diff --git a/examples/gnrc_border_router/main.c b/examples/gnrc_border_router/main.c
index 73aa63c6cc..654b411a50 100644
--- a/examples/gnrc_border_router/main.c
+++ b/examples/gnrc_border_router/main.c
@@ -21,9 +21,16 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 
 #include "shell.h"
+#include "msg.h"
+
+#define MAIN_QUEUE_SIZE     (8)
+static msg_t _main_msg_queue[MAIN_QUEUE_SIZE];
 
 int main(void)
 {
+    /* we need a message queue for the thread running the shell in order to
+     * receive potentially fast incoming networking packets */
+    msg_init_queue(_main_msg_queue, MAIN_QUEUE_SIZE);
     puts("RIOT border router example application");
 
     /* start shell */
diff --git a/examples/gnrc_networking/main.c b/examples/gnrc_networking/main.c
index c3c66f9978..6301f4291d 100644
--- a/examples/gnrc_networking/main.c
+++ b/examples/gnrc_networking/main.c
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 
 #include "shell.h"
+#include "msg.h"
+
+#define MAIN_QUEUE_SIZE     (8)
+static msg_t _main_msg_queue[MAIN_QUEUE_SIZE];
 
 extern int udp_cmd(int argc, char **argv);
 
@@ -31,6 +35,9 @@ static const shell_command_t shell_commands[] = {
 
 int main(void)
 {
+    /* we need a message queue for the thread running the shell in order to
+     * receive potentially fast incoming networking packets */
+    msg_init_queue(_main_msg_queue, MAIN_QUEUE_SIZE);
     puts("RIOT network stack example application");
 
     /* start shell */
diff --git a/sys/shell/commands/sc_icmpv6_echo.c b/sys/shell/commands/sc_icmpv6_echo.c
index 61af94b193..c02a846b26 100644
--- a/sys/shell/commands/sc_icmpv6_echo.c
+++ b/sys/shell/commands/sc_icmpv6_echo.c
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ int _icmpv6_ping(int argc, char **argv)
     timex_t delay = { 1, 0 };
     char *addr_str;
     ipv6_addr_t addr;
+    msg_t msg;
     gnrc_netreg_entry_t *ipv6_entry, my_entry = { NULL, ICMPV6_ECHO_REP,
                                                   thread_getpid()
                                                 };
@@ -211,7 +212,6 @@ int _icmpv6_ping(int argc, char **argv)
     vtimer_now(&start);
 
     while ((remaining--) > 0) {
-        msg_t msg;
         gnrc_pktsnip_t *pkt;
         timex_t start, stop, timeout = { 5, 0 };
 
@@ -284,6 +284,13 @@ int _icmpv6_ping(int argc, char **argv)
     stop = timex_sub(stop, start);
 
     gnrc_netreg_unregister(GNRC_NETTYPE_ICMPV6, &my_entry);
+    while(msg_try_receive(&msg) > 0) {
+        if (msg.type == GNRC_NETAPI_MSG_TYPE_RCV) {
+            printf("dropping additional response packet (probably caused by duplicates)\n");
+            gnrc_pktsnip_t *pkt = (gnrc_pktsnip_t *)msg.content.ptr;
+            gnrc_pktbuf_release(pkt);
+        }
+    }
 
     printf("--- %s ping statistics ---\n", addr_str);