diff --git a/comm.go b/comm.go
index 182e992..fded9a8 100644
--- a/comm.go
+++ b/comm.go
@@ -122,3 +122,13 @@ func rpcWithControl(msgs []*pb.Message,
 		},
 	}
 }
+
+func copyRPC(rpc *RPC) *RPC {
+	res := new(RPC)
+	*res = *rpc
+	if rpc.Control != nil {
+		res.Control = new(pb.ControlMessage)
+		*res.Control = *rpc.Control
+	}
+	return res
+}
diff --git a/gossipsub.go b/gossipsub.go
index 700120b..563b94e 100644
--- a/gossipsub.go
+++ b/gossipsub.go
@@ -308,9 +308,14 @@ func (gs *GossipSubRouter) sendPrune(p peer.ID, topic string) {
 }
 
 func (gs *GossipSubRouter) sendRPC(p peer.ID, out *RPC) {
+	// do we own the RPC?
+	own := false
+
 	// piggyback cotrol message retries
 	ctl, ok := gs.control[p]
 	if ok {
+		out = copyRPC(out)
+		own = true
 		gs.piggybackControl(p, out, ctl)
 		delete(gs.control, p)
 	}
@@ -318,6 +323,10 @@ func (gs *GossipSubRouter) sendRPC(p peer.ID, out *RPC) {
 	// piggyback gossip
 	ihave, ok := gs.gossip[p]
 	if ok {
+		if !own {
+			out = copyRPC(out)
+			own = true
+		}
 		gs.piggybackGossip(p, out, ihave)
 		delete(gs.gossip, p)
 	}