Out-of-order packet processing

In one embodiment, a communication apparatus, including a network interface configured to receive over a network a sequence of data packets of a network flow having a defined packet order, wherein the network interface is configured to receive an out-of-order data packet instead of multiple missing data packets according to the defined packet order, a timer, and packet processing circuitry configured to activate the timer responsively to receiving the out-of-order data packet, and set the time period over which the tinier is activated responsively to a quantity of the multiple missing data packets.