diff --git a/bindings/python/apidefs/gcc-ILP32/ns3_module_common.py b/bindings/python/apidefs/gcc-ILP32/ns3_module_common.py
index 8b1da8399..30d61ac1f 100644
--- a/bindings/python/apidefs/gcc-ILP32/ns3_module_common.py
+++ b/bindings/python/apidefs/gcc-ILP32/ns3_module_common.py
@@ -2033,6 +2033,11 @@ def register_Ns3NixVector_methods(root_module, cls):
                    'uint32_t', 
                    [param('uint32_t', 'numberOfNeighbors')], 
                    is_const=True)
+    ## nix-vector.h: ns3::Ptr<ns3::NixVector> ns3::NixVector::Copy() const [member function]
+    cls.add_method('Copy', 
+                   'ns3::Ptr< ns3::NixVector >', 
+                   [], 
+                   is_const=True)
     ## nix-vector.h: uint32_t ns3::NixVector::Deserialize(uint32_t const * buffer, uint32_t size) [member function]
     cls.add_method('Deserialize', 
                    'uint32_t', 
diff --git a/bindings/python/apidefs/gcc-LP64/ns3_module_common.py b/bindings/python/apidefs/gcc-LP64/ns3_module_common.py
index 8b1da8399..30d61ac1f 100644
--- a/bindings/python/apidefs/gcc-LP64/ns3_module_common.py
+++ b/bindings/python/apidefs/gcc-LP64/ns3_module_common.py
@@ -2033,6 +2033,11 @@ def register_Ns3NixVector_methods(root_module, cls):
                    'uint32_t', 
                    [param('uint32_t', 'numberOfNeighbors')], 
                    is_const=True)
+    ## nix-vector.h: ns3::Ptr<ns3::NixVector> ns3::NixVector::Copy() const [member function]
+    cls.add_method('Copy', 
+                   'ns3::Ptr< ns3::NixVector >', 
+                   [], 
+                   is_const=True)
     ## nix-vector.h: uint32_t ns3::NixVector::Deserialize(uint32_t const * buffer, uint32_t size) [member function]
     cls.add_method('Deserialize', 
                    'uint32_t', 
diff --git a/src/common/nix-vector.cc b/src/common/nix-vector.cc
index 4cac8976b..20936ff15 100644
--- a/src/common/nix-vector.cc
+++ b/src/common/nix-vector.cc
@@ -65,6 +65,15 @@ NixVector::operator = (const NixVector &o)
   return *this;
 }
 
+Ptr<NixVector>
+NixVector::Copy (void) const
+{
+  // we need to invoke the copy constructor directly
+  // rather than calling Create because the copy constructor
+  // is private.
+  return Ptr<NixVector> (new NixVector (*this), false);
+}
+
 std::ostream & operator << (std::ostream &os, const NixVector &nix)
 {
   nix.DumpNixVector (os); 
diff --git a/src/common/nix-vector.h b/src/common/nix-vector.h
index bdea091e8..fd41fefa7 100644
--- a/src/common/nix-vector.h
+++ b/src/common/nix-vector.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #ifndef __NIX_VECTOR_H__
 #define __NIX_VECTOR_H__
 
+#include "ns3/ptr.h"
 #include "ns3/simple-ref-count.h"
 #include "ns3/buffer.h"
 
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ class NixVector : public SimpleRefCount<NixVector>
   public:
     NixVector ();
     ~NixVector ();
+    Ptr<NixVector> Copy (void) const;
     NixVector (const NixVector &o);
     NixVector &operator = (const NixVector &o);
     /**
diff --git a/src/common/packet.cc b/src/common/packet.cc
index b506f3e88..bfe715b4e 100644
--- a/src/common/packet.cc
+++ b/src/common/packet.cc
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ Packet::Packet (const Packet &o)
     m_packetTagList (o.m_packetTagList),
     m_metadata (o.m_metadata)
 {
-  o.m_nixVector ? m_nixVector = o.m_nixVector 
+  o.m_nixVector ? m_nixVector = o.m_nixVector->Copy ()
     : m_nixVector = 0;
 }
 
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ Packet::operator = (const Packet &o)
   m_byteTagList = o.m_byteTagList;
   m_packetTagList = o.m_packetTagList;
   m_metadata = o.m_metadata;
-  o.m_nixVector ? m_nixVector = o.m_nixVector 
+  o.m_nixVector ? m_nixVector = o.m_nixVector->Copy () 
     : m_nixVector = 0;
   return *this;
 }
diff --git a/src/routing/nix-vector-routing/ipv4-nix-vector-routing.cc b/src/routing/nix-vector-routing/ipv4-nix-vector-routing.cc
index 698c92d81..c60988e3a 100644
--- a/src/routing/nix-vector-routing/ipv4-nix-vector-routing.cc
+++ b/src/routing/nix-vector-routing/ipv4-nix-vector-routing.cc
@@ -510,7 +510,7 @@ Ipv4NixVectorRouting::RouteOutput (Ptr<Packet> p, const Ipv4Header &header, Ptr<
       // create a new nix vector to be used, 
       // we want to keep the cached version clean
       nixVectorForPacket = Create<NixVector> ();
-      nixVectorForPacket = nixVectorInCache; 
+      nixVectorForPacket = nixVectorInCache->Copy (); 
 
       // Get the interface number that we go out of, by extracting
       // from the nix-vector