diff --git a/Source/charon/encodings/ike_header.c b/Source/charon/encodings/ike_header.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0f89b4292
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Source/charon/encodings/ike_header.c
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+/**
+ * @file ike_header.c
+ * 
+ * @brief Definition of the encoding rules used when parsing or generating
+ * an IKEv2-Header
+ *  
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2005 Jan Hutter, Martin Willi
+ * Hochschule fuer Technik Rapperswil
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
+ * Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your
+ * option) any later version.  See <http://www.fsf.org/copyleft/gpl.txt>.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY
+ * or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+ * for more details.
+ */
+
+/* offsetof macro */
+#include <stddef.h>
+
+ #include "../encodings.h"
+ #include "ike_header.h"
+
+/**
+ * Encoding rules to parse or generate a IKEv2-Header
+ * 
+ * The defined offsets are the positions in a struct of type 
+ * ike_header_t.
+ * 
+ */
+encoding_rule_t ike_header_encodings[] = {
+ 	/* 8 Byte SPI, stored in the field initiator_spi */
+	{ U_INT_64,		offsetof(ike_header_t, initiator_spi)	},
+ 	/* 8 Byte SPI, stored in the field responder_spi */
+	{ U_INT_64,		offsetof(ike_header_t, responder_spi) 	},
+ 	/* 1 Byte next payload type, stored in the field next_payload */
+	{ U_INT_8,		offsetof(ike_header_t, next_payload) 	},
+ 	/* 4 Bit major version, stored in the field maj_version */
+	{ U_INT_4,		offsetof(ike_header_t, maj_version) 		},
+ 	/* 4 Bit minor version, stored in the field min_version */
+	{ U_INT_4,		offsetof(ike_header_t, min_version) 		},
+ 	/* 2 Bit reserved bits, nowhere stored */
+	{ RESERVED_BIT,	0 										}, 
+	{ RESERVED_BIT,	0 										}, 
+ 	/* 3 Bit flags, stored in the fields response, version and initiator */
+	{ FLAG,			offsetof(ike_header_t, flags.response) 	},	
+	{ FLAG,			offsetof(ike_header_t, flags.version) 	},
+	{ FLAG,			offsetof(ike_header_t, flags.initiator) 	},
+ 	/* 3 Bit reserved bits, nowhere stored */
+	{ RESERVED_BIT,	0 										},
+	{ RESERVED_BIT,	0 										},
+	{ RESERVED_BIT,	0 										},
+ 	/* 4 Byte message id, stored in the field message_id */
+	{ U_INT_32,		offsetof(ike_header_t, message_id) 		},
+ 	/* 4 Byte length fied, stored in the field length */
+	{ LENGTH,		offsetof(ike_header_t, length) 			}
+};
diff --git a/Source/charon/encodings/ike_header.h b/Source/charon/encodings/ike_header.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..29106d497
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Source/charon/encodings/ike_header.h
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+/**
+ * @file ike_header.h
+ * 
+ * @brief Declaration of the data struct ike_header_t. 
+ * 
+ * The data of a parsed header are stored in a struct of this type.
+ * 
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2005 Jan Hutter, Martin Willi
+ * Hochschule fuer Technik Rapperswil
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+ * under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
+ * Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your
+ * option) any later version.  See <http://www.fsf.org/copyleft/gpl.txt>.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+ * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY
+ * or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+ * for more details.
+ */
+
+#ifndef IKE_HEADER_H_
+#define IKE_HEADER_H_
+
+#include <freeswan.h>
+#include <pluto/constants.h>
+#include <pluto/defs.h>
+
+/**
+ * Data structure to hold the data of an IKEv2-Header
+ * 
+ * The header format of an IKEv2-Message is compatible to the 
+ * ISAKMP-Header format to allow implementations supporting 
+ * both versions of the IKE-protocol.
+ * 
+ */
+typedef struct ike_header_s ike_header_t;
+
+struct ike_header_s{
+	/**
+	 * SPI of the initiator
+	 */
+	u_int32_t initiator_spi;
+	/**
+	 * SPI of the responder
+	 */
+	u_int32_t responder_spi;
+	/**
+	 * next payload type
+	 */
+	u_int8_t  next_payload;
+	/**
+	 * IKE major version
+	 */
+	u_int8_t  maj_version;
+
+	/**
+	 * IKE minor version
+	 */	
+	u_int8_t  min_version;
+
+	/**
+	 * Exchange type 
+	 */	
+	u_int8_t  exchange_type;
+	
+	/**
+	 * Flags of the Message
+	 * 
+	 */
+	struct { 
+		/**
+		 * Sender is initiator of the associated IKE_SA_INIT-Exchange
+		 */
+		bool initiator;
+		/**
+		 * is protocol supporting higher version?
+		 */
+		bool version;
+		/**
+		 * TRUE, if this is a response, FALSE if its a Request
+		 */
+		bool response;
+	} flags;
+	/**
+	 * Associated Message-ID
+	 */
+	u_int32_t message_id;
+	/**
+	 * Length of the whole IKEv2-Message (header and all payloads)
+	 */
+	u_int32_t length;
+};
+
+#endif /*IKE_HEADER_H_*/