diff --git a/server/include/msg.h b/server/include/msg.h
index 949cf52d3..0bb043c81 100644
--- a/server/include/msg.h
+++ b/server/include/msg.h
@@ -16,6 +16,16 @@
 
 struct node;
 
+/** These flags define the format which is used by msg_fscan() and msg_fprint(). */
+enum msg_flags {
+	MSG_PRINT_NANOSECONDS	= 1,
+	MSG_PRINT_OFFSET	= 2,
+	MSG_PRINT_SEQUENCE	= 4,
+	MSG_PRINT_VALUES	= 8,
+
+	MSG_PRINT_ALL		= 0xFF
+};
+
 /** Swap a message to host byte order.
  *
  * Message can either be transmitted in little or big endian
@@ -41,21 +51,25 @@ int msg_verify(struct msg *m);
 
 /** Print a raw message in human readable form to a file stream.
  *
- * @param f The file stream
- * @param m A pointer to the message
+ * @param f The file handle from fopen() or stdout, stderr.
+ * @param m A pointer to the message.
+ * @param flags See msg_flags.
+ * @param offset A optional offset in seconds. Only used if flags contains MSG_PRINT_OFFSET.
  * @retval 0 Success. Everything went well.
  * @retval <0 Error. Something went wrong.
  */
-int msg_fprint(FILE *f, struct msg *m);
+int msg_fprint(FILE *f, struct msg *m, int flags, double offset);
 
 /** Read a message from a file stream.
  *
- * @param f The file stream
- * @param m A pointer to the message
+ * @param f The file handle from fopen() or stdin.
+ * @param m A pointer to the message.
+ * @param flags et MSG_PRINT_* flags for each component found in sample if not NULL. See msg_flags.
+ * @param offset Write offset to this pointer if not NULL.
  * @retval 0 Success. Everything went well.
  * @retval <0 Error. Something went wrong.
  */
-int msg_fscan(FILE *f, struct msg *m);
+int msg_fscan(FILE *f, struct msg *m, int *flags, double *offset);
 
 /** Change the values of an existing message in a random fashion.
  *
diff --git a/server/src/file.c b/server/src/file.c
index d25028c97..2aab7cf13 100644
--- a/server/src/file.c
+++ b/server/src/file.c
@@ -185,13 +185,13 @@ int file_read(struct node *n, struct msg *pool, int poolsize, int first, int cnt
 						serror("Failed to wait for timer");
 				}
 
-				msg_fscan(f->in, cur);
+				msg_fscan(f->in, cur, NULL, NULL);
 			}
 			else {
 				struct timespec until;
 			
 				/* Get message and timestamp */
-				msg_fscan(f->in, cur);
+				msg_fscan(f->in, cur, NULL, NULL);
 
 				/* Wait for next message / sampe */
 				until = time_add(&MSG_TS(cur), &f->offset);
@@ -215,8 +215,10 @@ int file_write(struct node *n, struct msg *pool, int poolsize, int first, int cn
 		struct timespec ts;
 		clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &ts);
 
-		for (i = 0; i < cnt; i++)
-			msg_fprint(f->out, &pool[(first+i) % poolsize]);
+		for (i = 0; i < cnt; i++) {
+			struct msg *m = &pool[(first+i) % poolsize];
+			msg_fprint(f->out, m, MSG_PRINT_ALL & ~MSG_PRINT_OFFSET, 0);
+		}
 	}
 	else
 		error("Can not write to node '%s", n->name);
diff --git a/server/src/hooks.c b/server/src/hooks.c
index 9811b9bd1..fa679d418 100644
--- a/server/src/hooks.c
+++ b/server/src/hooks.c
@@ -59,8 +59,7 @@ int hook_print(struct path *p)
 	struct msg *m = p->current;
 	struct timespec ts = MSG_TS(m);
 
-	fprintf(stdout, "%.3e+", time_delta(&ts, &p->ts_recv)); /* Print delay */
-	msg_fprint(stdout, m);
+	msg_fprint(stdout, m, MSG_PRINT_ALL, time_delta(&ts, &p->ts_recv));
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/server/src/msg.c b/server/src/msg.c
index b92374e1a..20cf4639e 100644
--- a/server/src/msg.c
+++ b/server/src/msg.c
@@ -44,15 +44,23 @@ int msg_verify(struct msg *m)
 		return 0;
 }
 
