diff --git a/src/core/common/heap_data.cpp b/src/core/common/heap_data.cpp
index 1da083817..fcdfe0524 100644
--- a/src/core/common/heap_data.cpp
+++ b/src/core/common/heap_data.cpp
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ exit:
 
 Error Data::SetFrom(const Message &aMessage)
 {
-    return SetFrom(aMessage, aMessage.GetOffset(), aMessage.GetLength() - aMessage.GetOffset());
+    return SetFrom(aMessage, aMessage.GetOffset(), aMessage.DetermineLengthAfterOffset());
 }
 
 Error Data::SetFrom(const Message &aMessage, uint16_t aOffset, uint16_t aLength)
diff --git a/src/core/common/message.cpp b/src/core/common/message.cpp
index 947a722a1..06a498918 100644
--- a/src/core/common/message.cpp
+++ b/src/core/common/message.cpp
@@ -327,6 +327,11 @@ void Message::SetOffset(uint16_t aOffset)
     GetMetadata().mOffset = aOffset;
 }
 
+uint16_t Message::DetermineLengthAfterOffset(void) const
+{
+    return (GetOffset() <= GetLength()) ? GetLength() - GetOffset() : 0;
+}
+
 bool Message::IsMleCommand(Mle::Command aMleCommand) const
 {
     return (GetSubType() == kSubTypeMle) && (GetMetadata().mMleCommand == aMleCommand);
diff --git a/src/core/common/message.hpp b/src/core/common/message.hpp
index 39f0863db..251752c36 100644
--- a/src/core/common/message.hpp
+++ b/src/core/common/message.hpp
@@ -537,6 +537,13 @@ public:
      */
     void SetOffset(uint16_t aOffset);
 
+    /**
+     * Determines the length (number of bytes) in the message from the current message offset to the end of the message.
+     *
+     * @return Number of bytes in the message starting from the current message offset to the end of the message.
+     */
+    uint16_t DetermineLengthAfterOffset(void) const;
+
     /**
      * Returns the type of the message.
      *
diff --git a/src/core/meshcop/border_agent.cpp b/src/core/meshcop/border_agent.cpp
index 943fb5f03..31e2258a1 100644
--- a/src/core/meshcop/border_agent.cpp
+++ b/src/core/meshcop/border_agent.cpp
@@ -821,7 +821,7 @@ void Manager::CoapDtlsSession::HandleLeaderResponseToFwdTmf(const ForwardContext
                       forwardMessage->Init(Coap::kTypeNonConfirmable, static_cast<Coap::Code>(aResponse->GetCode())));
     SuccessOrExit(error = forwardMessage->WriteToken(aForwardContext.mToken));
 
-    if (aResponse->mMessage.GetLength() > aResponse->mMessage.GetOffset())
+    if (aResponse->mMessage.DetermineLengthAfterOffset() > 0)
     {
         SuccessOrExit(error = forwardMessage->AppendPayloadMarker());
     }
diff --git a/src/core/meshcop/meshcop.cpp b/src/core/meshcop/meshcop.cpp
index d924e8b18..ef67bb58b 100644
--- a/src/core/meshcop/meshcop.cpp
+++ b/src/core/meshcop/meshcop.cpp
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ void LogCertMessage(const char *aText, const Coap::Message &aMessage)
     OT_UNUSED_VARIABLE(aText);
 
     uint8_t  buf[Buffer::kSize];
-    uint16_t length = aMessage.GetLength() - aMessage.GetOffset();
+    uint16_t length = aMessage.DetermineLengthAfterOffset();
 
     VerifyOrExit(length <= sizeof(buf));
     aMessage.ReadBytes(aMessage.GetOffset(), buf, length);
diff --git a/src/core/net/checksum.cpp b/src/core/net/checksum.cpp
index c343fe54b..237cac3b8 100644
--- a/src/core/net/checksum.cpp
+++ b/src/core/net/checksum.cpp
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ void Checksum::Calculate(const Ip6::Address &aSource,
                          const Message      &aMessage)
 {
     Message::Chunk chunk;
-    uint16_t       length = aMessage.GetLength() - aMessage.GetOffset();
+    uint16_t       length = aMessage.DetermineLengthAfterOffset();
 
     // Pseudo-header for checksum calculation (RFC-2460).
 
