diff --git a/src/common/chunk-registry.cc b/src/common/chunk-registry.cc
index 076e4d3f5..4010b3d77 100644
--- a/src/common/chunk-registry.cc
+++ b/src/common/chunk-registry.cc
@@ -29,6 +29,31 @@ ChunkRegistry::GetInfoVector (void)
   return &vec;
 }
 
+std::string 
+ChunkRegistry::GetUidStringFromUid (uint32_t uid)
+{
+  InfoVector *vec = GetInfoVector ();
+  NS_ASSERT (uid >= 1 && uid <= vec->size ());
+  Info info = (*vec)[uid - 1];
+  return info.uidString;
+}
+uint32_t 
+ChunkRegistry::GetUidFromUidString (std::string uidString)
+{
+  uint32_t uid = 1;
+  InfoVector *vec = GetInfoVector ();
+  for (InfoVector::iterator i = vec->begin (); i != vec->end (); i++)
+    {
+      if (i->uidString == uidString)
+	{
+	  return uid;
+	}
+    }
+  NS_FATAL_ERROR ("Trying to access a non-registered Header or Trailer: \"" << uidString << "\". "<<
+		  "You could try calling NS_HEADER_ENSURE_REGISTER somewhere.");
+  return 0;
+}
+
 uint8_t *
 ChunkRegistry::GetStaticInstance (uint32_t uid)
 {
diff --git a/src/common/chunk-registry.h b/src/common/chunk-registry.h
index 56705aaea..ce94d1104 100644
--- a/src/common/chunk-registry.h
+++ b/src/common/chunk-registry.h
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ public:
   template <typename T>
   static uint32_t GetTrailerUid (void);
 
+  static std::string GetUidStringFromUid (uint32_t uid);
+  static uint32_t GetUidFromUidString (std::string uidString);
   static uint8_t *GetStaticInstance (uint32_t uid);
   static uint32_t Deserialize (uint32_t uid, uint8_t *instance, Buffer::Iterator i);
   static void Print (uint32_t uid, uint8_t *instance, std::ostream &os);
diff --git a/src/common/packet-metadata.cc b/src/common/packet-metadata.cc
index 99749cc8c..e949efdca 100644
--- a/src/common/packet-metadata.cc
+++ b/src/common/packet-metadata.cc
@@ -1087,5 +1087,111 @@ PacketMetadata::Print (std::ostream &os, Buffer data, const PacketPrinter &print
     }
 }
 
+uint32_t 
+PacketMetadata::GetSerializedSize (void) const
+{
+  uint32_t totalSize = 0;
+  totalSize += 4;
+  if (!m_enable)
+    {
+      return totalSize;
+    }
+  struct PacketMetadata::SmallItem item;
+  struct PacketMetadata::ExtraItem extraItem;
+  uint32_t current = m_head;
+  while (current != 0xffff)
+    {
+      ReadItems (current, &item, &extraItem);
+      uint32_t uid = (item.typeUid & 0xfffffffe) >> 1;
+      totalSize += 4 + ChunkRegistry::GetUidStringFromUid (uid).size () +
+        1 + 4 + 2 + 4 + 4 + 4;
+      if (current == m_tail)
+        {
+          break;
+        }
+      NS_ASSERT (current != item.next);
+      current = item.next;
+    }
+  return totalSize;
+}
+void 
+PacketMetadata::Serialize (Buffer::Iterator i, uint32_t size) const
+{
+  uint32_t bytesWritten = 0;
+  i.WriteU32 (size);
+  bytesWritten += 4;
+  struct PacketMetadata::SmallItem item;
+  struct PacketMetadata::ExtraItem extraItem;
+  uint32_t current = m_head;
+  while (current != 0xffff)
+    {
+      ReadItems (current, &item, &extraItem);
+      uint32_t uid = (item.typeUid & 0xfffffffe) >> 1;
+      std::string uidString = ChunkRegistry::GetUidStringFromUid (uid);
+      i.WriteU32 (uidString.size ());
+      bytesWritten += 4;
+      i.Write ((uint8_t *)uidString.c_str (), uidString.size ());
+      bytesWritten += uidString.size ();
+      uint8_t isBig = item.typeUid & 0x1;
+      i.WriteU8 (isBig);
+      bytesWritten += 1;
+      i.WriteU32 (item.size);
+      bytesWritten += 4;
+      i.WriteU16 (item.chunkUid);
+      bytesWritten += 2;
+      i.WriteU32 (extraItem.fragmentStart);
+      bytesWritten += 4;
+      i.WriteU32 (extraItem.fragmentEnd);
+      bytesWritten += 4;
+      i.WriteU32 (extraItem.packetUid);
+      bytesWritten += 4;
+      if (current == m_tail)
+        {
+          break;
+        }
+      
+      NS_ASSERT (current != item.next);
+      current = item.next;
+    }
+  NS_ASSERT (bytesWritten == size);
+}
+uint32_t 
+PacketMetadata::Deserialize (Buffer::Iterator i)
+{
+  struct PacketMetadata::SmallItem item;
+  struct PacketMetadata::ExtraItem extraItem;
+  uint32_t size = i.ReadU32 ();
+  size -= 4;
+  while (size > 0)
+    {
+      uint32_t uidStringSize = i.ReadU32 ();
+      size -= 4;
+      std::string uidString;
+      for (uint32_t j = 0; j < uidStringSize; j++)
+        {
+          uidString.push_back (i.ReadU8 ());
+          size --;
+        }
+      uint32_t uid = ChunkRegistry::GetUidFromUidString (uidString);
+      uint8_t isBig = i.ReadU8 ();
+      size --;
+      item.typeUid = (uid << 1) | isBig;
+      item.size = i.ReadU32 ();
+      size -= 4;
+      item.chunkUid = i.ReadU16 ();
+      size -= 2;
+      extraItem.fragmentStart = i.ReadU32 ();
+      size -= 4;
+      extraItem.fragmentEnd = i.ReadU32 ();
+      size -= 4;
+      extraItem.packetUid = i.ReadU32 ();
+      size -= 4;
+      uint32_t tmp = AddBig (0xffff, m_tail, &item, &extraItem);
+      UpdateTail (tmp);
+    }
+  return size;
+}
+
+
 } // namespace ns3
 
diff --git a/src/common/packet-metadata.h b/src/common/packet-metadata.h
index e7944dfac..0c98b2cf7 100644
--- a/src/common/packet-metadata.h
+++ b/src/common/packet-metadata.h
@@ -102,6 +102,10 @@ public:
 
   void Print (std::ostream &os, Buffer buffer, PacketPrinter const &printer) const;
 
+  uint32_t GetSerializedSize (void) const;
+  void Serialize (Buffer::Iterator i, uint32_t size) const;
+  uint32_t Deserialize (Buffer::Iterator i);
+
   static void PrintStats (void);
 
 private: