Example embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques for recovering from a channel failure at the protocol layer. At least a portion of data that is sent from a source to a target across the channel can be stored in a communication protocol layer buffer. In the event that the channel fails and is reestablished the target can send a signal indicating how much data it actually received. The signal can be used by the source to determine which portion of the data in the buffer was lost en route to the target and the lost portion can be resent.