One embodiment includes a packet switching device load balancing eligible packets in response to a policing drop decision. The packet switching device sends packets of a particular packet flow out of the packet switching device over a first path in the network towards a destination node; and in response to a policer discipline determining to drop a particular packet of the particular packet flow, switching from said sending packets over the first path to sending packets of the particular packet flow out of the packet switching device over a second path in the network towards the destination node (possibly by switching output queues associated with the two different paths), with the second path being different than the first path, and with the particular packet not being dropped but being sent out of the packet switching device towards the destination node.