diff --git a/lib/common.js b/lib/common.js
index ccf1bd4..cb83d5b 100644
--- a/lib/common.js
+++ b/lib/common.js
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ var querystring = require('querystring')
 exports.CONNECTION_ID = Buffer.concat([ toUInt32(0x417), toUInt32(0x27101980) ])
 exports.ACTIONS = { CONNECT: 0, ANNOUNCE: 1, SCRAPE: 2, ERROR: 3 }
 exports.EVENTS = { update: 0, completed: 1, started: 2, stopped: 3 }
+exports.EVENT_IDS = {
+  0: 'update',
+  1: 'completed',
+  2: 'started',
+  3: 'stopped'
+};
 
 function toUInt32 (n) {
   var buf = new Buffer(4)
diff --git a/server.js b/server.js
index 26b12e0..ec8790c 100644
--- a/server.js
+++ b/server.js
@@ -296,75 +296,40 @@ Server.prototype._onHttpRequest = function (req, res) {
 Server.prototype._onUdpRequest = function (msg, rinfo) {
   var self = this
 
-  if (msg.length < 16) {
-    return error('received packet is too short')
+  var params
+  try {
+    params = parseUdpRequest(msg, rinfo)
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error(err.stack)
+    return error(err.message)
   }
-
-  if (rinfo.family !== 'IPv4') {
-    return error('udp tracker does not support IPv6')
-  }
-
-  var connectionId = msg.slice(0, 8) // 64-bit
-  var action = msg.readUInt32BE(8)
-  var transactionId = msg.readUInt32BE(12)
-
-  if (!bufferEqual(connectionId, common.CONNECTION_ID)) {
-    return error('received packet with invalid connection id')
-  }
-
+  
   var socket = dgram.createSocket('udp4')
 
-  var infoHash, swarm
-  if (action === common.ACTIONS.CONNECT) {
+  var swarm
+  if (params && params.request === 'connect') {
     send(Buffer.concat([
       common.toUInt32(common.ACTIONS.CONNECT),
-      common.toUInt32(transactionId),
-      connectionId
+      common.toUInt32(params.transactionId),
+      params.connectionId
     ]))
-  } else if (action === common.ACTIONS.ANNOUNCE) {
-    infoHash = msg.slice(16, 36).toString('binary') // 20 bytes
-    var peerId = msg.slice(36, 56).toString('utf8') // 20 bytes
-    var downloaded = fromUInt64(msg.slice(56, 64)) // TODO: track this?
-    var left = fromUInt64(msg.slice(64, 72))
-    var uploaded = fromUInt64(msg.slice(72, 80)) // TODO: track this?
-    var event = msg.readUInt32BE(80)
-    var ip = msg.readUInt32BE(84) // optional
-    var key = msg.readUInt32BE(88) // TODO: what is this for?
-    var numwant = msg.readUInt32BE(92) // optional
-    var port = msg.readUInt16BE(96) // optional
-
-    if (ip) {
-      ip = ipLib.toString(ip)
-    } else {
-      ip = rinfo.address
-    }
-
-    if (!port) {
-      port = rinfo.port
-    }
-
-    var addr = ip + ':' + port
-
-    swarm = self._getSwarm(infoHash)
-    var peer = swarm.peers[addr]
-
-    // never send more than MAX_ANNOUNCE_PEERS or else the UDP packet will get bigger than
-    // 512 bytes which is not safe
-    numwant = Math.min(numwant || NUM_ANNOUNCE_PEERS, MAX_ANNOUNCE_PEERS)
+  } else if (params && params.request === 'announce') {
+    swarm = self._getSwarm(params.info_hash)
+    var peer = swarm.peers[params.addr]
 
     var start = function () {
       if (peer) {
         debug('unexpected `started` event from peer that is already in swarm')
         return update() // treat as an update
       }
-      if (left === 0) swarm.complete += 1
+      if (params.left === 0) swarm.complete += 1
       else swarm.incomplete += 1
-      peer = swarm.peers[addr] = {
-        ip: ip,
-        port: port,
-        peerId: peerId
+      peer = swarm.peers[params.addr] = {
+        ip: params.ip,
+        port: params.port,
+        peerId: params.peer_id
       }
-      self.emit('start', addr)
+      self.emit('start', params.addr)
     }
 
     var stop = function () {
@@ -374,8 +339,8 @@ Server.prototype._onUdpRequest = function (msg, rinfo) {
       }
       if (peer.complete) swarm.complete -= 1
       else swarm.incomplete -= 1
-      swarm.peers[addr] = null
-      self.emit('stop', addr)
+      swarm.peers[params.addr] = null
+      self.emit('stop', params.addr)
     }
 
     var complete = function () {
@@ -390,7 +355,7 @@ Server.prototype._onUdpRequest = function (msg, rinfo) {
       swarm.complete += 1
       swarm.incomplete -= 1
       peer.complete = true
-      self.emit('complete', addr)
+      self.emit('complete', params.addr)
     }
 
     var update = function () {
@@ -398,53 +363,46 @@ Server.prototype._onUdpRequest = function (msg, rinfo) {
         debug('unexpected `update` event from peer that is not in swarm')
         return start() // treat as a start
       }
-      self.emit('update', addr)
+      self.emit('update', params.addr)
     }
 
