diff --git a/src/extra/ipv4.c b/src/extra/ipv4.c
index caafd37..797bab1 100644
--- a/src/extra/ipv4.c
+++ b/src/extra/ipv4.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL
 struct iphdr *nfq_ip_get_hdr(struct pkt_buff *pktb)
 {
 	struct iphdr *iph;
-	unsigned int pktlen = pktb->tail - pktb->network_header;
+	unsigned int pktlen = pktb_tail(pktb) - pktb->network_header;
 
 	/* Not enough room for IPv4 header. */
 	if (pktlen < sizeof(struct iphdr))
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ int nfq_ip_mangle(struct pkt_buff *pktb, unsigned int dataoff,
 		return 0;
 
 	/* fix IP hdr checksum information */
-	iph->tot_len = htons(pktb->tail - pktb->network_header);
+	iph->tot_len = htons(pktb_tail(pktb) - pktb->network_header);
 	nfq_ip_set_checksum(iph);
 
 	return 1;
diff --git a/src/extra/ipv6.c b/src/extra/ipv6.c
index 6e8820c..42c5e25 100644
--- a/src/extra/ipv6.c
+++ b/src/extra/ipv6.c
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL
 struct ip6_hdr *nfq_ip6_get_hdr(struct pkt_buff *pktb)
 {
 	struct ip6_hdr *ip6h;
-	unsigned int pktlen = pktb->tail - pktb->network_header;
+	unsigned int pktlen = pktb_tail(pktb) - pktb->network_header;
 
 	/* Not enough room for IPv6 header. */
 	if (pktlen < sizeof(struct ip6_hdr))
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ int nfq_ip6_set_transport_header(struct pkt_buff *pktb, struct ip6_hdr *ip6h,
 			break;
 		}
 		/* No room for extension, bad packet. */
-		if (pktb->tail - cur < sizeof(struct ip6_ext)) {
+		if (pktb_tail(pktb) - cur < sizeof(struct ip6_ext)) {
 			cur = NULL;
 			break;
 		}
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ int nfq_ip6_set_transport_header(struct pkt_buff *pktb, struct ip6_hdr *ip6h,
 			uint16_t *frag_off;
 
 			/* No room for full fragment header, bad packet. */
-			if (pktb->tail - cur < sizeof(struct ip6_frag)) {
+			if (pktb_tail(pktb) - cur < sizeof(struct ip6_frag)) {
 				cur = NULL;
 				break;
 			}
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ int nfq_ip6_mangle(struct pkt_buff *pktb, unsigned int dataoff,
 
 	/* Fix IPv6 hdr length information */
 	ip6h->ip6_plen =
-		htons(pktb->tail - pktb->network_header - sizeof *ip6h);
+		htons(pktb_tail(pktb) - pktb->network_header - sizeof *ip6h);
 
 	return 1;
 }
diff --git a/src/extra/pktbuff.c b/src/extra/pktbuff.c
index c95384f..6dd0ca9 100644
--- a/src/extra/pktbuff.c
+++ b/src/extra/pktbuff.c
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ struct pkt_buff *pktb_alloc(int family, void *data, size_t len, size_t extra)
 	pktb->data_len = len + extra;
 
 	pktb->data = pkt_data;
-	pktb->tail = pktb->data + len;
 
 	switch(family) {
 	case AF_INET:
@@ -190,7 +189,6 @@ void pktb_pull(struct pkt_buff *pktb, unsigned int len)
 EXPORT_SYMBOL
 void pktb_put(struct pkt_buff *pktb, unsigned int len)
 {
-	pktb->tail += len;
 	pktb->len += len;
 }
 
