diff --git a/src/internet-stack/icmpv4-l4-protocol.cc b/src/internet-stack/icmpv4-l4-protocol.cc
index 49dfc2dcd..e5b8c9a28 100644
--- a/src/internet-stack/icmpv4-l4-protocol.cc
+++ b/src/internet-stack/icmpv4-l4-protocol.cc
@@ -26,11 +26,6 @@ Icmpv4L4Protocol::GetTypeId (void)
   static TypeId tid = TypeId ("ns3::Icmpv4L4Protocol")
     .SetParent<Ipv4L4Protocol> ()
     .AddConstructor<Icmpv4L4Protocol> ()
-    .AddAttribute ("CalcChecksum", 
-		   "Control whether the icmp header checksum is calculated and stored in outgoing icmpv4 headers",
-		   BooleanValue (false),
-		   MakeBooleanAccessor (&Icmpv4L4Protocol::m_calcChecksum),
-		   MakeBooleanChecker ())
     ;
   return tid;
 }
@@ -111,7 +106,7 @@ Icmpv4L4Protocol::SendMessage (Ptr<Packet> packet, Ipv4Address source, Ipv4Addre
   Icmpv4Header icmp;
   icmp.SetType (type);
   icmp.SetCode (code);
-  if (m_calcChecksum)
+  if (Node::ChecksumEnabled ())
     {
       icmp.EnableChecksum ();
     }
diff --git a/src/internet-stack/icmpv4-l4-protocol.h b/src/internet-stack/icmpv4-l4-protocol.h
index d9f328c30..27c834279 100644
--- a/src/internet-stack/icmpv4-l4-protocol.h
+++ b/src/internet-stack/icmpv4-l4-protocol.h
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ private:
   virtual void DoDispose (void);
 
   Ptr<Node> m_node;
-  bool m_calcChecksum;
 };
 
 } // namespace ns3
diff --git a/src/internet-stack/ipv4-l3-protocol.cc b/src/internet-stack/ipv4-l3-protocol.cc
index b3d635157..d9799fe70 100644
--- a/src/internet-stack/ipv4-l3-protocol.cc
+++ b/src/internet-stack/ipv4-l3-protocol.cc
@@ -61,11 +61,6 @@ Ipv4L3Protocol::GetTypeId (void)
                    UintegerValue (64),
                    MakeUintegerAccessor (&Ipv4L3Protocol::m_defaultTtl),
                    MakeUintegerChecker<uint8_t> ())
-    .AddAttribute ("CalcChecksum", "If true, we calculate the checksum of outgoing packets"
-                   " and verify the checksum of incoming packets.",
-                   BooleanValue (false),
-                   MakeBooleanAccessor (&Ipv4L3Protocol::m_calcChecksum),
-                   MakeBooleanChecker ())
     .AddTraceSource ("Tx", "Send ipv4 packet to outgoing interface.",
                    MakeTraceSourceAccessor (&Ipv4L3Protocol::m_txTrace))
     .AddTraceSource ("Rx", "Receive ipv4 packet from incoming interface.",
@@ -422,7 +417,7 @@ Ipv4L3Protocol::Receive( Ptr<NetDevice> device, Ptr<const Packet> p, uint16_t pr
     }
 