-int msg_fprint(FILE *f, struct msg *m)
+int msg_fprint(FILE *f, struct msg *m, int flags, double offset)
 {
-	if (m->endian != MSG_ENDIAN_HOST)
-		msg_swap(m);
+	fprintf(f, "%u", m->ts.sec);
+	
+	if (flags & MSG_PRINT_NANOSECONDS)
+		fprintf(f, ".%09u", m->ts.nsec);
+	
+	if (flags & MSG_PRINT_OFFSET)
+		fprintf(f, "%+g", offset);
+	
+	if (flags & MSG_PRINT_SEQUENCE)
+		fprintf(f, "(%u)", m->sequence);
 
-	fprintf(f, "%10u.%09u\t%hu", m->ts.sec, m->ts.nsec, m->sequence);
-
-	for (int i = 0; i < m->length; i++)
-		fprintf(f, "\t%.6f", m->data[i].f);
+	if (flags & MSG_PRINT_VALUES) {
+		for (int i = 0; i < m->length; i++)
+			fprintf(f, "\t%.6f", m->data[i].f);
+	}
 
 	fprintf(f, "\n");
 
@@ -60,33 +68,93 @@ int msg_fprint(FILE *f, struct msg *m)
 }
 
 /** @todo Currently only floating point values are supported */
-int msg_fscan(FILE *f, struct msg *m)
+int msg_fscan(FILE *f, struct msg *m, int *fl, double *off)
 {
 	char line[MSG_VALUES * 16];
-	char *next, *ptr = line;
-
-	if (fgets(line, sizeof(line), f) == NULL)
-		return -1; /* An error occured */
-
-	m->ts.sec   = (uint32_t) strtoul(ptr, &ptr, 10); ptr++;
-	m->ts.nsec  = (uint32_t) strtoul(ptr, &ptr, 10);
-	m->sequence = (uint16_t) strtoul(ptr, &ptr, 10);
-
+	char *end, *ptr = line;
+	int flags = 0;
+	double offset;
+	
 	m->version = MSG_VERSION;
 	m->endian  = MSG_ENDIAN_HOST;
-	m->length  = 0;
-	m->rsvd1   = 0;
-	m->rsvd2   = 0;
+	m->rsvd1   = m->rsvd2   = 0;
+	
+	/* Format: Seconds.NanoSeconds+Offset(SequenceNumber) Value1 Value2 ... 
+	 * RegEx: (\d+(?:\.\d+)?)([-+]\d+(?:\.\d+)?(?:e[+-]?\d+)?)?(?:\((\d+)\))?
+	 *
+	 * Please note that only the seconds and at least one value are mandatory
+	 */
 
-	while (m->length < MSG_VALUES) {
-		m->data[m->length].f = strtod(ptr, &next);
+skip:	if (fgets(line, sizeof(line), f) == NULL)
+		return -1; /* An error occured */
 
-		if (next == ptr)
-			break;
+	if (line[0] == '#')
+		goto skip;
 
-		ptr = next;
-		m->length++;
+	/* Mandatory: seconds */
+	m->ts.sec = (uint32_t) strtoul(ptr, &end, 10);
+	if (ptr == end)
+		return -2;
+
+	/* Optional: nano seconds */
+	if (*end == '.') {
+		ptr = end + 1;
+
+		m->ts.nsec = (uint32_t) strtoul(ptr, &end, 10);
+		if (ptr != end)
+			flags |= MSG_PRINT_NANOSECONDS;
+		else
+			return -3;
 	}
+	else
+		m->ts.nsec = 0;
+
+	/* Optional: offset / delay */
+	if (*end == '+' || *end == '-') {
+		ptr = end + 1;
+
+		offset = strtof(ptr, &end); /* offset is ignored for now */
+		if (ptr != end)
+			flags |= MSG_PRINT_OFFSET;
+		else
+			return -4;
+	}
+
+	/* Optional: sequence number */
+	if (*end == '(') {
+		ptr = end + 1;
+
+		m->sequence = (uint16_t) strtoul(ptr, &end, 10);
+		if (ptr != end && *end == ')')
+			flags |= MSG_PRINT_SEQUENCE;
+		else {
+			info(end);
+			return -5;
+		}
+		
+		end = end + 1;
+	}
+	else
+		m->sequence = 0;
+
+	for ( m->length = 0,          ptr  = end;
+	      m->length < MSG_VALUES;
+	      m->length++,            ptr = end) {
+
+		/** @todo We only support floating point values at the moment */
+		m->data[m->length].f = strtod(ptr, &end);
+
+		if (end == ptr) /* there are no valid FP values anymore */
+			break;
+	}
+	
+	if (m->length > 0)
+		flags |= MSG_PRINT_VALUES;
+	
+	if (fl)
+		*fl = flags;
+	if (off && (flags & MSG_PRINT_OFFSET))
+		*off = offset;
 
