diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 087f7b3f9..2ca343bbe 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@
 #define DEFAULT_VALUES		64
 #define DEFAULT_QUEUELEN	1024
 
+/** Whether or not to send / receive timestamp & sequence number as first values of payload */
+#define GTNET_SKT_HEADER	1
+
 /** Width of log output in characters */
 #define LOG_WIDTH		132
 
diff --git a/lib/nodes/socket.c b/lib/nodes/socket.c
index 257da3f67..f6c3e3f12 100644
--- a/lib/nodes/socket.c
+++ b/lib/nodes/socket.c
@@ -217,13 +217,37 @@ int socket_read(struct node *n, struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt)
 	if (s->header == SOCKET_HEADER_GTNET_SKT) {
 		if (cnt < 1)
 			return 0;
-
+		
 		/* The GTNETv2-SKT protocol send every sample in a single packet.
 		 * socket_read() receives a single packet. */
 		struct sample *smp = smps[0];
+		
+#if defined(GTNET_SKT_HEADER) && GTNET_SKT_HEADER
+		uint32_t header[3];
+			
+		struct iovec iov[] = {
+			{ /* First three values are sequence, seconds and nano-seconds */
+				.iov_base = header,
+				.iov_len = sizeof(header)
+			},
+#else
+		struct iovec iov[] = {
+#endif
+			{ /* Remaining values are payload */
+				.iov_base = &smp->data,
+				.iov_len = SAMPLE_DATA_LEN(smp->capacity)
+			}
+		};
+			
+		struct msghdr mhdr = {
+			.msg_iov = iov,
+			.msg_iovlen = ARRAY_LEN(iov),
+			.msg_name = (struct sockaddr *) &s->remote,
+			.msg_namelen = sizeof(s->remote)
+		};
 
 		/* Receive next sample */
-		bytes = recv(s->sd, &smp->data[0], SAMPLE_DATA_LEN(smp->capacity), MSG_TRUNC);
+		bytes = recvmsg(s->sd, &mhdr, MSG_TRUNC);
 		if (bytes == 0)
 			error("Remote node %s closed the connection", node_name(n)); /** @todo Should we really hard fail here? */
 		else if (bytes < 0)
@@ -234,9 +258,11 @@ int socket_read(struct node *n, struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt)
 			return -1;
 		}
 
-		debug(3, "Received %zd bytes", bytes);
-
+#if defined(GTNET_SKT_HEADER) && GTNET_SKT_HEADER
+		length = (bytes - sizeof(header)) / SAMPLE_DATA_LEN(1);
+#else
 		length = bytes / SAMPLE_DATA_LEN(1);
+#endif
 		if (length > smp->capacity) {
 			warn("Node %s received more values than supported. Dropping %u values", node_name(n), length - smp->capacity);
 			length = smp->capacity;
@@ -245,7 +271,18 @@ int socket_read(struct node *n, struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt)
 		/** @todo Should we generate sequence no here manually?
 		 *        Or maybe optinally use the first data value as a sequence?
 		 *        However this would require the RTDS model to be changed. */
-		smp->sequence = 0;
+#if defined(GTNET_SKT_HEADER) && GTNET_SKT_HEADER
+		smp->sequence          = header[0];
+		smp->ts.origin.tv_sec  = header[1];
+		smp->ts.origin.tv_nsec = header[2];
+#else
+		smp->sequence = -1;
+		smp->ts.origin.tv_sec = -1;
+		smp->ts.origin.tv_nsec = -1;
+#endif
+		smp->ts.received.tv_sec = -1;
+		smp->ts.received.tv_nsec = -1;
+
 		smp->length = length;
 
 		received = 1; /* GTNET-SKT sends every sample in a single packet */
@@ -322,6 +359,8 @@ int socket_read(struct node *n, struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt)
 			smp->length = m->length;
 			smp->sequence = m->sequence;
 			smp->ts.origin = MSG_TS(m);
+			smp->ts.received.tv_sec = -1;
+			smp->ts.received.tv_nsec = -1;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -342,7 +381,35 @@ int socket_write(struct node *n, struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt)
 			return 0;
 
 		for (int i = 0; i < cnt; i++) {
-			bytes = sendto(s->sd, &smps[i]->data, SAMPLE_DATA_LEN(smps[i]->length), 0, (struct sockaddr *) &s->remote, sizeof(s->remote));
+#if defined(GTNET_SKT_HEADER) && GTNET_SKT_HEADER
+			uint32_t header[] = {
+				smps[i]->sequence,
+				smps[i]->ts.origin.tv_sec,
+				smps[i]->ts.origin.tv_nsec
+			};
+			
+			struct iovec iov[] = {
+				{ /* First three values are sequence, seconds and nano-seconds */
+					.iov_base = header,
+					.iov_len = sizeof(header)
+				},
+#else
+			struct iovec iov[] = {
+#endif
+				{ /* Remaining values are payload */
+					.iov_base = &smps[i]->data,
+					.iov_len = SAMPLE_DATA_LEN(smps[i]->length)
+				}
+			};
+			
+			struct msghdr mhdr = {
+				.msg_iov = iov,
+				.msg_iovlen = ARRAY_LEN(iov),
+				.msg_name = (struct sockaddr *) &s->remote,
+				.msg_namelen = sizeof(s->remote)
+			};
+
+			bytes = sendmsg(s->sd, &mhdr, 0);
 			if (bytes < 0)
 				serror("Failed send to node %s", node_name(n));
 
@@ -413,9 +480,9 @@ int socket_parse(struct node *n, config_setting_t *cfg)
 	if (!config_setting_lookup_string(cfg, "header", &hdr))
 		s->header = SOCKET_HEADER_DEFAULT;
 	else {
-		if (!strcmp(hdr, "gtnet-skt"))
+		if (!strcmp(hdr, "gtnet-skt") || (!strcmp(hdr, "none")))
 			s->header = SOCKET_HEADER_GTNET_SKT;
-		else if (!strcmp(hdr, "default"))
+		else if (!strcmp(hdr, "default") || !strcmp(hdr, "villas"))
 			s->header = SOCKET_HEADER_DEFAULT;
 		else
 			cerror(cfg, "Invalid application header type '%s' for node %s", hdr, node_name(n));