diff --git a/net/colo.c b/net/colo.c
index 694f3c93ef..6b0ff562ad 100644
--- a/net/colo.c
+++ b/net/colo.c
@@ -46,7 +46,14 @@ int parse_packet_early(Packet *pkt)
     static const uint8_t vlan[] = {0x81, 0x00};
     uint8_t *data = pkt->data + pkt->vnet_hdr_len;
     uint16_t l3_proto;
-    ssize_t l2hdr_len = eth_get_l2_hdr_length(data);
+    ssize_t l2hdr_len;
+
+    if (data == NULL) {
+        trace_colo_proxy_main_vnet_info("This packet is not parsed correctly, "
+                                        "pkt->vnet_hdr_len", pkt->vnet_hdr_len);
+        return 1;
+    }
+    l2hdr_len = eth_get_l2_hdr_length(data);
 
     if (pkt->size < ETH_HLEN + pkt->vnet_hdr_len) {
         trace_colo_proxy_main("pkt->size < ETH_HLEN");
diff --git a/net/trace-events b/net/trace-events
index d7a17256cc..6af927b4b9 100644
--- a/net/trace-events
+++ b/net/trace-events
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ vhost_user_event(const char *chr, int event) "chr: %s got event: %d"
 
 # colo.c
 colo_proxy_main(const char *chr) ": %s"
+colo_proxy_main_vnet_info(const char *sta, int size) ": %s = %d"
 
 # colo-compare.c
 colo_compare_main(const char *chr) ": %s"