diff --git a/iceoryx_dds/include/iceoryx_dds/dds/data_reader.hpp b/iceoryx_dds/include/iceoryx_dds/dds/data_reader.hpp
index cdb7f8269e..4d0e9d7130 100644
--- a/iceoryx_dds/include/iceoryx_dds/dds/data_reader.hpp
+++ b/iceoryx_dds/include/iceoryx_dds/dds/data_reader.hpp
@@ -29,12 +29,13 @@ enum class DataReaderError : uint8_t
 {
     NOT_CONNECTED,
     INVALID_RECV_BUFFER,
+    INVALID_DATA,
     SAMPLE_SIZE_MISMATCH,
     RECV_BUFFER_TOO_SMALL
 };
 
 constexpr char DataReaderErrorString[][64] = {
-    "NOT_CONNECTED", "INVALID_RECV_BUFFER", "SAMPLE_SIZE_MISMATCH", "RECV_BUFFER_TOO_SMALL"};
+    "NOT_CONNECTED", "INVALID_RECV_BUFFER", "INVALID_DATA", "SAMPLE_SIZE_MISMATCH", "RECV_BUFFER_TOO_SMALL"};
 
 class DataReader
 {
diff --git a/iceoryx_dds/include/iceoryx_dds/internal/gateway/dds_to_iox.inl b/iceoryx_dds/include/iceoryx_dds/internal/gateway/dds_to_iox.inl
index 9001c2d73b..dd1c61dc8d 100644
--- a/iceoryx_dds/include/iceoryx_dds/internal/gateway/dds_to_iox.inl
+++ b/iceoryx_dds/include/iceoryx_dds/internal/gateway/dds_to_iox.inl
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 #include "iceoryx_posh/capro/service_description.hpp"
 #include "iceoryx_utils/cxx/string.hpp"
 
+#include "iceoryx_dds/gateway/dds_to_iox.hpp"
+
 namespace iox
 {
 namespace dds
@@ -51,53 +53,30 @@ inline void DDS2IceoryxGateway<channel_t, gateway_t>::discover(const iox::capro:
 template <typename channel_t, typename gateway_t>
 inline void DDS2IceoryxGateway<channel_t, gateway_t>::forward(const channel_t& channel) noexcept
 {
-    // Don't forward across channels that don't provide their size.
-    // Data size is required to determine the required memchunk size.
-    auto dataSize = channel.getDataSize();
-    if (!dataSize.has_value())
-    {
-        // nothing to do
-        LogWarn() << "[DDS2IceoryxGateway] Attempted to forward over a channel with an unknown data size.";
-        return;
-    }
 
     auto publisher = channel.getIceoryxTerminal();
     auto reader = channel.getDDSTerminal();
 
-    // reserve a chunk for initial sample
-    if (m_reservedChunk == nullptr)
+    auto peekResult = reader->peekNext();
+    if(peekResult.has_value())
     {
-        m_reservedChunk = publisher->allocateChunk(static_cast<uint32_t>(dataSize.value()));
-    }
+        // reserve a chunk for the sample
+        auto size = peekResult.value();
 