-    switch (event) {
-      case common.EVENTS.started:
+    switch (params.event) {
+      case 'started':
         start()
         break
-      case common.EVENTS.stopped:
+      case 'stopped':
         stop()
         break
-      case common.EVENTS.completed:
+      case 'completed':
         complete()
         break
-      case common.EVENTS.update: // update
+      case 'update':
         update()
         break
       default:
         return error('invalid event') // early return
     }
 
-    if (left === 0 && peer) peer.complete = true
+    if (params.left === 0 && peer) peer.complete = true
 
     // send peers
-    var peers = self._getPeersCompact(swarm, numwant)
+    var peers = self._getPeersCompact(swarm, params.numwant)
 
     send(Buffer.concat([
       common.toUInt32(common.ACTIONS.ANNOUNCE),
-      common.toUInt32(transactionId),
+      common.toUInt32(params.transactionId),
       common.toUInt32(self._intervalMs),
       common.toUInt32(swarm.incomplete),
       common.toUInt32(swarm.complete),
       peers
     ]))
 
-  } else if (action === common.ACTIONS.SCRAPE) { // scrape message
-    infoHash = msg.slice(16, 36).toString('binary') // 20 bytes
-
-    // TODO: support multiple info_hash scrape
-    if (msg.length > 36) {
-      error('multiple info_hash scrape not supported')
-    }
-
-    swarm = self._getSwarm(infoHash)
+  } else if (params && params.request === 'scrape') { // scrape message
+    swarm = self._getSwarm(params.info_hash)
 
     send(Buffer.concat([
       common.toUInt32(common.ACTIONS.SCRAPE),
-      common.toUInt32(transactionId),
+      common.toUInt32(params.transactionId),
       common.toUInt32(swarm.complete),
       common.toUInt32(swarm.complete), // TODO: this only provides a lower-bound
       common.toUInt32(swarm.incomplete)
@@ -464,7 +422,7 @@ Server.prototype._onUdpRequest = function (msg, rinfo) {
     debug('sent error %s', message)
     send(Buffer.concat([
       common.toUInt32(common.ACTIONS.ERROR),
-      common.toUInt32(transactionId || 0),
+      common.toUInt32(params.transactionId || 0),
       new Buffer(message, 'utf8')
     ]))
     self.emit('warning', new Error(message))
@@ -553,6 +511,65 @@ function parseHttpRequest (req, options) {
   }
 }
 
+function parseUdpRequest (msg, rinfo) {
+  if (msg.length < 16) {
+    throw new Error('received packet is too short')
+  }
+
+  if (rinfo.family !== 'IPv4') {
+    throw new Error('udp tracker does not support IPv6')
+  }
+
+  var params = {
+    connectionId: msg.slice(0, 8), // 64-bit
+    action: msg.readUInt32BE(8),
+    transactionId: msg.readUInt32BE(12)
+  }
+
+  // TODO: randomize:
+  if (!bufferEqual(params.connectionId, common.CONNECTION_ID)) {
+    throw new Error('received packet with invalid connection id')
+  }
+
+  if (params.action === common.ACTIONS.CONNECT) {
+    params.request = 'connect'
+  } else if (params.action === common.ACTIONS.ANNOUNCE) {
+    params.request = 'announce'
+    params.info_hash = msg.slice(16, 36).toString('binary') // 20 bytes
+    params.peer_id = msg.slice(36, 56).toString('utf8') // 20 bytes
+    params.downloaded = fromUInt64(msg.slice(56, 64)) // TODO: track this?
+    params.left = fromUInt64(msg.slice(64, 72))
+    params.uploaded = fromUInt64(msg.slice(72, 80)) // TODO: track this?
+    params.event = msg.readUInt32BE(80)
+    params.event = common.EVENT_IDS[params.event]
+    if (!params.event) throw new Error('invalid event') // early return
+    params.ip = msg.readUInt32BE(84) // optional
+    params.ip = params.ip ?
+      ipLib.toString(params.ip) :
+      params.ip = rinfo.address
+    params.key = msg.readUInt32BE(88) // TODO: what is this for?
+    params.numwant = msg.readUInt32BE(92) // optional
+    // never send more than MAX_ANNOUNCE_PEERS or else the UDP packet will get bigger than
+    // 512 bytes which is not safe
+    params.numwant = Math.min(params.numwant || NUM_ANNOUNCE_PEERS, MAX_ANNOUNCE_PEERS)
+    params.port = msg.readUInt16BE(96) || rinfo.port // optional
+    params.addr = params.ip + ':' + params.port // TODO: ipv6 brackets
+
+  } else if (params.action === common.ACTIONS.SCRAPE) { // scrape message
+    params.request = 'scrape'
+    params.info_hash = msg.slice(16, 36).toString('binary') // 20 bytes
+
+    // TODO: support multiple info_hash scrape
+    if (msg.length > 36) {
+      throw new Error('multiple info_hash scrape not supported')
+    }
+  } else {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  return params
+}
+
 
 // HELPER FUNCTIONS