diff --git a/libraries/io/eth/src/vhdl/eth_tester_tx.vhd b/libraries/io/eth/src/vhdl/eth_tester_tx.vhd
index d1051404ea32694f5633b233db53fafb86f8e364..0ee2539d169bee295d7e9053d505170e88493e00 100644
--- a/libraries/io/eth/src/vhdl/eth_tester_tx.vhd
+++ b/libraries/io/eth/src/vhdl/eth_tester_tx.vhd
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ ARCHITECTURE str OF eth_tester_tx IS
   CONSTANT c_packet_sz_max        : NATURAL := ceil_div(c_eth_tester_bg_block_len_max, c_word_sz);
   CONSTANT c_fifo_fill            : NATURAL := c_packet_sz_max * 11 / 10;
   CONSTANT c_fifo_size            : NATURAL := true_log_pow2(c_fifo_fill + c_packet_sz_max);  -- = 8192
+  CONSTANT c_fifo_size_w          : NATURAL := ceil_log2(c_fifo_size);
 
   CONSTANT c_nof_total_counts     : NATURAL := 1;  -- one to count Tx packets
 
@@ -101,8 +102,10 @@ ARCHITECTURE str OF eth_tester_tx IS
   SIGNAL tx_fifo_data             : STD_LOGIC_VECTOR(c_word_w-1 DOWNTO 0);
   SIGNAL tx_fifo_siso             : t_dp_siso;
   SIGNAL tx_fifo_wr_ful           : STD_LOGIC;
-  SIGNAL tx_fifo_wr_usedw         : STD_LOGIC_VECTOR(ceil_log2(c_fifo_size)-1 DOWNTO 0);
+  SIGNAL tx_fifo_wr_usedw         : STD_LOGIC_VECTOR(c_fifo_size_w-1 DOWNTO 0);
   SIGNAL i_tx_fifo_rd_emp         : STD_LOGIC;
+  SIGNAL tx_offload_siso          : t_dp_siso;
+  SIGNAL tx_offload_sosi          : t_dp_sosi;
 
   SIGNAL i_ref_sync               : STD_LOGIC := '0';
   SIGNAL in_strobe_arr            : STD_LOGIC_VECTOR(c_nof_total_counts-1 DOWNTO 0);
@@ -159,9 +162,11 @@ BEGIN
 
   -- BG block level flow control, needed in case BG settings result in eth bit
   -- rate > 1 Gbps, to avoid u_tx_fifo overflow.
-  p_bg_siso_xon : PROCESS(st_clk)
+  p_bg_siso_xon : PROCESS(st_rst, st_clk)
   BEGIN
-    IF rising_edge(st_clk) THEN
+    IF st_rst = '1' THEN
+      bg_siso.xon <= '1';
+    ELSIF rising_edge(st_clk) THEN
       bg_siso.xon <= '1';
       IF TO_UINT(tx_fifo_wr_usedw) > c_fifo_fill THEN
         bg_siso.xon <= '0';
@@ -198,19 +203,19 @@ BEGIN
     g_fifo_size      => c_fifo_size
   )
   PORT MAP (
-    wr_rst      => st_rst,
-    wr_clk      => st_clk,
-    rd_rst      => st_rst,
-    rd_clk      => st_clk,
+    wr_rst       => st_rst,
+    wr_clk       => st_clk,
+    rd_rst       => st_rst,
+    rd_clk       => st_clk,
     -- Monitor FIFO filling
-    wr_ful      => tx_fifo_wr_ful,
-    wr_usedw    => tx_fifo_wr_usedw,
-    rd_emp      => i_tx_fifo_rd_emp,
+    wr_ful       => tx_fifo_wr_ful,
+    wr_usedw     => tx_fifo_wr_usedw,
+    rd_emp       => i_tx_fifo_rd_emp,
     -- ST sink
-    snk_in      => tx_packed_sosi,
+    snk_in       => tx_packed_sosi,
     -- ST source
-    src_in      => tx_fifo_siso,
-    src_out     => tx_fifo_sosi
+    src_in       => tx_fifo_siso,
+    src_out      => tx_fifo_sosi
   );
 
   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -295,8 +300,8 @@ BEGIN
     snk_in_arr(0)         => tx_fifo_sosi,
     snk_out_arr(0)        => tx_fifo_siso,
 
-    src_out_arr(0)        => i_tx_udp_sosi,
-    src_in_arr(0)         => tx_udp_siso,
+    src_out_arr(0)        => tx_offload_sosi,
+    src_in_arr(0)         => tx_offload_siso,
 
     hdr_fields_in_arr(0)  => hdr_fields_slv_in,  -- hdr_fields_slv_in_arr(i) is considered valid @ snk_in_arr(i).sop
     hdr_fields_out_arr(0) => hdr_fields_slv_tx
@@ -306,6 +311,22 @@ BEGIN
   hdr_fields_rec_in <= func_eth_tester_map_header(hdr_fields_slv_in);
   hdr_fields_rec_tx <= func_eth_tester_map_header(hdr_fields_slv_tx);
 
+
+  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  -- dp_pipeline_ready to ease timing closure
+  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  u_dp_pipeline_ready : ENTITY dp_lib.dp_pipeline_ready
+  PORT MAP(
+    rst     => st_rst,
+    clk     => st_clk,
+
+    snk_out => tx_offload_siso,
+    snk_in  => tx_offload_sosi,
+    src_in  => tx_udp_siso,
+    src_out => i_tx_udp_sosi
+  );
+
+
   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   -- Tx packet monitors
   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------