Embodiments generally provide techniques for data framing and error correction for communications on a link. Embodiments include receiving a stream of bits within a metaframe. Upon determining that a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) for a portion of the stream of bits is valid, the portion of the stream of bits is forwarded without performing forward error correction (FEC) decoding for the first portion. Upon determining that a CRC for the portion of the stream of bits is invalid, FEC decoding is performed for the portion before forwarding the portion of the stream of bits. Embodiments also include generating a metaframe for transmission over a link, and upon determining that a current measure of network throughput is less than a predefined threshold amount of network throughput, inserting one or more checkpoints into the metaframe to create different segments of the metaframe. The metaframe is then transmitted over the link.