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ void Checksum::Calculate(const Ip4::Address &aSource,
                          const Message      &aMessage)
 {
     Message::Chunk chunk;
-    uint16_t       length = aMessage.GetLength() - aMessage.GetOffset();
+    uint16_t       length = aMessage.DetermineLengthAfterOffset();
 
     // Pseudo-header for checksum calculation (RFC-768/792/793).
     // Note: ICMP checksum won't count the pseudo header like TCP and UDP.
diff --git a/src/core/net/dns_client.cpp b/src/core/net/dns_client.cpp
index feaf1b451..66d2c41c7 100644
--- a/src/core/net/dns_client.cpp
+++ b/src/core/net/dns_client.cpp
@@ -1199,7 +1199,7 @@ Error Client::SendQuery(Query &aQuery, QueryInfo &aInfo, bool aUpdateTimer)
     }
 #endif
 
-    length = message->GetLength() - message->GetOffset();
+    length = message->DetermineLengthAfterOffset();
 
     if (aInfo.mConfig.GetTransportProto() == QueryConfig::kDnsTransportTcp)
 #if OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_DNS_CLIENT_OVER_TCP_ENABLE
@@ -1893,7 +1893,7 @@ exit:
 #if OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_DNS_CLIENT_OVER_TCP_ENABLE
 void Client::PrepareTcpMessage(Message &aMessage)
 {
-    uint16_t length = aMessage.GetLength() - aMessage.GetOffset();
+    uint16_t length = aMessage.DetermineLengthAfterOffset();
 
     // Prepending the DNS query with length of the packet according to RFC1035.
     BigEndian::WriteUint16(length, mSendBufferBytes + mSendLink.mLength);
diff --git a/src/core/net/dns_dso.cpp b/src/core/net/dns_dso.cpp
index 24382f794..577894485 100644
--- a/src/core/net/dns_dso.cpp
+++ b/src/core/net/dns_dso.cpp
@@ -766,7 +766,7 @@ Error Dso::Connection::ReadPrimaryTlv(const Message &aMessage, Tlv::Type &aPrima
     aPrimaryTlvType = Tlv::kReservedType;
 
     SuccessOrExit(aMessage.Read(aMessage.GetOffset(), tlv));
-    VerifyOrExit(aMessage.GetOffset() + tlv.GetSize() <= aMessage.GetLength(), error = kErrorParse);
+    VerifyOrExit(tlv.GetSize() <= aMessage.DetermineLengthAfterOffset(), error = kErrorParse);
     aPrimaryTlvType = tlv.GetType();
     error           = kErrorNone;
 
diff --git a/src/core/net/ip6.cpp b/src/core/net/ip6.cpp
index e9d0f8b19..36b4db582 100644
--- a/src/core/net/ip6.cpp
+++ b/src/core/net/ip6.cpp
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ Error Ip6::FragmentDatagram(Message &aMessage, uint8_t aIpProto)
 
     uint16_t maxPayloadFragment =
         FragmentHeader::MakeDivisibleByEight(kMinimalMtu - aMessage.GetOffset() - sizeof(fragmentHeader));
-    uint16_t payloadLeft = aMessage.GetLength() - aMessage.GetOffset();
+    uint16_t payloadLeft = aMessage.DetermineLengthAfterOffset();
 
     SuccessOrExit(error = aMessage.Read(0, header));
     header.SetNextHeader(kProtoFragment);
diff --git a/src/core/net/nat64_translator.cpp b/src/core/net/nat64_translator.cpp
index 5847e8489..f465ac798 100644
--- a/src/core/net/nat64_translator.cpp
+++ b/src/core/net/nat64_translator.cpp
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ Error Translator::TranslateIp6ToIp4(Message &aMessage)
     }
 
