diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_component.c b/ompi/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_component.c
index 72d9a835f4..117ec74e06 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_component.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_component.c
@@ -965,7 +965,8 @@ static int usnic_component_progress(void)
                 if (OPAL_LIKELY(wc.opcode == IBV_WC_RECV &&
                                 wc.status == IBV_WC_SUCCESS)) {
                     rseg = (ompi_btl_usnic_recv_segment_t*)(intptr_t)wc.wr_id;
-                    ompi_btl_usnic_recv_fast(module, rseg, channel);
+                    ompi_btl_usnic_recv_fast(module, rseg, channel,
+                                             wc.byte_len);
                     fastpath_ok = false;    /* prevent starvation */
                     return 1;
                 } else {
@@ -1048,7 +1049,7 @@ static int usnic_handle_completion(
     /**** Receive completions ****/
     case OMPI_BTL_USNIC_SEG_RECV:
         assert(IBV_WC_RECV == cwc->opcode);
-        ompi_btl_usnic_recv(module, rseg, channel);
+        ompi_btl_usnic_recv(module, rseg, channel, cwc->byte_len);
         break;
 
     default:
diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_frag.h b/ompi/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_frag.h
index 2d4f617e50..ad62cbabf2 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_frag.h
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_frag.h
@@ -600,6 +600,36 @@ ompi_btl_usnic_ack_segment_return(
     OMPI_FREE_LIST_RETURN_MT(&(module->ack_segs), &(ack->ss_base.us_list));
 }
 
+/* returns the expected L2 packet size in bytes for the given FRAG recv
+ * segment, based on the payload_len */
+static inline uint32_t
+ompi_btl_usnic_frag_seg_proto_size(ompi_btl_usnic_recv_segment_t *rseg)
+{
+    ompi_btl_usnic_segment_t *bseg = &rseg->rs_base;
+
+    MSGDEBUG1_OUT("us_type=%d\n", bseg->us_type);
+    assert(OMPI_BTL_USNIC_PAYLOAD_TYPE_FRAG == bseg->us_btl_header->payload_type);
+
+    return (OMPI_BTL_USNIC_PROTO_HDR_SZ +
+            sizeof(*bseg->us_btl_header) +
+            bseg->us_btl_header->payload_len);
+}
+
+/* returns the expected L2 packet size in bytes for the given CHUNK recv
+ * segment, based on the payload_len */
+static inline uint32_t
+ompi_btl_usnic_chunk_seg_proto_size(ompi_btl_usnic_recv_segment_t *rseg)
+{
+    ompi_btl_usnic_segment_t *bseg = &rseg->rs_base;
+
+    assert(OMPI_BTL_USNIC_PAYLOAD_TYPE_CHUNK ==
+           bseg->us_btl_chunk_header->ch_hdr.payload_type);
+
+    return (OMPI_BTL_USNIC_PROTO_HDR_SZ +
+            sizeof(*bseg->us_btl_chunk_header) +
+            bseg->us_btl_chunk_header->ch_hdr.payload_len);
+}
+
 END_C_DECLS
 
 #endif
diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_recv.c b/ompi/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_recv.c
index 5a585e530d..ac216a7c73 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_recv.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_recv.c
@@ -49,8 +49,9 @@
  * packet type in the BTL header
  */
 void ompi_btl_usnic_recv_call(ompi_btl_usnic_module_t *module,
-                           ompi_btl_usnic_recv_segment_t *seg,
-                           ompi_btl_usnic_channel_t *channel)
+                              ompi_btl_usnic_recv_segment_t *seg,
+                              ompi_btl_usnic_channel_t *channel,
+                              uint32_t l2_bytes_rcvd)
 {
     ompi_btl_usnic_segment_t *bseg;
     mca_btl_active_message_callback_t* reg;
@@ -132,6 +133,14 @@ void ompi_btl_usnic_recv_call(ompi_btl_usnic_module_t *module,
 #endif
 #endif
 
+        if (OPAL_UNLIKELY(ompi_btl_usnic_frag_seg_proto_size(seg) !=
+                          l2_bytes_rcvd)) {
+            BTL_ERROR(("L2 packet size and segment payload len do not agree!"
+                       " l2_bytes_rcvd=%" PRIu32 " expected=%" PRIu32,
+                       l2_bytes_rcvd, ompi_btl_usnic_frag_seg_proto_size(seg)));
+            abort();
+        }
+
         /* If this it not a PUT, Pass this segment up to the PML.
          * Be sure to get the payload length from the BTL header because
          * the L2 layer may artificially inflate (or otherwise change)
@@ -172,6 +181,14 @@ void ompi_btl_usnic_recv_call(ompi_btl_usnic_module_t *module,
         int frag_index;
         ompi_btl_usnic_rx_frag_info_t *fip;
 
