diff --git a/p2p/discover/udp.go b/p2p/discover/udp.go
index cec9046a3b..81674f5524 100644
--- a/p2p/discover/udp.go
+++ b/p2p/discover/udp.go
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ type (
 		Version    uint
 		From, To   rpcEndpoint
 		Expiration uint64
+		// Ignore additional fields (for forward compatibility).
+		Rest []rlp.RawValue `rlp:"tail"`
 	}
 
 	// pong is the reply to ping.
@@ -78,18 +80,24 @@ type (
 
 		ReplyTok   []byte // This contains the hash of the ping packet.
 		Expiration uint64 // Absolute timestamp at which the packet becomes invalid.
+		// Ignore additional fields (for forward compatibility).
+		Rest []rlp.RawValue `rlp:"tail"`
 	}
 
 	// findnode is a query for nodes close to the given target.
 	findnode struct {
 		Target     NodeID // doesn't need to be an actual public key
 		Expiration uint64
+		// Ignore additional fields (for forward compatibility).
+		Rest []rlp.RawValue `rlp:"tail"`
 	}
 
 	// reply to findnode
 	neighbors struct {
 		Nodes      []rpcNode
 		Expiration uint64
+		// Ignore additional fields (for forward compatibility).
+		Rest []rlp.RawValue `rlp:"tail"`
 	}
 
 	rpcNode struct {
@@ -522,7 +530,8 @@ func decodePacket(buf []byte) (packet, NodeID, []byte, error) {
 	default:
 		return nil, fromID, hash, fmt.Errorf("unknown type: %d", ptype)
 	}
-	err = rlp.DecodeBytes(sigdata[1:], req)
+	s := rlp.NewStream(bytes.NewReader(sigdata[1:]), 0)
+	err = s.Decode(req)
 	return req, fromID, hash, err
 }
 
