diff --git a/src/auditd-dispatch.c b/src/auditd-dispatch.c
index 40bed7c8e..db7a1f5ed 100644
--- a/src/auditd-dispatch.c
+++ b/src/auditd-dispatch.c
@@ -75,24 +75,14 @@ int dispatch_event(const struct audit_reply *rep, int protocol_ver)
 	e->hdr.type = rep->type;
 
 	if (protocol_ver == AUDISP_PROTOCOL_VER) {
-		if (rep->nlh == &rep->msg.nlh) {
-			if (rep->msg.nlh.nlmsg_len < NLMSG_HDRLEN ||
-			    rep->msg.nlh.nlmsg_len >
-					NLMSG_LENGTH(sizeof(e->data))) {
-				free(e);
-				return -1;
-			}
-
-			/* audit_get_reply marks embedded netlink replies this
-			 * way. Netlink length includes its header, while
-			 * event_t contains only payload. Local V0/legacy
-			 * events retain a payload length here. */
-			e->hdr.size = rep->msg.nlh.nlmsg_len - NLMSG_HDRLEN;
-		} else if (rep->msg.nlh.nlmsg_len > sizeof(e->data)) {
+		/* The kernel audit subsystem sets nlmsg_len to the payload
+		 * size only (skb->len - NLMSG_HDRLEN), not the total
+		 * message length. */
+		if (rep->msg.nlh.nlmsg_len > sizeof(e->data)) {
 			free(e);
 			return -1;
-		} else
-			e->hdr.size = rep->msg.nlh.nlmsg_len;
+		}
+		e->hdr.size = rep->msg.nlh.nlmsg_len;
 		memcpy(e->data, (void*)rep->msg.data, e->hdr.size);
 	} else if (protocol_ver == AUDISP_PROTOCOL_VER2) {
 		e->hdr.size = rep->len;
diff --git a/src/test/auditd_dispatch_test.c b/src/test/auditd_dispatch_test.c
index dfdc169fe..265560a78 100644
--- a/src/test/auditd_dispatch_test.c
+++ b/src/test/auditd_dispatch_test.c
@@ -84,9 +84,10 @@ static void free_queued_event(void)
 }
 
 /*
- * test_netlink_payload_length - verify netlink headers are not copied as data
+ * test_netlink_payload_length - kernel nlmsg_len is the payload size directly
  *
- * Returns: None.
+ * The kernel audit subsystem sets nlmsg_len = skb->len - NLMSG_HDRLEN,
+ * i.e. the payload size only.  Verify dispatch uses it as-is.
  */
 static void test_netlink_payload_length(void)
 {
@@ -96,7 +97,7 @@ static void test_netlink_payload_length(void)
 	memset(rep.msg.data, 'a', sizeof(rep.msg.data));
 	rep.type = AUDIT_SYSCALL;
 	rep.nlh = &rep.msg.nlh;
-	rep.msg.nlh.nlmsg_len = NLMSG_LENGTH(sizeof(rep.msg.data));
+	rep.msg.nlh.nlmsg_len = sizeof(rep.msg.data);
 
 	assert(dispatch_event(&rep, AUDISP_PROTOCOL_VER) == 0);
 	assert(queued_event != NULL);
@@ -107,7 +108,7 @@ static void test_netlink_payload_length(void)
 }
 
 /*
- * test_invalid_netlink_length - reject malformed embedded netlink lengths
+ * test_invalid_netlink_length - reject oversized payloads
  *
  * Returns: None.
  */
@@ -117,11 +118,7 @@ static void test_invalid_netlink_length(void)
 
 	memset(&rep, 0, sizeof(rep));
 	rep.nlh = &rep.msg.nlh;
-	rep.msg.nlh.nlmsg_len = NLMSG_HDRLEN - 1;
-	assert(dispatch_event(&rep, AUDISP_PROTOCOL_VER) == -1);
-	assert(queued_event == NULL);
-
-	rep.msg.nlh.nlmsg_len = NLMSG_LENGTH(sizeof(rep.msg.data)) + 1;
+	rep.msg.nlh.nlmsg_len = sizeof(rep.msg.data) + 1;
 	assert(dispatch_event(&rep, AUDISP_PROTOCOL_VER) == -1);
 	assert(queued_event == NULL);
 }
@@ -146,10 +143,67 @@ static void test_synthetic_payload_length(void)
 	free_queued_event();
 }
 
+/*
+ * test_realistic_user_event - exercise a USER record like auditctl -m produces
+ *
+ * The kernel sets nlmsg_len to the payload size (not including the netlink
+ * header).  The dispatcher must copy exactly that many bytes from msg.data.
+ */
+static void test_realistic_user_event(void)
+{
+	struct audit_reply rep;
+	const char *payload =
+		"audit(1721000000.123:42): pid=1234 uid=0 auid=0 ses=1 "
+		"subj=unconfined_u:unconfined_r:unconfined_t:s0-s0:c0.c1023 "
+		"msg='text=dispatch-test "
+		"exe=\"/usr/sbin/auditctl\" "
+		"hostname=? addr=? terminal=pts/0 res=success'";
+	unsigned int plen = strlen(payload);
+
+	memset(&rep, 0, sizeof(rep));
+	rep.type = AUDIT_USER;
+	rep.nlh = &rep.msg.nlh;
+	rep.msg.nlh.nlmsg_len = plen;
+	memcpy(rep.msg.data, payload, plen);
+
+	assert(dispatch_event(&rep, AUDISP_PROTOCOL_VER) == 0);
+	assert(queued_event != NULL);
+	assert(queued_event->hdr.size == plen);
+	assert(memcmp(queued_event->data, payload, plen) == 0);
+	free_queued_event();
+}
+
+/*
+ * test_v2_protocol_uses_rep_len - VER2 events use rep->len and rep->message
+ *
+ * Enriched / pre-formatted events travel as AUDISP_PROTOCOL_VER2 and must
+ * use the explicit rep->len field rather than nlmsg_len.
+ */
+static void test_v2_protocol_uses_rep_len(void)
+{
+	struct audit_reply rep;
+	const char *formatted = "type=USER msg=audit(1721000000.789:44): "
+				"op=user-msg terminal=pts/0 res=success";
+	unsigned int flen = strlen(formatted);
+
+	memset(&rep, 0, sizeof(rep));
+	rep.type = AUDIT_USER;
+	rep.len = flen;
+	rep.message = (char *)formatted;
+
+	assert(dispatch_event(&rep, AUDISP_PROTOCOL_VER2) == 0);
+	assert(queued_event != NULL);
+	assert(queued_event->hdr.size == flen);
+	assert(memcmp(queued_event->data, formatted, flen) == 0);
+	free_queued_event();
+}
+
 int main(void)
 {
 	test_netlink_payload_length();
 	test_invalid_netlink_length();
 	test_synthetic_payload_length();
+	test_realistic_user_event();
+	test_v2_protocol_uses_rep_len();
 	return 0;
 }