A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided in connection with improving NDEF message processing. In one example, a communications device is equipped to determine, based on one or more contextual factors, that data received at a NFC device is missing at least a portion of a NDEF header, and generate a complete NDEF message by adding the missing portion of the NDEF header. In another example, a communications device is equipped to receive a complete NDEF message that includes a NDEF header and data and is intended to be written on a remote NFC device, determine, based on one or more contextual factors, that the remote NFC device is configured to receive a modified version of the complete NDEF message, and generate the modified version of the complete NDEF message by removing at least a portion of the NDEF header.