Techniques for configuring a packet session are disclosed. An example method includes receiving, at a network function, a packet from a virtual connection device. The method also includes identifying, by the network function, an action to perform on the packet and modifying the header based on the action to create a modified packet with a modified header. The method also includes copying the modified packet from the network function to the virtual connection device for the virtual connection device to perform the action on the modified packet based on the modified header. The method also includes configuring, by a processing device executing the network function, the virtual connection device to perform the action on subsequent packets of the packet session. The virtual connection device performs the action on the subsequent packets without copying the subsequent packets to the network function.