diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f254548..42c23ff 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ m2.Equal(m1)
 ```go
 // get the multiaddr protocol description objects
 addr.Protocols()
-// []*Protocol{
-//   &Protocol{ Code: 4, Name: 'ip4', Size: 32},
-//   &Protocol{ Code: 17, Name: 'udp', Size: 16},
+// []Protocol{
+//   Protocol{ Code: 4, Name: 'ip4', Size: 32},
+//   Protocol{ Code: 17, Name: 'udp', Size: 16},
 // }
 ```
 
diff --git a/codec.go b/codec.go
index 22e65c0..59825f9 100644
--- a/codec.go
+++ b/codec.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ func stringToBytes(s string) ([]byte, error) {
 
 	for len(sp) > 0 {
 		p := ProtocolWithName(sp[0])
-		if p == nil {
+		if p.Code == 0 {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("no protocol with name %s", sp[0])
 		}
 		b = append(b, CodeToVarint(p.Code)...)
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func bytesToString(b []byte) (ret string, err error) {
 		code, n := ReadVarintCode(b)
 		b = b[n:]
 		p := ProtocolWithCode(code)
-		if p == nil {
+		if p.Code == 0 {
 			return "", fmt.Errorf("no protocol with code %d", code)
 		}
 		s = strings.Join([]string{s, "/", p.Name}, "")
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func bytesSplit(b []byte) (ret [][]byte, err error) {
 	for len(b) > 0 {
 		code, n := ReadVarintCode(b)
 		p := ProtocolWithCode(code)
-		if p == nil {
+		if p.Code == 0 {
 			return [][]byte{}, fmt.Errorf("no protocol with code %d", b[0])
 		}
 
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ func bytesSplit(b []byte) (ret [][]byte, err error) {
 	return ret, nil
 }
 
-func addressStringToBytes(p *Protocol, s string) ([]byte, error) {
+func addressStringToBytes(p Protocol, s string) ([]byte, error) {
 	switch p.Code {
 
 	case P_IP4: // ipv4
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ func addressStringToBytes(p *Protocol, s string) ([]byte, error) {
 	return []byte{}, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse %s addr: unknown", p.Name)
 }
 
-func addressBytesToString(p *Protocol, b []byte) string {
+func addressBytesToString(p Protocol, b []byte) string {
 	switch p.Code {
 
 	// ipv4,6
diff --git a/interface.go b/interface.go
index 6f57625..512cb62 100644
--- a/interface.go
+++ b/interface.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ type Multiaddr interface {
 
 	// Protocols returns the list of Protocols this Multiaddr includes
 	// will panic if protocol code incorrect (and bytes accessed incorrectly)
-	Protocols() []*Protocol
+	Protocols() []Protocol
 
 	// Encapsulate wraps this Multiaddr around another. For example:
 	//
diff --git a/multiaddr.go b/multiaddr.go
index 3071fa9..373c2c1 100644
--- a/multiaddr.go
+++ b/multiaddr.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func (m *multiaddr) String() string {
 
 // Protocols returns the list of protocols this Multiaddr has.
 // will panic in case we access bytes incorrectly.
-func (m *multiaddr) Protocols() []*Protocol {
+func (m *multiaddr) Protocols() []Protocol {
 
 	// panic handler, in case we try accessing bytes incorrectly.
 	defer func() {
@@ -64,12 +64,12 @@ func (m *multiaddr) Protocols() []*Protocol {
 		}
 	}()
 
-	ps := []*Protocol{}
+	ps := []Protocol{}
 	b := m.bytes[:]
 	for len(b) > 0 {
 		code, n := ReadVarintCode(b)
 		p := ProtocolWithCode(code)
-		if p == nil {
+		if p.Code == 0 {
 			// this is a panic (and not returning err) because this should've been
 			// caught on constructing the Multiaddr
 			panic(fmt.Errorf("no protocol with code %d", b[0]))
diff --git a/multiaddr_test.go b/multiaddr_test.go
index 2c848a2..f9f0a47 100644
--- a/multiaddr_test.go
+++ b/multiaddr_test.go
@@ -204,12 +204,12 @@ func TestProtocols(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	ps := m.Protocols()
-	if ps[0] != ProtocolWithName("ip4") {
+	if ps[0].Code != ProtocolWithName("ip4").Code {
 		t.Error(ps[0], ProtocolWithName("ip4"))
 		t.Error("failed to get ip4 protocol")
 	}
 
-	if ps[1] != ProtocolWithName("udp") {
+	if ps[1].Code != ProtocolWithName("udp").Code {
 		t.Error(ps[1], ProtocolWithName("udp"))
 		t.Error("failed to get udp protocol")
 	}
diff --git a/protocols.go b/protocols.go
index 49051be..3be0b30 100644
--- a/protocols.go
+++ b/protocols.go
@@ -28,38 +28,38 @@ const (
 )
 
 // Protocols is the list of multiaddr protocols supported by this module.
-var Protocols = []*Protocol{
-	&Protocol{P_IP4, 32, "ip4", CodeToVarint(P_IP4)},
-	&Protocol{P_TCP, 16, "tcp", CodeToVarint(P_TCP)},
-	&Protocol{P_UDP, 16, "udp", CodeToVarint(P_UDP)},
-	&Protocol{P_DCCP, 16, "dccp", CodeToVarint(P_DCCP)},
-	&Protocol{P_IP6, 128, "ip6", CodeToVarint(P_IP6)},
+var Protocols = []Protocol{
+	Protocol{P_IP4, 32, "ip4", CodeToVarint(P_IP4)},
+	Protocol{P_TCP, 16, "tcp", CodeToVarint(P_TCP)},
+	Protocol{P_UDP, 16, "udp", CodeToVarint(P_UDP)},
+	Protocol{P_DCCP, 16, "dccp", CodeToVarint(P_DCCP)},
+	Protocol{P_IP6, 128, "ip6", CodeToVarint(P_IP6)},
 	// these require varint:
-	&Protocol{P_SCTP, 16, "sctp", CodeToVarint(P_SCTP)},
-	&Protocol{P_UTP, 0, "utp", CodeToVarint(P_UTP)},
-	&Protocol{P_UDT, 0, "udt", CodeToVarint(P_UDT)},
+	Protocol{P_SCTP, 16, "sctp", CodeToVarint(P_SCTP)},
+	Protocol{P_UTP, 0, "utp", CodeToVarint(P_UTP)},
+	Protocol{P_UDT, 0, "udt", CodeToVarint(P_UDT)},
 	// {480, 0, "http"},
 	// {443, 0, "https"},
 }
 
 // ProtocolWithName returns the Protocol description with given string name.
-func ProtocolWithName(s string) *Protocol {
+func ProtocolWithName(s string) Protocol {
 	for _, p := range Protocols {
 		if p.Name == s {
 			return p
 		}
 	}
-	return nil
+	return Protocol{}
 }
 
 // ProtocolWithCode returns the Protocol description with given protocol code.
-func ProtocolWithCode(c int) *Protocol {
+func ProtocolWithCode(c int) Protocol {
 	for _, p := range Protocols {
 		if p.Code == c {
 			return p
 		}
 	}
-	return nil
+	return Protocol{}
 }
 
 // CodeToVarint converts an integer to a varint-encoded []byte