A high performance computing system and method communicate data packets between computing nodes on a multi-lane communications link using a modified header bit encoding. Each data packet is provided with flow control information and error detection information, then divided into per-lane payloads. Sync header bits for each payload are added to the payloads in non-adjacent locations, thereby decreasing the probability that a single correlated burst error will invert both header bits. The encoded blocks that include the payload and the interspersed header bits are then simultaneously transmitted on the multiple lanes for reception, error detection, and reassembly by a receiving computing node.