diff --git a/examples/rpl-udp/udp-client.c b/examples/rpl-udp/udp-client.c
index fb13a2073..8628e834c 100644
--- a/examples/rpl-udp/udp-client.c
+++ b/examples/rpl-udp/udp-client.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ udp_rx_callback(struct simple_udp_connection *c,
          const uint8_t *data,
          uint16_t datalen)
 {
-  LOG_INFO("Received response '%s' from ", (char *) data);
+  LOG_INFO("Received response '%.*s' from ", datalen, (char *) data);
   LOG_INFO_6ADDR(sender_addr);
   LOG_INFO_("\n");
 }
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ PROCESS_THREAD(udp_client_process, ev, data)
       LOG_INFO("Sending request %u to ", count);
       LOG_INFO_6ADDR(&dest_ipaddr);
       LOG_INFO_("\n");
-      snprintf(str, sizeof(str), "hello from the client:%d", count);
+      snprintf(str, sizeof(str), "hello %d", count);
       simple_udp_sendto(&udp_conn, str, strlen(str), &dest_ipaddr);
       count++;
     } else {
diff --git a/examples/rpl-udp/udp-server.c b/examples/rpl-udp/udp-server.c
index d69a97c78..072eb8ae8 100644
--- a/examples/rpl-udp/udp-server.c
+++ b/examples/rpl-udp/udp-server.c
@@ -54,19 +54,13 @@ udp_rx_callback(struct simple_udp_connection *c,
          const uint8_t *data,
          uint16_t datalen)
 {
-  char *str = (char *)data;
-  char outstr[32];
-  LOG_INFO("Received request '%s' from ", str);
+  LOG_INFO("Received request '%.*s' from ", datalen, (char *) data);
   LOG_INFO_6ADDR(sender_addr);
   LOG_INFO_("\n");
 #if WITH_SERVER_REPLY
-  /* send the number that came in - and is at the end */
-  snprintf(outstr, sizeof(outstr), "hello from the server:%s",
-           &data[strlen("hello from the client:")]);
-  LOG_INFO("Sending response '%s' to ", outstr);
-  LOG_INFO_6ADDR(sender_addr);
-  LOG_INFO_("\n");
-  simple_udp_sendto(&udp_conn, outstr, strlen(outstr), sender_addr);
+  /* send back the same string to the client as an echo reply */
+  LOG_INFO("Sending response.\n");
+  simple_udp_sendto(&udp_conn, data, datalen, sender_addr);
 #endif /* WITH_SERVER_REPLY */
 }
 /*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*/