   Ipv4Header ipHeader;
-  if (m_calcChecksum)
+  if (Node::ChecksumEnabled ())
     {
       ipHeader.EnableChecksum ();
     }
@@ -609,7 +604,7 @@ Ipv4L3Protocol::BuildHeader (
       ipHeader.SetIdentification (m_identification);
       m_identification ++;
     }
-  if (m_calcChecksum)
+  if (Node::ChecksumEnabled ())
     {
       ipHeader.EnableChecksum ();
     }
diff --git a/src/internet-stack/ipv4-l3-protocol.h b/src/internet-stack/ipv4-l3-protocol.h
index 9b371a209..ae26ba232 100644
--- a/src/internet-stack/ipv4-l3-protocol.h
+++ b/src/internet-stack/ipv4-l3-protocol.h
@@ -211,7 +211,6 @@ private:
   Ipv4InterfaceList m_interfaces;
   uint32_t m_nInterfaces;
   uint8_t m_defaultTtl;
-  bool m_calcChecksum;
   uint16_t m_identification;
   Ptr<Node> m_node;
   TracedCallback<Ptr<const Packet>, uint32_t> m_txTrace;
diff --git a/src/internet-stack/tcp-l4-protocol.cc b/src/internet-stack/tcp-l4-protocol.cc
index 92d0e2543..b133573a4 100644
--- a/src/internet-stack/tcp-l4-protocol.cc
+++ b/src/internet-stack/tcp-l4-protocol.cc
@@ -332,11 +332,6 @@ TcpL4Protocol::GetTypeId (void)
                    ObjectFactoryValue (GetDefaultRttEstimatorFactory ()),
                    MakeObjectFactoryAccessor (&TcpL4Protocol::m_rttFactory),
                    MakeObjectFactoryChecker ())
-    .AddAttribute ("CalcChecksum", "If true, we calculate the checksum of outgoing packets"
-                   " and verify the checksum of incoming packets.",
-                   BooleanValue (false),
-                   MakeBooleanAccessor (&TcpL4Protocol::m_calcChecksum),
-                   MakeBooleanChecker ())
     .AddAttribute ("SocketList", "The list of sockets associated to this protocol.",
                    ObjectVectorValue (),
                    MakeObjectVectorAccessor (&TcpL4Protocol::m_sockets),
@@ -477,7 +472,7 @@ TcpL4Protocol::Receive (Ptr<Packet> packet,
   NS_LOG_FUNCTION (this << packet << source << destination << incomingInterface);
 
   TcpHeader tcpHeader;
-  if(m_calcChecksum)
+  if(Node::ChecksumEnabled ())
   {
     tcpHeader.EnableChecksums();
     tcpHeader.InitializeChecksum (source, destination, PROT_NUMBER);
@@ -529,7 +524,7 @@ TcpL4Protocol::Send (Ptr<Packet> packet,
   TcpHeader tcpHeader;
   tcpHeader.SetDestinationPort (dport);
   tcpHeader.SetSourcePort (sport);
-  if(m_calcChecksum)
+  if(Node::ChecksumEnabled ())
   {
     tcpHeader.EnableChecksums();
   }
@@ -571,7 +566,7 @@ TcpL4Protocol::SendPacket (Ptr<Packet> packet, TcpHeader outgoingHeader,
 
   outgoingHeader.SetLength (5); //header length in units of 32bit words
   /* outgoingHeader.SetUrgentPointer (0); //XXX */
-  if(m_calcChecksum)
+  if(Node::ChecksumEnabled ())
   {
     outgoingHeader.EnableChecksums();
   }
diff --git a/src/internet-stack/tcp-l4-protocol.h b/src/internet-stack/tcp-l4-protocol.h
index f0e7e73b3..b610471c7 100644
--- a/src/internet-stack/tcp-l4-protocol.h
+++ b/src/internet-stack/tcp-l4-protocol.h
@@ -124,8 +124,6 @@ private:
                   Ipv4Address, Ipv4Address);
   static ObjectFactory GetDefaultRttEstimatorFactory (void);
 
