint16_t AddBig (bool atStart,
+                   const PacketHistory::SmallItem *item, 
+                   const PacketHistory::ExtraItem *extraItem);
   void ReplaceTail (const PacketHistory::SmallItem *item, 
                     const PacketHistory::ExtraItem *extraItem,
                     uint32_t available);