RFC 8200, "Internet Protocol, Version 6 (IPv6) Specification", July 2017

Note: This RFC has been updated by RFC 9673

Errata ID: 8698
Status: Reported
Type: Technical
Publication Format(s) : TEXT
Reported By: Jeremy Duncan
Date Reported: 2026-01-07

Section 4.5 says:

If insufficient fragments are received to complete reassembly
         of a packet within 60 seconds of the reception of the first-
         arriving fragment of that packet, reassembly of that packet
         must be abandoned and all the fragments that have been received
         for that packet must be discarded.  If the first fragment
         (i.e., the one with a Fragment Offset of zero) has been
         received, an ICMP Time Exceeded -- Fragment Reassembly Time
         Exceeded message should be sent to the source of that fragment.

It should say:

If insufficient fragments are received to complete reassembly
         of a packet by 60 seconds after the reception of the first-
         arriving fragment of that packet, reassembly of that packet
         must be abandoned and all the fragments that have been received
         for that packet must be discarded.  If the first fragment
         (i.e., the one with a Fragment Offset of zero) has been
         received, an ICMP Time Exceeded -- Fragment Reassembly Time
         Exceeded message should be sent to the source of that fragment.

Notes:

There is some confusion that "within 60 seconds" allows for nodes to drop the connection before the 60 seconds is up. Therefore by stating "by 60 seconds" it is definitive is stating that the connection should not be dropped until the 60 seconds timer has run out.

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