diff --git a/grc/ccs_burst_tagger.xml b/grc/ccs_burst_tagger.xml
index e3969a8..ecfa431 100644
--- a/grc/ccs_burst_tagger.xml
+++ b/grc/ccs_burst_tagger.xml
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
   <name>Burst Tagger</name>
   <key>ccs_burst_tagger</key>
   <category>CCS</category>
+  <import>import pmt</import>
   <import>import ccs</import>
   <make>ccs.burst_tagger($tag_name)</make>
 
diff --git a/lib/burst_tagger_impl.cc b/lib/burst_tagger_impl.cc
index 1f99b17..fa92bb1 100644
--- a/lib/burst_tagger_impl.cc
+++ b/lib/burst_tagger_impl.cc
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
-/* 
+/*
  * Copyright 2013 Bastian Bloessl<bloessl@ccs-labs.org>.
- * 
+ *
  * This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
  * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
  * the Free Software Foundation; either version 3, or (at your option)
  * any later version.
- * 
+ *
  * This software is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
  * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
  * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
  * GNU General Public License for more details.
- * 
+ *
  * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
  * along with this software; see the file COPYING.  If not, write to
  * the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street,
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include "burst_tagger_impl.h"
 #include <gnuradio/io_signature.h>
 
+#define dout std::cout
+
 namespace gr {
 namespace ccs {
 
@@ -27,12 +29,35 @@ burst_tagger_impl::burst_tagger_impl(pmt::pmt_t tag_name)
 		: gr::sync_block("burst_tagger",
 			gr::io_signature::make(1, 1, sizeof(gr_complex)),
 			gr::io_signature::make(1, 1, sizeof(gr_complex))),
-		d_tag_name(tag_name) {
+		d_tag_name(tag_name),
+		d_copy(0) {
 }
 
 burst_tagger_impl::~burst_tagger_impl() {
 }
 
+void
+burst_tagger_impl::add_sob(uint64_t item) {
+	dout << "burst tagger: insert sob at: " << item << std::endl;
+
+	const pmt::pmt_t sob_key = pmt::string_to_symbol("tx_sob");
+	const pmt::pmt_t value = pmt::PMT_T;
+	const pmt::pmt_t srcid = pmt::string_to_symbol(alias());
+	add_item_tag(0, item, sob_key, value, srcid);
+}
+
+
+void
+burst_tagger_impl::add_eob(uint64_t item) {
+	dout << "burst tagger: insert eob at: " << item << std::endl;
+
+	const pmt::pmt_t eob_key = pmt::string_to_symbol("tx_eob");
+	const pmt::pmt_t value = pmt::PMT_T;
+	const pmt::pmt_t srcid = pmt::string_to_symbol(alias());
+	add_item_tag(0, item, eob_key, value, srcid);
+}
+
+
 int
 burst_tagger_impl::work(int noutput_items,
 	gr_vector_const_void_star &input_items,
@@ -41,17 +66,47 @@ burst_tagger_impl::work(int noutput_items,
 	const gr_complex *in = (const gr_complex*)input_items[0];
 	gr_complex *out = (gr_complex*)output_items[0];
 
-	std::vector<gr::tag_t> tags;
-	const uint64_t nread = nitems_read(0);
 
-	get_tags_in_range(tags, 0, nread, nread + noutput_items - 1,
-		d_tag_name);
-	std::sort(tags.begin(), tags.end(), tag_t::offset_compare);
+	if(!d_copy) {
+		dout << "nothing to copy, searching for tags" << std::endl;
+		std::vector<gr::tag_t> tags;
+		const uint64_t nread = nitems_read(0);
 
-	if(tags.size()) {
+		get_tags_in_range(tags, 0, nread, nread + noutput_items - 1,
+			d_tag_name);
+		std::sort(tags.begin(), tags.end(), tag_t::offset_compare);
+
+		// copy until the first tag
+		if(tags.size()) {
+			dout << "tags found" << std::endl;
+			tag_t tag = tags.front();
+			if(tag.offset == nitems_read(0)) {
+				d_copy = pmt::to_uint64(tag.value) * 128;
+				dout << "tag is at current offset -- packet len " << d_copy << "  items read " << nitems_read(0) << std::endl;
+				add_sob(nitems_written(0));
+			} else {
+				uint64_t cpy = std::min((uint64_t)noutput_items, tag.offset - nitems_written(0));
+				dout << "tag is not at current offset copying " << cpy << std::endl;
+				std::memcpy(out, in, cpy * sizeof(gr_complex));
+				return cpy;
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
-	return noutput_items;
+	if(d_copy) {
+		int cpy = std::min(d_copy, noutput_items);
+		dout << "packet copy " << cpy << std::endl;
+		std::memcpy(out, in, cpy * sizeof(gr_complex));
+		d_copy -= cpy;
+		if(d_copy == 0) {
+			add_eob(nitems_written(0) + cpy - 1);
+		}
+		return cpy;
+	} else {
+		dout << "copy random stuff " << std::endl;
+		std::memcpy(out, in, noutput_items * sizeof(gr_complex));
+		return noutput_items;
+	}
 }
 
 burst_tagger::sptr burst_tagger::make(pmt::pmt_t tag_name) {
diff --git a/lib/burst_tagger_impl.h b/lib/burst_tagger_impl.h
index 3148a9a..bd2952b 100644
--- a/lib/burst_tagger_impl.h
+++ b/lib/burst_tagger_impl.h
@@ -28,7 +28,11 @@ namespace ccs {
 
 	class burst_tagger_impl : public burst_tagger {
 		private:
+			void add_eob(uint64_t item);
+			void add_sob(uint64_t item);
+
 			pmt::pmt_t d_tag_name;
+			int d_copy;
 
 		public:
 			burst_tagger_impl(pmt::pmt_t tag_name);