-  bool m_goodChecksum;
-  bool m_calcChecksum;
   std::vector<Ptr<TcpSocketImpl> > m_sockets;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/internet-stack/udp-l4-protocol.cc b/src/internet-stack/udp-l4-protocol.cc
index f65a4228b..2f3bf9fc3 100644
--- a/src/internet-stack/udp-l4-protocol.cc
+++ b/src/internet-stack/udp-l4-protocol.cc
@@ -48,11 +48,6 @@ UdpL4Protocol::GetTypeId (void)
   static TypeId tid = TypeId ("ns3::UdpL4Protocol")
     .SetParent<Ipv4L4Protocol> ()
     .AddConstructor<UdpL4Protocol> ()
-    .AddAttribute ("CalcChecksum", "If true, we calculate the checksum of outgoing packets"
-                   " and verify the checksum of incoming packets.",
-                   BooleanValue (false),
-                   MakeBooleanAccessor (&UdpL4Protocol::m_calcChecksum),
-                   MakeBooleanChecker ())
     ;
   return tid;
 }
@@ -204,7 +199,7 @@ UdpL4Protocol::Receive(Ptr<Packet> packet,
 {
   NS_LOG_FUNCTION (this << packet << source << destination);
   UdpHeader udpHeader;
-  if(m_calcChecksum)
+  if(Node::ChecksumEnabled ())
   {
     udpHeader.EnableChecksums();
   }
@@ -243,7 +238,7 @@ UdpL4Protocol::Send (Ptr<Packet> packet,
   NS_LOG_FUNCTION (this << packet << saddr << daddr << sport << dport);
 
   UdpHeader udpHeader;
-  if(m_calcChecksum)
+  if(Node::ChecksumEnabled ())
   {
     udpHeader.EnableChecksums();
     udpHeader.InitializeChecksum (saddr,
@@ -272,7 +267,7 @@ UdpL4Protocol::Send (Ptr<Packet> packet,
   NS_LOG_FUNCTION (this << packet << saddr << daddr << sport << dport);
 
   UdpHeader udpHeader;
-  if(m_calcChecksum)
+  if(Node::ChecksumEnabled ())
   {
     udpHeader.EnableChecksums();
     udpHeader.InitializeChecksum (saddr,
diff --git a/src/internet-stack/udp-l4-protocol.h b/src/internet-stack/udp-l4-protocol.h
index faf406ed6..50794d2c2 100644
--- a/src/internet-stack/udp-l4-protocol.h
+++ b/src/internet-stack/udp-l4-protocol.h
@@ -118,7 +118,6 @@ protected:
 private:
   Ptr<Node> m_node;
   Ipv4EndPointDemux *m_endPoints;
-  bool m_calcChecksum;
 };
 
 }; // namespace ns3
diff --git a/src/node/node.cc b/src/node/node.cc
index bdc7d1c35..90922de60 100644
--- a/src/node/node.cc
+++ b/src/node/node.cc
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 #include "ns3/uinteger.h"
 #include "ns3/log.h"
 #include "ns3/assert.h"
+#include "ns3/global-value.h"
+#include "ns3/boolean.h"
 
 NS_LOG_COMPONENT_DEFINE ("Node");
 
@@ -35,6 +37,11 @@ namespace ns3{
 
 NS_OBJECT_ENSURE_REGISTERED (Node);
 
+GlobalValue g_checksumEnabled  = GlobalValue ("ChecksumEnabled",
+                                              "A global switch to enable all checksums for all protocols",
+                                              BooleanValue (false),
+                                              MakeBooleanChecker ());
+
 TypeId 
 Node::GetTypeId (void)
 {
@@ -222,6 +229,14 @@ Node::UnregisterProtocolHandler (ProtocolHandler handler)
     }
 }
 
+bool
+Node::ChecksumEnabled (void)
+{
+  BooleanValue val;
+  g_checksumEnabled.GetValue (val);
+  return val.Get ();
+}
+
 bool
 Node::PromiscReceiveFromDevice (Ptr<NetDevice> device, Ptr<const Packet> packet, uint16_t protocol,
                                 const Address &from, const Address &to, NetDevice::PacketType packetType)
diff --git a/src/node/node.h b/src/node/node.h
index b740a175b..2ce67b530 100644
--- a/src/node/node.h
+++ b/src/node/node.h
@@ -172,6 +172,12 @@ public:
    */
   void UnregisterProtocolHandler (ProtocolHandler handler);
 
+  
+  /**
+   * \returns true if checksums are enabled, false otherwise.
+   */
+  static bool ChecksumEnabled (void);
+
 
 protected:
   /**