diff --git a/libp2p/identify.nim b/libp2p/identify.nim
index db8ef7416..2c90f13bb 100644
--- a/libp2p/identify.nim
+++ b/libp2p/identify.nim
@@ -86,6 +86,13 @@ proc decodeMsg*(buf: seq[byte]): IdentifyInfo =
   discard pb.getString(6, agentVersion)
   result.agentVersion = agentVersion
 
+method init*(p: Identify) = 
+  proc handle(conn: Connection, proto: string) {.async, gcsafe.} =
+    var pb = encodeMsg(p.peerInfo, await conn.getObservedAddrs())
+    await conn.writeLp(pb.buffer)
+
+  p.handler = handle
+
 proc identify*(p: Identify, conn: Connection): Future[IdentifyInfo] {.async.} = 
   var message = await conn.readLp()
   if len(message) == 0:
@@ -97,7 +104,3 @@ proc push*(p: Identify, conn: Connection) {.async.} =
   var pb = encodeMsg(p.peerInfo, await conn.getObservedAddrs())
   let length = pb.getLen()
   await conn.writeLp(pb.buffer)
-
-proc handle*(p: Identify, conn: Connection, proto: string) {.async, gcsafe.} =
-  var pb = encodeMsg(p.peerInfo, await conn.getObservedAddrs())
-  await conn.writeLp(pb.buffer)
diff --git a/libp2p/multistream.nim b/libp2p/multistream.nim
index b6ca77158..d62abf492 100644
--- a/libp2p/multistream.nim
+++ b/libp2p/multistream.nim
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ type
   HandlerHolder* = object
     proto: string
     protocol: LPProtocol
-    handler: LPProtoHandler
     match: Matcher
 
   MultisteamSelect* = ref object of RootObj
@@ -102,17 +101,15 @@ proc handle*(m: MultisteamSelect, conn: Connection) {.async, gcsafe.} =
         for h in m.handlers:
           if (not isNil(h.match) and h.match(ms)) or ms == h.proto:
             await conn.writeLp(h.proto & "\n")
-            await h.handler(h.protocol, conn, ms)
+            await h.protocol.handler(conn, ms)
             return
         await conn.write(m.na)
 
 proc addHandler*[T: LPProtocol](m: MultisteamSelect,
                                 proto: string,
                                 protocol: T,
-                                handler: LPProtoHandler,
                                 matcher: Matcher = nil) =
   ## register a handler for the protocol
   m.handlers.add(HandlerHolder(proto: proto,
-                               handler: handler,
                                protocol: protocol,
                                match: matcher))
diff --git a/libp2p/protocol.nim b/libp2p/protocol.nim
index d38603d1a..d5627dfe2 100644
--- a/libp2p/protocol.nim
+++ b/libp2p/protocol.nim
@@ -12,12 +12,14 @@ import connection, transport, stream,
        peerinfo, multiaddress
 
 type
-  LPProtoHandler* = proc (protocol: LPProtocol, 
-                          conn: Connection, 
-                          proto: string): Future[void] {.gcsafe.}
+  LPProtoHandler* = proc (conn: Connection, 
+                          proto: string): 
+                          Future[void] {.gcsafe.}
+
   LPProtocol* = ref object of RootObj
     peerInfo*: PeerInfo
     codec*: string
+    handler*: LPProtoHandler
 
 proc newProtocol*(p: typedesc[LPProtocol],
                   peerInfo: PeerInfo): p =
diff --git a/tests/testidentify.nim b/tests/testidentify.nim
index 78208e6f7..169efdf28 100644
--- a/tests/testidentify.nim
+++ b/tests/testidentify.nim
@@ -8,10 +8,9 @@ import ../libp2p/identify, ../libp2p/multiaddress,
        ../libp2p/crypto/crypto
 
 suite "Identify":
-  test "handle identify message6":
+  test "handle identify message":
     proc testHandle(): Future[bool] {.async.} =
-      let ma: MultiAddress = Multiaddress.init("/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/53350")
-
+      let ma: MultiAddress = Multiaddress.init("/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/53360")
 
       let remoteSeckey = PrivateKey.random(RSA)
       proc receiver() {.async.} =
@@ -19,14 +18,10 @@ suite "Identify":
         peerInfo.peerId = PeerID.init(remoteSeckey)
         peerInfo.addrs.add(ma)
 
-        let identify = newProtocol(Identify, peerInfo)
+        let identifyProto = newProtocol(Identify, peerInfo)
         let msListen = newMultistream()
 
-        proc handle(p: LPProtocol, conn: Connection, proto: string) {.async, gcsafe.} =
-          await identify.handle(conn, proto)
-
-        msListen.addHandler(IdentifyCodec, identify, handle)
-
+        msListen.addHandler(IdentifyCodec, identifyProto)
         proc connHandler(conn: Connection): Future[void] {.async, gcsafe.} =
           await msListen.handle(conn)
 
@@ -43,10 +38,10 @@ suite "Identify":
         peerInfo.peerId = PeerID.init(seckey)
         peerInfo.addrs.add(ma)
 
-        let identify = newProtocol(Identify, peerInfo)
+        let identifyProto = newProtocol(Identify, peerInfo)
         let res = await msDial.select(conn, IdentifyCodec)
 
