diff --git a/src/core/net/ip6.cpp b/src/core/net/ip6.cpp
index 4ef87cff4..303e03ec7 100644
--- a/src/core/net/ip6.cpp
+++ b/src/core/net/ip6.cpp
@@ -734,8 +734,9 @@ otError Ip6::HandleFragment(Message &aMessage, Netif *aNetif, MessageInfo &aMess
 
     for (message = mReassemblyList.GetHead(); message; message = message->GetNext())
     {
-        VerifyOrExit(aMessage.Read(0, sizeof(headerBuffer), &headerBuffer) == sizeof(headerBuffer),
+        VerifyOrExit(message->Read(0, sizeof(headerBuffer), &headerBuffer) == sizeof(headerBuffer),
                      error = OT_ERROR_PARSE);
+
         if (message->GetDatagramTag() == fragmentHeader.GetIdentification() &&
             headerBuffer.GetSource() == header.GetSource() && headerBuffer.GetDestination() == header.GetDestination())
         {