A system and method for optimizing robust header compression between a compressor (residing at AN/AT) and a decompressor (residing at AT/AN), the method comprising initializing the compressor with an estimated jitter value before the compressor; notifying the decompressor of the estimated jitter value before the compressor; estimating various threshold limits at the decompressor based on the sum of the jitter between the compressor and the decompressor (JITTER_CD) and that before the compressor (JITTER_BC); the decompressor sending a JITTER option whenever the threshold limits are exceeded; and the compressor adjusting a packet size in response the received JITTER option. The estimated jitter value before the compressor may be based on simulations or channel characteristics. Notification to the decompressor of the jitter value before the compressor may be achieved by signaling or hard-coding a same value at the compressor and the decompressor.