-        let id = await identify.identify(conn)
+        let id = await identifyProto.identify(conn)
         await conn.close()
 
         check id.pubKey == remoteSeckey.getKey()
diff --git a/tests/testmultistream.nim b/tests/testmultistream.nim
index 191576ac7..c25f4c70e 100644
--- a/tests/testmultistream.nim
+++ b/tests/testmultistream.nim
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 import unittest, strutils, sequtils, sugar
 import chronos
 import ../libp2p/connection, ../libp2p/multistream,
-  ../libp2p/stream, ../libp2p/connection, ../libp2p/multiaddress,
-  ../libp2p/transport, ../libp2p/tcptransport, ../libp2p/protocol
+       ../libp2p/stream, ../libp2p/connection, 
+       ../libp2p/multiaddress, ../libp2p/transport, 
+       ../libp2p/tcptransport, ../libp2p/protocol,
+       ../libp2p/crypto/crypto, ../libp2p/peerinfo,
+       ../libp2p/peer
 
 ## Mock stream for select test
 type
@@ -140,13 +143,17 @@ suite "Multistream select":
       let ms = newMultistream()
       let conn = newConnection(newTestSelectStream())
 
-      var protocol: LPProtocol
-      proc testHandler(protocol: LPProtocol, 
-                       conn: Connection,
-                       proto: string): Future[void] {.async, gcsafe.} =
+      let seckey = PrivateKey.random(RSA)
+      var peerInfo: PeerInfo
+      peerInfo.peerId = PeerID.init(seckey)
+      var protocol: LPProtocol = newProtocol(LPProtocol, peerInfo)
+      proc testHandler(conn: Connection,
+                       proto: string): 
+                       Future[void] {.async, gcsafe.} =
         check proto == "/test/proto/1.0.0"
 
-      ms.addHandler("/test/proto/1.0.0", protocol, testHandler)
+      protocol.handler = testHandler
+      ms.addHandler("/test/proto/1.0.0", protocol)
       await ms.handle(conn)
       result = true
 
@@ -165,12 +172,16 @@ suite "Multistream select":
         check strProto == "\x26/test/proto1/1.0.0\n/test/proto2/1.0.0\n"
         await conn.close()
 
-      var protocol: LPProtocol
-      proc testHandler(protocol: LPProtocol,
-                       conn: Connection,
+      let seckey = PrivateKey.random(RSA)
+      var peerInfo: PeerInfo
+      peerInfo.peerId = PeerID.init(seckey)
+      var protocol: LPProtocol = newProtocol(LPProtocol, peerInfo)
+      proc testHandler(conn: Connection,
                        proto: string): Future[void] {.async, gcsafe.} = discard
-      ms.addHandler("/test/proto1/1.0.0", protocol, testHandler)
-      ms.addHandler("/test/proto2/1.0.0", protocol, testHandler)
+      
+      protocol.handler = testHandler
+      ms.addHandler("/test/proto1/1.0.0", protocol)
+      ms.addHandler("/test/proto2/1.0.0", protocol)
       await ms.handle(conn)
       result = true
 
@@ -188,11 +199,14 @@ suite "Multistream select":
         check cast[string](msg) == "\x3na\n"
         await conn.close()
 
-      var protocol: LPProtocol
-      proc testHandler(protocol: LPProtocol,
-                       conn: Connection,
+      let seckey = PrivateKey.random(RSA)
+      var peerInfo: PeerInfo
+      peerInfo.peerId = PeerID.init(seckey)
+      var protocol: LPProtocol = newProtocol(LPProtocol, peerInfo)
+      proc testHandler(conn: Connection,
                        proto: string): Future[void] {.async, gcsafe.} = discard
-      ms.addHandler("/unabvailable/proto/1.0.0", protocol, testHandler)
+      protocol.handler = testHandler
+      ms.addHandler("/unabvailable/proto/1.0.0", protocol)
 
       await ms.handle(conn)
       result = true
@@ -203,16 +217,20 @@ suite "Multistream select":
   test "e2e - handle":
     proc endToEnd(): Future[bool] {.async.} =
       let ma: MultiAddress = Multiaddress.init("/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/53350")
-      var protocol: LPProtocol
-      proc testHandler(protocol: LPProtocol,
-                       conn: Connection,
+
+      let seckey = PrivateKey.random(RSA)
+      var peerInfo: PeerInfo
+      peerInfo.peerId = PeerID.init(seckey)
+      var protocol: LPProtocol = newProtocol(LPProtocol, peerInfo)
+      proc testHandler(conn: Connection,
                        proto: string): Future[void] {.async, gcsafe.} =
         check proto == "/test/proto/1.0.0"
         await conn.writeLp("Hello!")
         await conn.close()
 
+      protocol.handler = testHandler
       let msListen = newMultistream()
-      msListen.addHandler("/test/proto/1.0.0", protocol, testHandler)
+      msListen.addHandler("/test/proto/1.0.0", protocol)
 
       proc connHandler(conn: Connection): Future[void] {.async, gcsafe.} =
         await msListen.handle(conn)
@@ -239,12 +257,15 @@ suite "Multistream select":
       let ma: MultiAddress = Multiaddress.init("/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/53351")
 
       let msListen = newMultistream()
-      var protocol: LPProtocol
-      proc testHandler(protocol: LPProtocol, 
-                       conn: Connection,
+      let seckey = PrivateKey.random(RSA)
+      var peerInfo: PeerInfo
+      peerInfo.peerId = PeerID.init(seckey)
+      var protocol: LPProtocol = newProtocol(LPProtocol, peerInfo)
+      proc testHandler(conn: Connection,
                        proto: string): Future[void] {.async.} = discard
-      msListen.addHandler("/test/proto1/1.0.0", protocol, testHandler)
-      msListen.addHandler("/test/proto2/1.0.0", protocol, testHandler)
+      protocol.handler = testHandler
+      msListen.addHandler("/test/proto1/1.0.0", protocol)
+      msListen.addHandler("/test/proto2/1.0.0", protocol)
 
       let transport1: TcpTransport = newTransport(TcpTransport)
       proc connHandler(conn: Connection): Future[void] {.async, gcsafe.} =