diff --git a/src/internet/model/ipv4-header.cc b/src/internet/model/ipv4-header.cc
index 5b70d3297..e54a222a3 100644
--- a/src/internet/model/ipv4-header.cc
+++ b/src/internet/model/ipv4-header.cc
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
  */
 
 #include "ns3/assert.h"
+#include "ns3/abort.h"
 #include "ns3/log.h"
 #include "ns3/header.h"
 #include "ipv4-header.h"
@@ -71,8 +72,6 @@ Ipv4Header::SetIdentification (uint16_t identification)
   m_identification = identification;
 }
 
-
-
 void 
 Ipv4Header::SetTos (uint8_t tos)
 {
@@ -116,15 +115,20 @@ Ipv4Header::IsDontFragment (void) const
 }
 
 void 
-Ipv4Header::SetFragmentOffset (uint16_t offset)
+Ipv4Header::SetFragmentOffset (uint16_t offsetBytes)
 {
-  NS_ASSERT (!(offset & (~0x3fff)));
-  m_fragmentOffset = offset;
+  // check if the user is trying to set an invalid offset
+  NS_ABORT_MSG_IF ((offsetBytes & 0x7), "offsetBytes must be multiple of 8 bytes");
+  m_fragmentOffset = offsetBytes;
 }
 uint16_t 
 Ipv4Header::GetFragmentOffset (void) const
 {
-  NS_ASSERT (!(m_fragmentOffset & (~0x3fff)));
+  if ((m_fragmentOffset+m_payloadSize+5*4) > 65535)
+    {
+      NS_LOG_WARN("Fragment will exceed the maximum packet size once reassembled");
+    }
+
   return m_fragmentOffset;
 }
 
@@ -223,7 +227,7 @@ Ipv4Header::Print (std::ostream &os) const
      << "ttl " << m_ttl << " "
      << "id " << m_identification << " "
      << "protocol " << m_protocol << " "
-     << "offset " << m_fragmentOffset << " "
+     << "offset (bytes) " << m_fragmentOffset << " "
      << "flags [" << flags << "] "
      << "length: " << (m_payloadSize + 5 * 4)
      << " " 
diff --git a/src/internet/model/ipv4-header.h b/src/internet/model/ipv4-header.h
index 6b949cff7..0d92fcf05 100644
--- a/src/internet/model/ipv4-header.h
+++ b/src/internet/model/ipv4-header.h
@@ -70,9 +70,12 @@ public:
    */
   void SetMayFragment (void);
   /**
-   * \param offset the ipv4 fragment offset
+   * The offset is measured in bytes for the packet start.
+   * Mind that IPv4 "fragment offset" field is 13 bits long and is measured in 8-bytes words.
+   * Hence, the function does enforce that the offset is a multiple of 8.
+   * \param offsetBytes the ipv4 fragment offset measured in bytes from the start.
    */
-  void SetFragmentOffset (uint16_t offset);
+  void SetFragmentOffset (uint16_t offsetBytes);
   /**
    * \param ttl the ipv4 TTL
    */
@@ -110,7 +113,7 @@ public:
    */
   bool IsDontFragment (void) const;
   /**
-   * \returns the offset of this fragment.
+   * \returns the offset of this fragment measured in bytes from the start.
    */
   uint16_t GetFragmentOffset (void) const;
   /**
@@ -159,7 +162,7 @@ private:
   uint32_t m_ttl : 8;
   uint32_t m_protocol : 8;
   uint32_t m_flags : 3;
-  uint16_t m_fragmentOffset : 13;
+  uint16_t m_fragmentOffset;
   Ipv4Address m_source;
   Ipv4Address m_destination;
   uint16_t m_checksum;