diff --git a/pcapkit/protocols/internet/ipv6_ext.py b/pcapkit/protocols/internet/ipv6_ext.py
index 71ff0f09c0..44358f3d2b 100644
--- a/pcapkit/protocols/internet/ipv6_ext.py
+++ b/pcapkit/protocols/internet/ipv6_ext.py
@@ -578,12 +578,15 @@ def __post_init__(self, file: 'Optional[IO[bytes] | bytes]' = None, length: 'Opt
     def __length_hint__(self) -> 'int':
         """Return an estimated length for the object.
 
-        Two octets -- all :rfc:`6564#section-4` guarantees. Annotated ``int``
-        rather than ``Literal[2]``, for the reason given on :attr:`name`: every
-        subclass has a longer fixed header and its own ``Literal``.
+        Eight octets, the shortest header :rfc:`6564#section-4` allows: Hdr
+        Ext Len counts 8-octet units "not including the first 8 octets", and
+        :rfc:`8200#section-4` makes every extension header a multiple of 8
+        octets. Annotated ``int`` rather than ``Literal[8]``, for the reason
+        given on :attr:`name`: every subclass has its own fixed header and its
+        own ``Literal``.
 
         """
-        return 2
+        return 8
 
     @classmethod
     def __index__(cls) -> 'NoReturn':
diff --git a/tests/protocols/internet/test_ipv6_ext_hint_unit.py b/tests/protocols/internet/test_ipv6_ext_hint_unit.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9642660f4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/protocols/internet/test_ipv6_ext_hint_unit.py
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+"""A tail shorter than 8 octets is not an ``IPv6_Ext`` header.
+
+GitHub issue #1178. :meth:`~pcapkit.protocols.protocol.ProtocolBase._parse_next_layer`
+keeps a next layer as :class:`~pcapkit.protocols.misc.raw.Raw` when fewer octets
+were captured than its ``__length_hint__`` (:issue:`1170`).
+:class:`~pcapkit.protocols.internet.ipv6_ext.IPv6_Ext` hinted 2, though
+:rfc:`6564#section-4` and :rfc:`8200#section-4` make every extension header at
+least 8 octets, so a 2--7 octet tail of a longer declared payload was parsed as
+an 8-octet header built partly from octets that were never captured.
+
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import importlib.util
+import unittest
+
+from tests._support import reimport_once_per_class
+
+RUNTIME_DEPS = ('tbtrim', 'aenum', 'chardet', 'dictdumper')
+HAS_RUNTIME = all(importlib.util.find_spec(name) is not None for name in RUNTIME_DEPS)
+
+#: ``alias`` values that reach the generic fallback: an absent alias, a number
+#: IANA has not registered, ``Shim6`` (registered to ``IPv6_Ext`` directly) and
+#: ``HOPOPT`` (the code ``IPv6`` substitutes the fallback for).
+ALIASES = {'absent': {}, 'unregistered': {'alias': 200}, 'Shim6': {'alias': 140}, 'HOPOPT': {'alias': 0}}
+
+#: The IPv6 payload length the caller declares, longer than any tail below.
+DECLARED = 300
+
+
+def tail(size: int) -> bytes:
+    """``size`` octets opening with No Next Header and Hdr Ext Len 0 or 1."""
+    return bytes([59, 1 if size >= 16 else 0]) + bytes(range(1, size - 1))
+
+
+@unittest.skipUnless(HAS_RUNTIME, 'runtime dependencies not installed')
+class IPv6ExtLengthHintTests(unittest.TestCase):
+    """The fallback's hint is the 8-octet minimum header."""
+
+    def setUp(self) -> None:
+        reimport_once_per_class(self)
+
+    def parse(self, data: bytes, **kwargs: int) -> object:
+        from pcapkit.protocols.internet.ipv6 import IPv6
+        from pcapkit.protocols.internet.ipv6_ext import IPv6_Ext
+
+        outer = bytes([0x60]) + bytes(5) + bytes([59, 64]) + bytes(32)
+        return IPv6(outer, len(outer))._parse_next_layer(
+            IPv6_Ext, data, DECLARED, version=6, extension=True, **kwargs)
+
+    def test_short_tail_is_raw_and_rebuilds_exactly(self) -> None:
+        from pcapkit.protocols.misc.raw import Raw
+
+        for label, kwargs in ALIASES.items():
+            for size in range(2, 8):
+                with self.subTest(alias=label, size=size):
+                    parsed = self.parse(tail(size), **kwargs)
+                    self.assertIsInstance(parsed, Raw)
+                    self.assertEqual(bytes(Raw.from_data(parsed.info)), tail(size))
+
+    def test_complete_header_still_parses(self) -> None:
+        from pcapkit.protocols.internet.ipv6_ext import IPv6_Ext
+
+        for label, kwargs in ALIASES.items():
+            for size in (8, 16):
+                with self.subTest(alias=label, size=size):
+                    parsed = self.parse(tail(size), **kwargs)
+                    self.assertIsInstance(parsed, IPv6_Ext)
+                    self.assertEqual(parsed.length, size)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/tests/protocols/internet/test_ipv6_ext_unit.py b/tests/protocols/internet/test_ipv6_ext_unit.py
index 7527386915..e464ead184 100644
--- a/tests/protocols/internet/test_ipv6_ext_unit.py
+++ b/tests/protocols/internet/test_ipv6_ext_unit.py
@@ -758,13 +758,13 @@ def test_an_absent_or_unregistered_alias_uses_the_generic_rule(self) -> None:
                 # ``read`` with no explicit length falls back to ``len(self)``
                 self.assertEqual(inst.read().length, 16)
 
-    def test_length_hint_is_the_two_octets_rfc_6564_guarantees(self) -> None:
-        """Two, not a real header length: those two octets are all
-        :rfc:`6564#section-4` promises of a header this class has never seen.
+    def test_length_hint_is_the_eight_octet_rfc_6564_minimum(self) -> None:
+        """Eight: :rfc:`6564#section-4`'s Hdr Ext Len excludes the first 8
+        octets, so no conforming header is shorter (:rfc:`8200#section-4`).
         """
         from pcapkit.protocols.internet.ipv6_ext import IPv6_Ext
 
-        self.assertEqual(object.__new__(IPv6_Ext).__length_hint__(), 2)
+        self.assertEqual(object.__new__(IPv6_Ext).__length_hint__(), 8)
 
     def test_next_is_now_shared_by_every_subclass(self) -> None:
         """None of the eight declared a ``next`` property before #917, so