@@ -203,7 +201,6 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL
 void pktb_trim(struct pkt_buff *pktb, unsigned int len)
 {
 	pktb->len = len;
-	pktb->tail = pktb->data + len;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -279,7 +276,6 @@ static int pktb_expand_tail(struct pkt_buff *pktb, int extra)
 		return 0;
 
 	pktb->len += extra;
-	pktb->tail = pktb->tail + extra;
 	return 1;
 }
 
@@ -334,7 +330,7 @@ int pktb_mangle(struct pkt_buff *pktb,
 	/* move post-replacement */
 	memmove(data + match_offset + rep_len,
 		data + match_offset + match_len,
-		pktb->tail - (pktb->network_header + dataoff +
+		pktb_tail(pktb) - (pktb->network_header + dataoff +
 			     match_offset + match_len));
 
 	/* insert data from buffer */
diff --git a/src/extra/tcp.c b/src/extra/tcp.c
index cca20e7..933c6ee 100644
--- a/src/extra/tcp.c
+++ b/src/extra/tcp.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ struct tcphdr *nfq_tcp_get_hdr(struct pkt_buff *pktb)
 		return NULL;
 
 	/* No room for the TCP header. */
-	if (pktb->tail - pktb->transport_header < sizeof(struct tcphdr))
+	if (pktb_tail(pktb) - pktb->transport_header < sizeof(struct tcphdr))
 		return NULL;
 
 	return (struct tcphdr *)pktb->transport_header;
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ void *nfq_tcp_get_payload(struct tcphdr *tcph, struct pkt_buff *pktb)
 		return NULL;
 
 	/* malformed TCP data offset. */
-	if (pktb->transport_header + len > pktb->tail)
+	if (pktb->transport_header + len > pktb_tail(pktb))
 		return NULL;
 
 	return pktb->transport_header + len;
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ void *nfq_tcp_get_payload(struct tcphdr *tcph, struct pkt_buff *pktb)
 EXPORT_SYMBOL
 unsigned int nfq_tcp_get_payload_len(struct tcphdr *tcph, struct pkt_buff *pktb)
 {
-	return pktb->tail - pktb->transport_header - (tcph->doff * 4);
+	return pktb_tail(pktb) - pktb->transport_header - (tcph->doff * 4);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/extra/udp.c b/src/extra/udp.c
index dc476d4..f232127 100644
--- a/src/extra/udp.c
+++ b/src/extra/udp.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ struct udphdr *nfq_udp_get_hdr(struct pkt_buff *pktb)
 		return NULL;
 
 	/* No room for the UDP header. */
-	if (pktb->tail - pktb->transport_header < sizeof(struct udphdr))
+	if (pktb_tail(pktb) - pktb->transport_header < sizeof(struct udphdr))
 		return NULL;
 
 	return (struct udphdr *)pktb->transport_header;
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ void *nfq_udp_get_payload(struct udphdr *udph, struct pkt_buff *pktb)
 		return NULL;
 
 	/* malformed UDP packet. */
-	if (pktb->transport_header + len > pktb->tail)
+	if (pktb->transport_header + len > pktb_tail(pktb))
 		return NULL;
 
 	return pktb->transport_header + sizeof(struct udphdr);
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ void *nfq_udp_get_payload(struct udphdr *udph, struct pkt_buff *pktb)
 EXPORT_SYMBOL
 unsigned int nfq_udp_get_payload_len(struct udphdr *udph, struct pkt_buff *pktb)
 {
-	return pktb->tail - pktb->transport_header - sizeof(struct udphdr);
+	return pktb_tail(pktb) - pktb->transport_header - sizeof(struct udphdr);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/internal.h b/src/internal.h
index 0cfa425..ae849d6 100644
--- a/src/internal.h
+++ b/src/internal.h
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ struct pkt_buff {
 	uint8_t *transport_header;
 
 	uint8_t *data;
-	uint8_t *tail;
 
 	uint32_t len;
 	uint32_t data_len;
@@ -32,4 +31,8 @@ struct pkt_buff {
 	bool	mangled;
 };
 
+static inline uint8_t *pktb_tail(struct pkt_buff *pktb)
+{
+	return pktb->data + pktb->len;
+}
 #endif
