diff --git a/src/net/ipv4.c b/src/net/ipv4.c
index b2d51ada..465df45e 100644
--- a/src/net/ipv4.c
+++ b/src/net/ipv4.c
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@
 
 FILE_LICENCE ( GPL2_OR_LATER );
 
-/* Unique IP datagram identification number */
-static uint16_t next_ident = 0;
+/* Unique IP datagram identification number (high byte) */
+static uint8_t next_ident_high = 0;
 
 /** List of IPv4 miniroutes */
 struct list_head ipv4_miniroutes = LIST_HEAD_INIT ( ipv4_miniroutes );
@@ -314,7 +314,6 @@ static int ipv4_tx ( struct io_buffer *iobuf,
 	iphdr->verhdrlen = ( IP_VER | ( sizeof ( *iphdr ) / 4 ) );
 	iphdr->service = IP_TOS;
 	iphdr->len = htons ( iob_len ( iobuf ) );	
-	iphdr->ident = htons ( ++next_ident );
 	iphdr->ttl = IP_TTL;
 	iphdr->protocol = tcpip_protocol->tcpip_proto;
 	iphdr->dest = sin_dest->sin_addr;
@@ -335,6 +334,14 @@ static int ipv4_tx ( struct io_buffer *iobuf,
 		goto err;
 	}
 
+	/* (Ab)use the "ident" field to convey metadata about the
+	 * network device statistics into packet traces.  Useful for
+	 * extracting debug information from non-debug builds.
+	 */
+	iphdr->ident = htons ( ( (++next_ident_high) << 8 ) |
+			       ( ( netdev->rx_stats.bad & 0xf ) << 4 ) |
+			       ( ( netdev->rx_stats.good & 0xf ) << 0 ) );
+
 	/* Determine link-layer destination address */
 	if ( ( rc = ipv4_ll_addr ( next_hop, iphdr->src, netdev,
 				   ll_dest ) ) != 0 ) {