diff --git a/p2p/discover/udp_test.go b/p2p/discover/udp_test.go
index ec28867cca..66fc4cf2c3 100644
--- a/p2p/discover/udp_test.go
+++ b/p2p/discover/udp_test.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"crypto/ecdsa"
 	"encoding/binary"
+	"encoding/hex"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -33,7 +34,9 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/davecgh/go-spew/spew"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/crypto"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rlp"
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -434,6 +437,115 @@ func TestUDP_successfulPing(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+var testPackets = []struct {
+	input      string
+	wantPacket interface{}
+}{
+	{
+		input: "71dbda3a79554728d4f94411e42ee1f8b0d561c10e1e5f5893367948c6a7d70bb87b235fa28a77070271b6c164a2dce8c7e13a5739b53b5e96f2e5acb0e458a02902f5965d55ecbeb2ebb6cabb8b2b232896a36b737666c55265ad0a68412f250001ea04cb847f000001820cfa8215a8d790000000000000000000000000000000018208ae820d058443b9a355",
+		wantPacket: &ping{
+			Version:    4,
+			From:       rpcEndpoint{net.ParseIP("127.0.0.1").To4(), 3322, 5544},
+			To:         rpcEndpoint{net.ParseIP("::1"), 2222, 3333},
+			Expiration: 1136239445,
+			Rest:       []rlp.RawValue{},
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		input: "e9614ccfd9fc3e74360018522d30e1419a143407ffcce748de3e22116b7e8dc92ff74788c0b6663aaa3d67d641936511c8f8d6ad8698b820a7cf9e1be7155e9a241f556658c55428ec0563514365799a4be2be5a685a80971ddcfa80cb422cdd0101ec04cb847f000001820cfa8215a8d790000000000000000000000000000000018208ae820d058443b9a3550102",
+		wantPacket: &ping{
+			Version:    4,
+			From:       rpcEndpoint{net.ParseIP("127.0.0.1").To4(), 3322, 5544},
+			To:         rpcEndpoint{net.ParseIP("::1"), 2222, 3333},
+			Expiration: 1136239445,
+			Rest:       []rlp.RawValue{{0x01}, {0x02}},
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		input: "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",
+		wantPacket: &ping{
+			Version:    555,
+			From:       rpcEndpoint{net.ParseIP("2001:db8:3c4d:15::abcd:ef12"), 3322, 5544},
+			To:         rpcEndpoint{net.ParseIP("2001:db8:85a3:8d3:1319:8a2e:370:7348"), 2222, 33338},
+			Expiration: 1136239445,
+			Rest:       []rlp.RawValue{{0xC5, 0x01, 0x02, 0x03, 0x04, 0x05}},
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		input: "09b2428d83348d27cdf7064ad9024f526cebc19e4958f0fdad87c15eb598dd61d08423e0bf66b2069869e1724125f820d851c136684082774f870e614d95a2855d000f05d1648b2d5945470bc187c2d2216fbe870f43ed0909009882e176a46b0102f846d79020010db885a308d313198a2e037073488208ae82823aa0fbc914b16819237dcd8801d7e53f69e9719adecb3cc0e790c57e91ca4461c9548443b9a355c6010203c2040506a0c969a58f6f9095004c0177a6b47f451530cab38966a25cca5cb58f055542124e",
+		wantPacket: &pong{
+			To:         rpcEndpoint{net.ParseIP("2001:db8:85a3:8d3:1319:8a2e:370:7348"), 2222, 33338},
+			ReplyTok:   common.Hex2Bytes("fbc914b16819237dcd8801d7e53f69e9719adecb3cc0e790c57e91ca4461c954"),
+			Expiration: 1136239445,
+			Rest:       []rlp.RawValue{{0xC6, 0x01, 0x02, 0x03, 0xC2, 0x04, 0x05}, {0x06}},
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		input: "c7c44041b9f7c7e41934417ebac9a8e1a4c6298f74553f2fcfdcae6ed6fe53163eb3d2b52e39fe91831b8a927bf4fc222c3902202027e5e9eb812195f95d20061ef5cd31d502e47ecb61183f74a504fe04c51e73df81f25c4d506b26db4517490103f84eb840ca634cae0d49acb401d8a4c6b6fe8c55b70d115bf400769cc1400f3258cd31387574077f301b421bc84df7266c44e9e6d569fc56be00812904767bf5ccd1fc7f8443b9a35582999983999999280dc62cc8255c73471e0a61da0c89acdc0e035e260add7fc0c04ad9ebf3919644c91cb247affc82b69bd2ca235c71eab8e49737c937a2c396",
+		wantPacket: &findnode{
+			Target:     MustHexID("ca634cae0d49acb401d8a4c6b6fe8c55b70d115bf400769cc1400f3258cd31387574077f301b421bc84df7266c44e9e6d569fc56be00812904767bf5ccd1fc7f"),
+			Expiration: 1136239445,
+			Rest:       []rlp.RawValue{{0x82, 0x99, 0x99}, {0x83, 0x99, 0x99, 0x99}},
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		input: "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",
+		wantPacket: &neighbors{
+			Nodes: []rpcNode{
+				{
+					ID:  MustHexID("3155e1427f85f10a5c9a7755877748041af1bcd8d474ec065eb33df57a97babf54bfd2103575fa829115d224c523596b401065a97f74010610fce76382c0bf32"),
+					IP:  net.ParseIP("99.33.22.55").To4(),
+					UDP: 4444,
+					TCP: 4445,
+				},
+				{
+					ID:  MustHexID("312c55512422cf9b8a4097e9a6ad79402e87a15ae909a4bfefa22398f03d20951933beea1e4dfa6f968212385e829f04c2d314fc2d4e255e0d3bc08792b069db"),
+					IP:  net.ParseIP("1.2.3.4").To4(),
+					UDP: 1,
+					TCP: 1,
+				},
+				{
+					ID:  MustHexID("38643200b172dcfef857492156971f0e6aa2c538d8b74010f8e140811d53b98c765dd2d96126051913f44582e8c199ad7c6d6819e9a56483f637feaac9448aac"),
+					IP:  net.ParseIP("2001:db8:3c4d:15::abcd:ef12"),
+					UDP: 3333,
+					TCP: 3333,
+				},
+				{
+					ID:  MustHexID("8dcab8618c3253b558d459da53bd8fa68935a719aff8b811197101a4b2b47dd2d47295286fc00cc081bb542d760717d1bdd6bec2c37cd72eca367d6dd3b9df73"),
+					IP:  net.ParseIP("2001:db8:85a3:8d3:1319:8a2e:370:7348"),
+					UDP: 999,
+					TCP: 1000,
+				},
+			},
+			Expiration: 1136239445,
+			Rest:       []rlp.RawValue{{0x01}, {0x02}, {0x03}},
+		},
+	},
+}
+
+func TestForwardCompatibility(t *testing.T) {
+	testkey, _ := crypto.HexToECDSA("b71c71a67e1177ad4e901695e1b4b9ee17ae16c6668d313eac2f96dbcda3f291")
+	wantNodeID := PubkeyID(&testkey.PublicKey)
+
+	for _, test := range testPackets {
+		input, err := hex.DecodeString(test.input)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("invalid hex: %s", test.input)
+		}
+		packet, nodeid, _, err := decodePacket(input)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("did not accept packet %s\n%v", test.input, err)
+			continue
+		}
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(packet, test.wantPacket) {
+			t.Errorf("got %s\nwant %s", spew.Sdump(packet), spew.Sdump(test.wantPacket))
+		}
+		if nodeid != wantNodeID {
+			t.Errorf("got id %v\nwant id %v", nodeid, wantNodeID)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // dgramPipe is a fake UDP socket. It queues all sent datagrams.
 type dgramPipe struct {
 	mu      *sync.Mutex