 	return m->length;
 }
diff --git a/server/src/random.c b/server/src/random.c
index 305d88dc0..c253592bc 100644
--- a/server/src/random.c
+++ b/server/src/random.c
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		serror("Failed to start timer");
 
 	/* Print header */
-	fprintf(stderr, "# %-20s\t%s\t%s\n", "timestamp", "seqno", "data[]");
+	fprintf(stderr, "# %-20s\t\t%s\n", "sec.nsec(seq)", "data[]");
 
 	/* Block until 1/p->rate seconds elapsed */
 	while (limit-- > 0 || argc < 4) {
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		m.ts.nsec   = ts.tv_nsec;
 
 		msg_random(&m);
-		msg_fprint(stdout, &m);
+		msg_fprint(stdout, &m, MSG_PRINT_ALL & ~MSG_PRINT_OFFSET, 0);
 
 		fflush(stdout);
 	}
diff --git a/server/src/receive.c b/server/src/receive.c
index 66021f52a..2d612d08a 100644
--- a/server/src/receive.c
+++ b/server/src/receive.c
@@ -110,16 +110,23 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	pool = alloc(sizeof(struct msg) * node->combine);
 
 	/* Print header */
-	fprintf(stderr, "# %-20s\t%s\t%s\n", "timestamp", "seqno", "data[]");
+	fprintf(stderr, "# %-20s\t\t%s\n", "sec.nsec+offset(seq)", "data[]");
 
 	for (;;) {
+		struct timespec ts;
+		clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &ts);
+		
 		int recv = node_read(node, pool, node->combine, 0, node->combine);
 		for (int i = 0; i < recv; i++) {
-			int ret = msg_verify(&pool[i]);
+			struct msg *m = &pool[i];
+			
+			int ret = msg_verify(m);
 			if (ret)
 				warn("Failed to verify message: %d", ret);
+			
+			/** @todo should we drop reordered / delayed packets here? */
 
-			msg_fprint(stdout, &pool[i]);
+			msg_fprint(stdout, &pool[i], MSG_PRINT_ALL, time_delta(&MSG_TS(m), &ts));
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/server/src/send.c b/server/src/send.c
index 1a658d83e..7c5e57b85 100644
--- a/server/src/send.c
+++ b/server/src/send.c
@@ -113,15 +113,24 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	pool = alloc(sizeof(struct msg) * node->combine);
 
 	/* Print header */
-	fprintf(stderr, "# %-20s\t%s\t%s\n", "timestamp", "seqno", "data[]");
+	fprintf(stderr, "# %-20s\t\t%s\n", "sec.nsec+offset(seq)", "data[]");
 
 	for (;;) {
-		int i = 0;
-		while (i < node->combine) {
-			if (msg_fscan(stdin, &pool[i]) > 0)
-				msg_fprint(stdout, &pool[i++]);
-			else if (feof(stdin))
-				goto out;
+		for (int i = 0; i < node->combine; i++) {
+			struct msg *m = &pool[i];
+			int reason;
+			
+retry:			reason = msg_fscan(stdin, m, NULL, NULL);
+			if (reason < 0) {
+				if (feof(stdin))
+					goto out;
+				else {
+					warn("Skipped invalid message message: reason=%d", reason);
+					goto retry;
+				}
+			}
+			else
+				msg_fprint(stdout, m, MSG_PRINT_ALL, 0);
 		}
 
 		node_write(node, pool, node->combine, 0, node->combine);