diff --git a/hw/virtio-net.c b/hw/virtio-net.c
index 2f147e5..06c5148 100644
--- a/hw/virtio-net.c
+++ b/hw/virtio-net.c
@@ -434,26 +434,59 @@ static int iov_fill(struct iovec *iov, int iovcnt, const void *buf, int count)
     return offset;
 }
 
+static int iov_skip(struct iovec *iov, int iovcnt, int count)
+{
+    int offset, i;
+
+    offset = i = 0;
+    while (offset < count && i < iovcnt) {
+        int len = MIN(iov[i].iov_len, count - offset);
+	iov[i].iov_base += len;
+	iov[i].iov_len -= len;
+        offset += len;
+        i++;
+    }
+
+    return offset;
+}
+
+static int iov_copy(struct iovec *to, struct iovec *from, int iovcnt, int count)
+{
+    int offset, i;
+
+    offset = i = 0;
+    while (offset < count && i < iovcnt) {
+        int len = MIN(from[i].iov_len, count - offset);
+	to[i].iov_base = from[i].iov_base;
+	to[i].iov_len = from[i].iov_len;
+        offset += len;
+        i++;
+    }
+
+    return i;
+}
+
 static int receive_header(VirtIONet *n, struct iovec *iov, int iovcnt,
                           const void *buf, size_t size, size_t hdr_len)
 {
-    struct virtio_net_hdr *hdr = (struct virtio_net_hdr *)iov[0].iov_base;
+    struct virtio_net_hdr hdr = {};
     int offset = 0;
 
-    hdr->flags = 0;
-    hdr->gso_type = VIRTIO_NET_HDR_GSO_NONE;
+    hdr.flags = 0;
+    hdr.gso_type = VIRTIO_NET_HDR_GSO_NONE;
 
     if (n->has_vnet_hdr) {
-        memcpy(hdr, buf, sizeof(*hdr));
-        offset = sizeof(*hdr);
-        work_around_broken_dhclient(hdr, buf + offset, size - offset);
+        memcpy(&hdr, buf, sizeof hdr);
+        offset = sizeof hdr;
+        work_around_broken_dhclient(&hdr, buf + offset, size - offset);
     }
 
+    iov_fill(iov, iovcnt, &hdr, sizeof hdr);
+
     /* We only ever receive a struct virtio_net_hdr from the tapfd,
      * but we may be passing along a larger header to the guest.
      */
-    iov[0].iov_base += hdr_len;
-    iov[0].iov_len  -= hdr_len;
+    iov_skip(iov, iovcnt, hdr_len);
 
     return offset;
 }
@@ -514,7 +547,8 @@ static int receive_filter(VirtIONet *n, const uint8_t *buf, int size)
 static ssize_t virtio_net_receive(VLANClientState *vc, const uint8_t *buf, size_t size)
 {
     VirtIONet *n = vc->opaque;
-    struct virtio_net_hdr_mrg_rxbuf *mhdr = NULL;
+    struct iovec mhdr[VIRTQUEUE_MAX_SIZE];
+    int mhdrcnt = 0;
     size_t hdr_len, offset, i;
 
     if (!virtio_net_can_receive(n->vc))
@@ -552,16 +586,13 @@ static ssize_t virtio_net_receive(VLANClientState *vc, const uint8_t *buf, size_
             exit(1);
         }
 
-        if (!n->mergeable_rx_bufs && elem.in_sg[0].iov_len != hdr_len) {
-            fprintf(stderr, "virtio-net header not in first element\n");
-            exit(1);
-        }
-
         memcpy(&sg, &elem.in_sg[0], sizeof(sg[0]) * elem.in_num);
 
         if (i == 0) {
-            if (n->mergeable_rx_bufs)
-                mhdr = (struct virtio_net_hdr_mrg_rxbuf *)sg[0].iov_base;
+            if (n->mergeable_rx_bufs) {
+                mhdrcnt = iov_copy(mhdr, sg, elem.in_num,
+                                   sizeof(struct virtio_net_hdr_mrg_rxbuf));
+            }
 
             offset += receive_header(n, sg, elem.in_num,
                                      buf + offset, size - offset, hdr_len);
@@ -579,8 +610,12 @@ static ssize_t virtio_net_receive(VLANClientState *vc, const uint8_t *buf, size_
         offset += len;
     }
 
-    if (mhdr)
-        mhdr->num_buffers = i;
+    if (mhdrcnt) {
+        uint16_t num = i;
+        iov_skip(mhdr, mhdrcnt,
+                 offsetof(struct virtio_net_hdr_mrg_rxbuf, num_buffers));
+        iov_fill(mhdr, mhdrcnt, &num, sizeof num);
+    }
 
     virtqueue_flush(n->rx_vq, i);
     virtio_notify(&n->vdev, n->rx_vq);
@@ -627,20 +662,19 @@ static void virtio_net_flush_tx(VirtIONet *n, VirtQueue *vq)
             sizeof(struct virtio_net_hdr_mrg_rxbuf) :
             sizeof(struct virtio_net_hdr);
 
-        if (out_num < 1 || out_sg->iov_len != hdr_len) {
-            fprintf(stderr, "virtio-net header not in first element\n");
+        if (out_num < 1) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "virtio-net: no output element\n");
             exit(1);
         }
 
         /* ignore the header if GSO is not supported */
         if (!n->has_vnet_hdr) {
-            out_num--;
-            out_sg++;
+            iov_skip(out_sg, out_num, hdr_len);
             len += hdr_len;
         } else if (n->mergeable_rx_bufs) {
             /* tapfd expects a struct virtio_net_hdr */
             hdr_len -= sizeof(struct virtio_net_hdr);
-            out_sg->iov_len -= hdr_len;
+            iov_skip(out_sg, out_num, hdr_len);
             len += hdr_len;
         }
 
