diff --git a/cbpfc.go b/cbpfc.go
index 592dee3..8e3c489 100644
--- a/cbpfc.go
+++ b/cbpfc.go
@@ -258,6 +258,41 @@ func (p packetGuardIndirect) maxStartOffset() int32 {
 	return int32(maxPacketOffset) - int32(length) + 1
 }
 
+// maxStartOffsetWithBase is like maxStartOffset but reserves baseOffset bytes of
+// the packet-offset budget for a non-zero fixed offset of PacketStart (e.g. an
+// L3 offset).
+//
+// The eBPF verifier refuses to compute a range for a packet pointer when
+// off + umax_value > maxPacketOffset. When PacketStart already carries a fixed
+// offset (baseOffset), the variable part (int32(RegX) + p.start) must be bounded
+// so that baseOffset + (int32(RegX) + p.start) + p.length() <= maxPacketOffset.
+//
+// Returns 0 (check always false, i.e. noMatch) when there is no room left once
+// baseOffset is accounted for, so we fail closed rather than emit an unbounded
+// (and unverifiable) load. A negative baseOffset is invalid (PacketStart cannot
+// sit before the start of the packet) and also fails closed, so we never grant
+// extra budget from bogus input.
+func (p packetGuardIndirect) maxStartOffsetWithBase(baseOffset int32) int32 {
+	// A negative base offset would widen the budget rather than shrink it: reject
+	// it and fail closed.
+	if baseOffset < 0 {
+		return 0
+	}
+
+	max := p.maxStartOffset()
+	// maxStartOffset already hit the fail-closed sentinel: keep failing.
+	if max == 0 {
+		return 0
+	}
+
+	max -= baseOffset
+	if max <= 0 {
+		return 0
+	}
+
+	return max
+}
+
 // packet_start + (int32(x) + p.start) + p.length() must be <= packet_end.
 // This lets us reuse the (int32(x) + p.start) from the maxStartOffset() check, to keep the bounds info.
 func (p packetGuardIndirect) length() int32 {
diff --git a/cbpfc_test.go b/cbpfc_test.go
index d6b76ef..6978361 100644
--- a/cbpfc_test.go
+++ b/cbpfc_test.go
@@ -1423,6 +1423,53 @@ func join(insns ...[]instruction) []instruction {
 	return res
 }
 
+// maxStartOffsetWithBase reserves the base offset of PacketStart from the
+// packet-offset budget, and fails closed when no room remains.
+func TestMaxStartOffsetWithBase(t *testing.T) {
+	// guard [8:14], length 6.
+	guard := packetGuardIndirect{start: 8, end: 14}
+	base := guard.maxStartOffset()
+	if base <= 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected positive maxStartOffset, got %d", base)
+	}
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name       string
+		baseOffset int32
+		want       int32
+	}{
+		{"zero offset matches maxStartOffset", 0, base},
+		{"offset reserves budget", 18, base - 18},
+		{"offset just within budget", base - 1, 1},
+		{"offset consumes whole budget fails closed", base, 0},
+		{"offset beyond budget fails closed", base + 100, 0},
+		{"negative offset fails closed", -1, 0},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if got := guard.maxStartOffsetWithBase(tc.baseOffset); got != tc.want {
+				t.Fatalf("maxStartOffsetWithBase(%d) = %d, want %d", tc.baseOffset, got, tc.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// A guard whose length already exceeds maxPacketOffset fails closed regardless
+// of the base offset (maxStartOffset returns the 0 sentinel).
+func TestMaxStartOffsetWithBaseOversizedGuard(t *testing.T) {
+	guard := packetGuardIndirect{start: 0, end: maxPacketOffset + 10}
+	if got := guard.maxStartOffset(); got != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected oversized guard maxStartOffset to be 0, got %d", got)
+	}
+	if got := guard.maxStartOffsetWithBase(0); got != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected fail-closed for oversized guard, got %d", got)
+	}
+	if got := guard.maxStartOffsetWithBase(18); got != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected fail-closed for oversized guard with base, got %d", got)
+	}
+}
+
 // matchBlock checks a block has the given instructions and jumps
 func matchBlock(t *testing.T, b *block, expected []instruction, jumps map[pos]*block) {
 	t.Helper()
diff --git a/ebpf.go b/ebpf.go
index 9f8fd4d..f8ad0b6 100644
--- a/ebpf.go
+++ b/ebpf.go
@@ -58,6 +58,19 @@ type EBPFOpts struct {
 
 	// LabelPrefix is the prefix to prepend to labels used internally.
 	LabelPrefix string
+
+	// PacketStartOffset is the fixed offset (in bytes) of PacketStart within the
+	// packet, when this is known at compile time. It defaults to 0 (PacketStart
+	// points at the very start of the packet).
+	//
+	// The eBPF verifier refuses to grant a range to a packet pointer whenever
+	// off + umax_value > MAX_PACKET_OFF (0xFFFF). When PacketStart already carries
+	// a non-zero fixed offset (e.g. it points at the L3 header rather than the
+	// start of the frame), an indirect load with a data-dependent index can push
+	// off + umax_value past that limit, and the program fails to verify even
+	// though it is safe. Setting PacketStartOffset reserves that many bytes of the
+	// packet-offset budget in the indirect load guards so verification succeeds.
+	PacketStartOffset int
 }
 
 // ebpfOpts is the internal version of EBPFOpts
@@ -288,9 +301,10 @@ func insnToEBPF(insn instruction, blk *block, opts ebpfOpts) (asm.Instructions,
 			asm.LSh.Imm(opts.regIndirect, 32),
 			asm.ArSh.Imm(opts.regIndirect, 32),
 
-			// Check maxStartOffset()
+			// Check maxStartOffset(), reserving PacketStartOffset bytes of the
+			// packet-offset budget for PacketStart's own fixed offset.
 			asm.Add.Imm(opts.regIndirect, i.start),
-			asm.JGE.Imm(opts.regIndirect, i.maxStartOffset(), opts.label(noMatchLabel)),
+			asm.JGE.Imm(opts.regIndirect, i.maxStartOffsetWithBase(int32(opts.PacketStartOffset)), opts.label(noMatchLabel)),
 
 			// packet_start + signed x + start
 			// This will have a smin_value >= 0