A method to facilitate a user equipment, UE, handoff within a packet data communication system, the method comprising: receiving, at an Evolved NodeB, eNB, via a serving relay node an indication that the UE will undergo a handoff from the serving relay node to a target node, characterized by receiving, at the eNB, a first packet data for the UE, the first packet data comprising a first Internet protocol, IP, header and a first payload, wherein the first IP header identifies an address of the eNB; extracting, at the eNB, the first payload from the first packet data to form a first packet data unit, PDU, wherein the first PDU comprises a second IP header and the extracted first payload, wherein the second IP header identifies the address of the eNB and an address of the target node; transmitting, from the eNB to the target node, the first PDU to permit the target node to transmit the first payload of the first PDU to the UE, the target node being identified based upon the address of the target node identified by the second IP header; identifying, at the eNB, that a second packet data for the UE has been received at the eNB during a time period when the UE is undergoing the handoff to the target node, wherein the second packet data is a packet data that has already arrived at a transmit queue, but not transmitted in time due to the handoff event; extracting, at the eNB, a second payload from the second packet data to form a second PDU, wherein the second PDU comprises a third IP header and the extracted second payload, wherein the third IP header identifies the address of the eNB and an address of the target node; and transmitting the second PDU to the target node via a lower protocol layer. receiving, at an Evolved NodeB, eNB, via a serving relay node an indication that the UE will undergo a handoff from the serving relay node to a target node, characterized by receiving, at the eNB, a first packet data for the UE, the first packet data comprising a first Internet protocol, IP, header and a first payload, wherein the first IP header identifies an address of the eNB; extracting, at the eNB, the first payload from the first packet data to form a first packet data unit, PDU, wherein the first PDU comprises a second IP header and the extracted first payload, wherein the second IP header identifies the address of the eNB and an address of the target node; transmitting, from the eNB to the target node, the first PDU to permit the target node to transmit the first payload of the first PDU to the UE, the target node being identified based upon the address of the target node identified by the second IP header; identifying, at the eNB, that a second packet data for the UE has been received at the eNB during a time period when the UE is undergoing the handoff to the target node, wherein the second packet data is a packet data that has already arrived at a transmit queue, but not transmitted in time due to the handoff event; extracting, at the eNB, a second payload from the second packet data to form a second PDU, wherein the second PDU comprises a third IP header and the extracted second payload, wherein the third IP header identifies the address of the eNB and an address of the target node; and transmitting the second PDU to the target node via a lower protocol layer.