diff --git a/p2pclient/streams.go b/p2pclient/streams.go
index 59dd193..08ef049 100644
--- a/p2pclient/streams.go
+++ b/p2pclient/streams.go
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 package p2pclient
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/binary"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net"
 
@@ -35,6 +38,37 @@ func converStreamInfo(info *pb.StreamInfo) (*StreamInfo, error) {
 	return streamInfo, nil
 }
 
+type byteReaderConn struct {
+	io.Reader
+}
+
+func (c *byteReaderConn) ReadByte() (byte, error) {
+	b := make([]byte, 1)
+	_, err := c.Reader.Read(b)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	return b[0], nil
+}
+
+func readHeader(r net.Conn) (*bytes.Buffer, error) {
+	len, err := binary.ReadUvarint(&byteReaderConn{r})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	outbuf := make([]byte, 8)
+	sz := binary.PutUvarint(outbuf, len)
+	out := bytes.NewBuffer(outbuf[0:sz])
+	n, err := io.CopyN(out, r, int64(len))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if n != int64(len) {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("read incorrect number of bytes in header: expected %d, got %d", len, n)
+	}
+	return out, nil
+}
+
 // NewStream initializes a new stream on one of the protocols in protos with
 // the specified peer.
 func (c *Client) NewStream(peer peer.ID, protos []string) (*StreamInfo, io.ReadWriteCloser, error) {
@@ -42,7 +76,6 @@ func (c *Client) NewStream(peer peer.ID, protos []string) (*StreamInfo, io.ReadW
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
-	r := ggio.NewDelimitedReader(control, MessageSizeMax)
 	w := ggio.NewDelimitedWriter(control)
 
 	req := &pb.Request{
@@ -58,6 +91,12 @@ func (c *Client) NewStream(peer peer.ID, protos []string) (*StreamInfo, io.ReadW
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 
+	headerbuf, err := readHeader(control)
+	if err != nil {
+		control.Close()
+		return nil, nil, err
+	}
+	r := ggio.NewDelimitedReader(headerbuf, MessageSizeMax)
 	res := &pb.Response{}
 	if err = r.ReadMsg(res); err != nil {
 		control.Close()
@@ -94,7 +133,13 @@ func (c *Client) streamDispatcher() {
 			return
 		}
 
-		r := ggio.NewDelimitedReader(conn, MessageSizeMax)
+		headerbuf, err := readHeader(conn)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Errorf("reading stream header: %s", err)
+			conn.Close()
+			continue
+		}
+		r := ggio.NewDelimitedReader(headerbuf, MessageSizeMax)
 		pbStreamInfo := &pb.StreamInfo{}
 		if err = r.ReadMsg(pbStreamInfo); err != nil {
 			log.Errorf("reading stream info: %s", err)
diff --git a/test/integration_test.go b/test/integration_test.go
index 11f8d11..f31ffb4 100644
--- a/test/integration_test.go
+++ b/test/integration_test.go
@@ -111,12 +111,15 @@ func TestStreams(t *testing.T) {
 	done := make(chan struct{})
 	c1.NewStreamHandler(testprotos, func(info *p2pclient.StreamInfo, conn io.ReadWriteCloser) {
 		defer conn.Close()
-		var buf []byte
+		buf := make([]byte, 1024)
 		n, err := conn.Read(buf)
-		if err != nil && n < 4 {
+		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
-		if string(buf) != "test" {
+		if n != 4 {
+			t.Fatal("expected to read 4 bytes")
+		}
+		if string(buf[0:4]) != "test" {
 			t.Fatalf(`expected "test", got "%s"`, string(buf))
 		}
 		done <- struct{}{}
@@ -126,14 +129,12 @@ func TestStreams(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	for i := 0; i < 1000; i++ {
-		n, err := conn.Write([]byte("test"))
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatal(err)
-		}
-		if n != 4 {
-			t.Fatal("wrote wrong # of bytes")
-		}
+	n, err := conn.Write([]byte("test"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if n != 4 {
+		t.Fatal("wrote wrong # of bytes")
 	}
 
 	select {