static void worker_pkt_validate(void)
 {
        u32 payloadseqnum = -2;
+       struct iphdr *iphdr;
 
        while (1) {
                pkt_node_rx_q = TAILQ_LAST(&head, head_s);
                if (!pkt_node_rx_q)
                        break;
+
+               iphdr = (struct iphdr *)(pkt_node_rx_q->pkt_frame + sizeof(struct ethhdr));
+
                /*do not increment pktcounter if !(tos=0x9 and ipv4) */
-               if ((((struct iphdr *)(pkt_node_rx_q->pkt_frame +
-                                      sizeof(struct ethhdr)))->version == IP_PKT_VER) &&
-                   (((struct iphdr *)(pkt_node_rx_q->pkt_frame + sizeof(struct ethhdr)))->tos ==
-                       IP_PKT_TOS)) {
+               if (iphdr->version == IP_PKT_VER && iphdr->tos == IP_PKT_TOS) {
                        payloadseqnum = *((uint32_t *)(pkt_node_rx_q->pkt_frame + PKT_HDR_SIZE));
                        if (debug_pkt_dump && payloadseqnum != EOT) {
                                pkt_obj = (struct pkt_frame *)malloc(sizeof(struct pkt_frame));
                                ksft_exit_xfail();
                        }
 
-                       TAILQ_REMOVE(&head, pkt_node_rx_q, pkt_nodes);
-                       free(pkt_node_rx_q->pkt_frame);
-                       free(pkt_node_rx_q);
-                       pkt_node_rx_q = NULL;
                        prev_pkt = payloadseqnum;
                        pkt_counter++;
                } else {
                        ksft_print_msg("Invalid frame received: ");
-                       ksft_print_msg("[IP_PKT_VER: %02X], [IP_PKT_TOS: %02X]\n",
-                                      ((struct iphdr *)(pkt_node_rx_q->pkt_frame +
-                                                        sizeof(struct ethhdr)))->version,
-                                      ((struct iphdr *)(pkt_node_rx_q->pkt_frame +
-                                                        sizeof(struct ethhdr)))->tos);
-                       TAILQ_REMOVE(&head, pkt_node_rx_q, pkt_nodes);
-                       free(pkt_node_rx_q->pkt_frame);
-                       free(pkt_node_rx_q);
-                       pkt_node_rx_q = NULL;
+                       ksft_print_msg("[IP_PKT_VER: %02X], [IP_PKT_TOS: %02X]\n", iphdr->version,
+                                      iphdr->tos);
                }
+
+               TAILQ_REMOVE(&head, pkt_node_rx_q, pkt_nodes);
+               free(pkt_node_rx_q->pkt_frame);
+               free(pkt_node_rx_q);
+               pkt_node_rx_q = NULL;
        }
 }