     // TODO: Implement the logic for replying ICMP messages.
-    ip4Header.SetTotalLength(sizeof(Ip4::Header) + aMessage.GetLength() - aMessage.GetOffset());
+    ip4Header.SetTotalLength(sizeof(Ip4::Header) + aMessage.DetermineLengthAfterOffset());
 
     Checksum::UpdateMessageChecksum(aMessage, ip4Header.GetSource(), ip4Header.GetDestination(),
                                     ip4Header.GetProtocol());
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ Error Translator::TranslateIp4ToIp6(Message &aMessage)
     }
 
     // TODO: Implement the logic for replying ICMP datagrams.
-    ip6Header.SetPayloadLength(aMessage.GetLength() - aMessage.GetOffset());
+    ip6Header.SetPayloadLength(aMessage.DetermineLengthAfterOffset());
 
     Checksum::UpdateMessageChecksum(aMessage, ip6Header.GetSource(), ip6Header.GetDestination(),
                                     ip6Header.GetNextHeader());
diff --git a/src/core/net/tcp6.cpp b/src/core/net/tcp6.cpp
index f3f707acf..f7a2f852d 100644
--- a/src/core/net/tcp6.cpp
+++ b/src/core/net/tcp6.cpp
@@ -633,7 +633,7 @@ Error Tcp::HandleMessage(ot::Ip6::Header &aIp6Header, Message &aMessage, Message
     struct tcplp_signals sig;
     int                  nextAction;
 
-    VerifyOrExit(length == aMessage.GetLength() - aMessage.GetOffset(), error = kErrorParse);
+    VerifyOrExit(length == aMessage.DetermineLengthAfterOffset(), error = kErrorParse);
     VerifyOrExit(length >= sizeof(Tcp::Header), error = kErrorParse);
     SuccessOrExit(error = aMessage.Read(aMessage.GetOffset() + offsetof(struct tcphdr, th_off_x2), headerSize));
     headerSize = static_cast<uint8_t>((headerSize >> TH_OFF_SHIFT) << 2);
diff --git a/src/core/thread/lowpan.cpp b/src/core/thread/lowpan.cpp
index 284b2c31c..58790c0fc 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/lowpan.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/lowpan.cpp
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ Error Lowpan::CompressExtensionHeader(Message &aMessage, FrameBuilder &aFrameBui
         }
     }
 
-    VerifyOrExit(aMessage.GetOffset() + len + padLength <= aMessage.GetLength(), error = kErrorParse);
+    VerifyOrExit(len + padLength <= aMessage.DetermineLengthAfterOffset(), error = kErrorParse);
 
     aNextHeader = static_cast<uint8_t>(extHeader.GetNextHeader());
 
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp
index 20cb111d8..7bceab642 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp
@@ -1178,7 +1178,7 @@ exit:
 
     if (error == kErrorNone)
     {
-        if (message->GetOffset() >= message->GetLength())
+        if (message->DetermineLengthAfterOffset() == 0)
         {
             mReassemblyList.Dequeue(*message);
             IgnoreError(HandleDatagram(*message, aRxInfo.GetSrcAddr()));
diff --git a/src/core/thread/message_framer.cpp b/src/core/thread/message_framer.cpp
index 35243d3df..9cb9424bf 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/message_framer.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/message_framer.cpp
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ start:
 
         frameBuilder.SetMaxLength(maxFrameLength);
 
-        payloadLength = aMessage.GetLength() - aMessage.GetOffset();
+        payloadLength = aMessage.DetermineLengthAfterOffset();
 
         if (aAddFragHeader || (payloadLength > frameBuilder.GetRemainingLength()))
         {
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ start:
                             aMessage.GetOffset());
         SuccessOrAssert(frameBuilder.Append(nextFragHeader));
 
-        payloadLength = aMessage.GetLength() - aMessage.GetOffset();
+        payloadLength = aMessage.DetermineLengthAfterOffset();
     }
 
     if (payloadLength > frameBuilder.GetRemainingLength())