+        if (OPAL_UNLIKELY(ompi_btl_usnic_chunk_seg_proto_size(seg) !=
+                          l2_bytes_rcvd)) {
+            BTL_ERROR(("L2 packet size and segment payload len do not agree!"
+                       " l2_bytes_rcvd=%" PRIu32 " expected=%" PRIu32,
+                       l2_bytes_rcvd, ompi_btl_usnic_chunk_seg_proto_size(seg)));
+            abort();
+        }
+
         /* Is incoming sequence # ok? */
         if (OPAL_UNLIKELY(ompi_btl_usnic_check_rx_seq(endpoint, seg,
                         &window_index) != 0)) {
diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_recv.h b/ompi/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_recv.h
index 1e47d86304..3b99c05c80 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_recv.h
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/usnic/btl_usnic_recv.h
@@ -13,13 +13,15 @@
 #include <infiniband/verbs.h>
 
 #include "btl_usnic.h"
+#include "btl_usnic_util.h"
 #include "btl_usnic_frag.h"
 #include "btl_usnic_proc.h"
 
 
 void ompi_btl_usnic_recv_call(ompi_btl_usnic_module_t *module,
-                           ompi_btl_usnic_recv_segment_t *rseg,
-                           ompi_btl_usnic_channel_t *channel);
+                              ompi_btl_usnic_recv_segment_t *rseg,
+                              ompi_btl_usnic_channel_t *channel,
+                              uint32_t l2_bytes_rcvd);
 
 /*
  * Given an incoming segment, lookup the endpoint that sent it
@@ -240,8 +242,9 @@ dup_needs_ack:
  */
 static inline void
 ompi_btl_usnic_recv_fast(ompi_btl_usnic_module_t *module,
-                           ompi_btl_usnic_recv_segment_t *seg,
-                           ompi_btl_usnic_channel_t *channel)
+                         ompi_btl_usnic_recv_segment_t *seg,
+                         ompi_btl_usnic_channel_t *channel,
+                         uint32_t l2_bytes_rcvd)
 {
     ompi_btl_usnic_segment_t *bseg;
     mca_btl_active_message_callback_t* reg;
@@ -293,7 +296,7 @@ drop:
         channel->chan_deferred_recv = seg;
 
     } else {
-        ompi_btl_usnic_recv_call(module, seg, channel);
+        ompi_btl_usnic_recv_call(module, seg, channel, l2_bytes_rcvd);
     }
 }
 
@@ -349,8 +352,9 @@ repost:
  */
 static inline void
 ompi_btl_usnic_recv(ompi_btl_usnic_module_t *module,
-                           ompi_btl_usnic_recv_segment_t *seg,
-                           ompi_btl_usnic_channel_t *channel)
+                    ompi_btl_usnic_recv_segment_t *seg,
+                    ompi_btl_usnic_channel_t *channel,
+                    uint32_t l2_bytes_rcvd)
 {
     ompi_btl_usnic_segment_t *bseg;
     mca_btl_active_message_callback_t* reg;
@@ -372,6 +376,14 @@ ompi_btl_usnic_recv(ompi_btl_usnic_module_t *module,
                       (void*) endpoint, bseg->us_btl_header->pkt_seq,
                       bseg->us_btl_header->payload_len);
 
+        if (OPAL_UNLIKELY(ompi_btl_usnic_frag_seg_proto_size(seg) !=
+                          l2_bytes_rcvd)) {
+            BTL_ERROR(("L2 packet size and segment payload len do not agree!"
+                       " l2_bytes_rcvd=%" PRIu32 " expected=%" PRIu32,
+                       l2_bytes_rcvd, ompi_btl_usnic_frag_seg_proto_size(seg)));
+            abort();
+        }
+
         /* do the receive bookkeeping */
         rc = ompi_btl_usnic_recv_frag_bookkeeping(module, seg, channel);
         if (rc != 0) {
@@ -390,7 +402,7 @@ ompi_btl_usnic_recv(ompi_btl_usnic_module_t *module,
                     &seg->rs_desc, reg->cbdata);
 
     } else {
-        ompi_btl_usnic_recv_call(module, seg, channel);
+        ompi_btl_usnic_recv_call(module, seg, channel, l2_bytes_rcvd);
     }
 }