diff --git a/roxie/udplib/udptrr.cpp b/roxie/udplib/udptrr.cpp
index e4598a84974..8dec8182b4f 100644
--- a/roxie/udplib/udptrr.cpp
+++ b/roxie/udplib/udptrr.cpp
@@ -1303,7 +1303,7 @@ class CReceiveManager : implements IReceiveManager, public CInterface
             Thread::start();
             started.wait();
         }
-        
+
         ~receive_data()
         {
             DBGLOG("Total data packets seen = %u OOO(%u) Requests(%u) Permits(%u)", dataPacketsReceived.load(), packetsOOO.load(), flowRequestsReceived.load(), flowRequestsSent.load());
@@ -1336,11 +1336,37 @@ class CReceiveManager : implements IReceiveManager, public CInterface
                 try 
                 {
                     unsigned int res;
+                    UdpPacketHeader &hdr = *(UdpPacketHeader *) b->data;
                     while (true)
                     {
-                        receive_socket->readtms(b->data, 1, DATA_PAYLOAD, res, timeout);
-                        if (res!=sizeof(UdpRequestToSendMsg))
-                            break;
+                        //Read at least the size of the smallest packet we can receive
+                        //static assert to check we are reading the smaller of the two possible packet types
+                        static_assert(sizeof(UdpRequestToSendMsg) <= sizeof(UdpPacketHeader));
+                        receive_socket->readtms(b->data, sizeof(UdpRequestToSendMsg), DATA_PAYLOAD, res, timeout);
+
+                        //Even if a UDP packet is not split, very occasionally only some of the data may be present for the read.
+                        //Slightly horribly this packet could be one of two different formats(!)
+                        //  a UdpRequestToSendMsg, which has a 2 byte command at the start of the header, with a maximum value of max_flow_cmd
+                        //  a UdpPacketHeader which has a 2 byte length.  This length must be > sizeof(UdpPacketHeader).
+                        //Since max_flow_cmd < sizeof(UdpPacketHeader) this can be used to distinguish a true data packet(!)
+                        static_assert(flowType::max_flow_cmd < sizeof(UdpPacketHeader)); // assert to check the above comment is correct
+
+                        if (hdr.length >= sizeof(UdpPacketHeader))
+                        {
+                            if (res == hdr.length)
+                                break;
+
+                            //Very rare situation - log it so that there is some evidence that it is occurring
+                            OWARNLOG("Received partial network packet - %u bytes out of %u received", res, hdr.length);
+
+                            //Because we are reading UDP datgrams rather than tcp packets, if we failed to read the whole datagram
+                            //the rest of the datgram is lost - you cannot call readtms to read the rest of the datagram.
+                            //Therefore throw this incomplete datagram away and allow the resend mechanism to retransmit it.
+                            continue;
+                        }
+
+                        //Sanity check
+                        assertex(res == sizeof(UdpRequestToSendMsg));
 
                         //Sending flow packets (eg send_completed) to the data thread ensures they do not overtake the data
                         //Redirect them to the flow thread to process them.
@@ -1348,8 +1374,6 @@ class CReceiveManager : implements IReceiveManager, public CInterface
                     }
 
                     dataPacketsReceived++;
-                    UdpPacketHeader &hdr = *(UdpPacketHeader *) b->data;
-                    assert(hdr.length == res && hdr.length > sizeof(hdr));
                     UdpSenderEntry *sender = &parent.sendersTable[hdr.node];
                     if (sender->noteSeen(hdr))
                     {
diff --git a/roxie/udplib/udptrs.cpp b/roxie/udplib/udptrs.cpp
index 5ed9996118f..96912bc604f 100644
--- a/roxie/udplib/udptrs.cpp
+++ b/roxie/udplib/udptrs.cpp
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ class UdpReceiverEntry : public IUdpReceiverEntry
                         aesEncrypt(udpkey.get(), udpkey.length(), data, length, encryptBuffer);
                         header->length = encryptBuffer.length();
                         encryptBuffer.writeDirect(0, sizeof(UdpPacketHeader), header);   // Only really need length updating
-                        assert(length <= DATA_PAYLOAD);
+                        assertex(encryptBuffer.length() <= DATA_PAYLOAD);
                         data_socket->write(encryptBuffer.toByteArray(), encryptBuffer.length());
                     }
                     else