In one embodiment, a working path through a packet switched network is protected by a protection path. In response to a switchover condition, a packet switching device ceases to enqueue packets for sending over the current working path. Packets are enqueue for sending over the protection path, with a delay by a predetermined duration before beginning to dequeue and send of packets over the protection path. A sending packet switching device, by delaying an appropriate predetermined duration, can guarantee that the protection switching operation will not induce packet reordering nor packet loss. This predetermined delay is calculated, possibly based on measurements, of different component delays of sending packets over the working and protection paths. For example, these component delays typically include latency within the sending device, latency of communications between the sending device and the destination, and latency with the destination.