-    // read exactly one sample into the reserved chunk
-    auto buffer = static_cast<uint8_t*>(m_reservedChunk);
-    auto const numToRead = 1u;
-    auto result = reader->take(buffer, dataSize.value(), dataSize.value(), numToRead);
-    if (!result.has_error())
-    {
-        auto num = result.get_value();
-        if (num == 0)
-        {
-            // nothing to do.
-        }
-        else if (num == 1)
-        {
-            // publish the sample
-            publisher->sendChunk(buffer);
-            // reserve a new chunk for the next sample
-            m_reservedChunk = publisher->allocateChunk(static_cast<uint32_t>(dataSize.value()));
-        }
-        else
+        m_reservedChunk = publisher->allocateChunk(static_cast<uint32_t>(size));
+
+        // read sample into reserved chunk
+        auto buffer = static_cast<uint8_t*>(m_reservedChunk);
+        auto takeResult = reader->takeNext(buffer, size);
+        if(takeResult.has_error())
         {
-            // sample is corrupt, don't publish.
-            LogWarn() << "[DDS2IceoryxGateway] Received corrupt sample. Buffer is larger than expected. Skipping.";
+            LogWarn() << "[DDS2IceoryxGateway] Encountered error reading from DDS network: " << iox::dds::DataReaderErrorString[static_cast<uint8_t>(takeResult.get_error())];
         }
+
+        // publish the sample
+        publisher->sendChunk(buffer);
     }
-    else
-    {
-        LogWarn() << "[DDS2IceoryxGateway] Encountered error reading from DDS network: " << iox::dds::DataReaderErrorString[static_cast<uint8_t>(result.get_error())];
-    }
+
 }
 
 // ======================================== Private ======================================== //
diff --git a/iceoryx_dds/source/iceoryx_dds/dds/cyclone_data_reader.cpp b/iceoryx_dds/source/iceoryx_dds/dds/cyclone_data_reader.cpp
index c762bdcccf..5998a9283c 100644
--- a/iceoryx_dds/source/iceoryx_dds/dds/cyclone_data_reader.cpp
+++ b/iceoryx_dds/source/iceoryx_dds/dds/cyclone_data_reader.cpp
@@ -56,17 +56,22 @@ iox::cxx::optional<uint64_t> iox::dds::CycloneDataReader::peekNext()
                        .max_samples(1u)
                        .state(::dds::sub::status::SampleState::any())
                        .read();
+
     if(readSamples.length() > 0)
     {
         auto nextSample = readSamples.begin();
         auto nextSampleSize = nextSample->data().payload().size();
-        return iox::cxx::optional<uint64_t>(static_cast<uint64_t>(nextSampleSize));
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        return iox::cxx::nullopt_t();
 
+        // Ignore samples with no payload
+        if (nextSampleSize != 0)
+        {
+            return iox::cxx::optional<uint64_t>(static_cast<uint64_t>(nextSampleSize));
+        }
     }
+
+    // No valid samples available
+    return iox::cxx::nullopt_t();
+
 }
 
 iox::cxx::expected<iox::dds::DataReaderError>
@@ -134,10 +139,12 @@ iox::cxx::expected<uint64_t, iox::dds::DataReaderError> iox::dds::CycloneDataRea
         // Sample validation checks
         uint64_t size = samples.begin()->data().payload().size();
 
+        if (size == 0)
+        {
+            return iox::cxx::error<iox::dds::DataReaderError>(iox::dds::DataReaderError::INVALID_DATA);
+        }
         if (size != sampleSize)
         {
-            // Received invalid data.
-            // NOTE: This causes other data points received in this read to be lost...
             return iox::cxx::error<iox::dds::DataReaderError>(iox::dds::DataReaderError::SAMPLE_SIZE_MISMATCH);
         }
 
diff --git a/iceoryx_dds/test/mocks/google_mocks.hpp b/iceoryx_dds/test/mocks/google_mocks.hpp
index 29092a2fbc..f08a3d8826 100644
--- a/iceoryx_dds/test/mocks/google_mocks.hpp
+++ b/iceoryx_dds/test/mocks/google_mocks.hpp
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ class MockDataReader
   public:
     MockDataReader(const iox::capro::ServiceDescription& sd){};
     MOCK_METHOD0(connect, void(void));
+    MOCK_METHOD0(peekNext, iox::cxx::optional<uint64_t>(void));
+    MOCK_METHOD2(takeNext, iox::cxx::expected<iox::dds::DataReaderError>(uint8_t* const, const uint64_t&));
     MOCK_METHOD3(take,
                  iox::cxx::expected<uint64_t, iox::dds::DataReaderError>(uint8_t* const buffer,
                                                                          const uint64_t&,