diff --git a/ledger/src/blockstore.rs b/ledger/src/blockstore.rs
index ff816312a6..84266c09ca 100644
--- a/ledger/src/blockstore.rs
+++ b/ledger/src/blockstore.rs
@@ -1438,7 +1438,16 @@ impl Blockstore {
     }
 
     pub fn get_data_shred(&self, slot: Slot, index: u64) -> Result<Option<Vec<u8>>> {
-        self.data_shred_cf.get_bytes((slot, index))
+        use crate::shred::SHRED_PAYLOAD_SIZE;
+        self.data_shred_cf.get_bytes((slot, index)).map(|data| {
+            data.map(|mut d| {
+                // For forward compatibility, pad the payload out to
+                // SHRED_PAYLOAD_SIZE incase the shred was inserted
+                // with any padding stripped off.
+                d.resize(cmp::max(d.len(), SHRED_PAYLOAD_SIZE), 0);
+                d
+            })
+        })
     }
 
     pub fn get_data_shreds_for_slot(
diff --git a/ledger/src/shred.rs b/ledger/src/shred.rs
index adfda97cac..5a21ffeedb 100644
--- a/ledger/src/shred.rs
+++ b/ledger/src/shred.rs
@@ -263,20 +263,18 @@ impl Shred {
     }
 
     pub fn new_from_serialized_shred(mut payload: Vec<u8>) -> Result<Self> {
+        // A shred can be deserialized in several cases; payload length will vary for these:
+        //   payload.len() <= SHRED_PAYLOAD_SIZE when payload is retrieved from the blockstore
+        //   payload.len() == SHRED_PAYLOAD_SIZE when payload is from a local shred (shred.payload)
+        //   payload.len()  > PACKET_DATA_SIZE when payload comes from a packet (window serivce)
+        // Resize here so the shreds always have the same length
+        payload.resize(SHRED_PAYLOAD_SIZE, 0);
+
         let mut start = 0;
         let common_header: ShredCommonHeader =
             Self::deserialize_obj(&mut start, SIZE_OF_COMMON_SHRED_HEADER, &payload)?;
 
         let slot = common_header.slot;
-        let expected_data_size = SHRED_PAYLOAD_SIZE;
-        // Safe because any payload from the network must have passed through
-        // window service,  which implies payload wll be of size
-        // PACKET_DATA_SIZE, and `expected_data_size` <= PACKET_DATA_SIZE.
-        //
-        // On the other hand, if this function is called locally, the payload size should match
-        // the `expected_data_size`.
-        assert!(payload.len() >= expected_data_size);
-        payload.truncate(expected_data_size);
         let shred = if common_header.shred_type == ShredType(CODING_SHRED) {
             let coding_header: CodingShredHeader =
                 Self::deserialize_obj(&mut start, SIZE_OF_CODING_SHRED_HEADER, &payload)?;