Question about TCP implementation

I am having trouble with a packeteer and its redirect. Basically what happens is that when an incomming HTTP command hits the packeteer it alters it and turns it into an http redirect. Then the client PC is supposed to follow this redirect.

Here is what is happening. My client computer recieves the redirect packet and then sometimes sends a duplicate ACK to some packet that came before. Then it recieves a seriese of RST packets from the http connection. It never follows the redirect when this happens. Sometimes it sends an ACK to the Redirect command packet and not a duplicate ACK to one before and then it DOES follow the redirect.

Now, when I am not trying to do a redirect the client computer still often sends what ethereal is calling a Dup ACK during the conversation and often immediately following recieve of an HTTP command packet. However, when I am not trying to redirect this causes no issues and it eventually (within a few microseconds) ACKs the command packet and no RST is recieved.

My theory is that the TCP stack is dropping the redirect command packet because it recieved an RST before it could ACK that packet.

Questions:

Am I correct in my buttesment that the HTTP client is actually not getting the command because the kernel's TCP stack is dropping the packet?

Is this an appropriate response, according to standard, to recieving an RST before you can ACK the previous packet?

Thanks.