diff --git a/protocol/connections/peerapp.go b/protocol/connections/peerapp.go
index 7d6492e..b4e3158 100644
--- a/protocol/connections/peerapp.go
+++ b/protocol/connections/peerapp.go
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 package connections
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
 	"cwtch.im/cwtch/event"
 	model2 "cwtch.im/cwtch/protocol/model"
 	"encoding/json"
-	"errors"
 	"git.openprivacy.ca/cwtch.im/tapir"
 	"git.openprivacy.ca/cwtch.im/tapir/applications"
 	"git.openprivacy.ca/openprivacy/log"
@@ -103,39 +101,14 @@ func (pa *PeerApp) listen() {
 		if pa.version.Load() == 0x01 {
 			err = json.Unmarshal(message, &packet)
 		} else if pa.version.Load() == 0x02 {
-
-			// assume the encoding is invalid
-			err = errors.New("invalid message")
-
-			// find the identifier prefix
-			idTerminator := bytes.IndexByte(message, '|')
-			if idTerminator != -1 && idTerminator+1 < len(message) {
-				// find the context terminator prefix
-				contextbegin := idTerminator + 1
-				contextTerminator := bytes.IndexByte(message[contextbegin:], '|')
-				if contextTerminator != -1 {
-					err = nil
-
-					// check that we have data
-					dataBegin := contextbegin + contextTerminator + 1
-					var data []byte
-					if dataBegin < len(message) {
-						data = message[dataBegin:]
-					}
-
-					// compile the message
-					packet = model2.PeerMessage{
-						ID:      string(message[0:idTerminator]),
-						Context: string(message[contextbegin : contextbegin+contextTerminator]),
-						Data:    data,
-					}
-				}
-			}
-
+			parsePacket, parseErr := model2.ParsePeerMessage(message)
 			// if all else fails...attempt to process this message as a version 1 message
-			if err != nil {
+			if parseErr != nil {
 				err = json.Unmarshal(message, &packet)
+			} else {
+				packet = *parsePacket
 			}
+
 		} else {
 			log.Errorf("invalid version")
 			pa.OnClose(pa.connection.Hostname())
@@ -170,7 +143,7 @@ func (pa *PeerApp) SendMessage(message model2.PeerMessage) error {
 
 	if pa.version.Load() == 0x02 {
 		// treat data as a pre-serialized string, not as a byte array (which will be base64 encoded and bloat the packet size)
-		serialized = append(append([]byte(message.ID+"|"), []byte(message.Context+"|")...), message.Data...)
+		serialized = message.Serialize()
 	} else {
 		serialized, err = json.Marshal(message)
 	}
diff --git a/protocol/model/peermessage.go.go b/protocol/model/peermessage.go.go
index 58be2ed..b62a41d 100644
--- a/protocol/model/peermessage.go.go
+++ b/protocol/model/peermessage.go.go
@@ -1,8 +1,52 @@
 package model
 
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"errors"
+)
+
 // PeerMessage is an encapsulation that can be used by higher level applications
 type PeerMessage struct {
-	ID      string // A unique Message ID (primarily used for acknowledgments)
+	// ID **must** only contain alphanumeric characters separated by period.
+	ID string // A unique Message ID (primarily used for acknowledgments)
+
+	// Context **must** only contain alphanumeric characters separated by period.
 	Context string // A unique context identifier i.e. im.cwtch.chat
-	Data    []byte // A data packet.
+
+	// Data can contain anything
+	Data []byte // A data packet.
+}
+
+// Serialize constructs an efficient serialized representation
+func (m *PeerMessage) Serialize() []byte {
+	return append(append([]byte(m.ID+"|"), []byte(m.Context+"|")...), m.Data...)
+}
+
+// ParsePeerMessage returns either a deserialized PeerMessage or an error if it is malformed
+func ParsePeerMessage(message []byte) (*PeerMessage, error) {
+
+	// find the identifier prefix
+	idTerminator := bytes.IndexByte(message, '|')
+	if idTerminator != -1 && idTerminator+1 < len(message) {
+		// find the context terminator prefix
+		contextbegin := idTerminator + 1
+		contextTerminator := bytes.IndexByte(message[contextbegin:], '|')
+		if contextTerminator != -1 {
+
+			// check that we have data
+			dataBegin := contextbegin + contextTerminator + 1
+			var data []byte
+			if dataBegin < len(message) {
+				data = message[dataBegin:]
+			}
+
+			// compile the message
+			return &PeerMessage{
+				ID:      string(message[0:idTerminator]),
+				Context: string(message[contextbegin : contextbegin+contextTerminator]),
+				Data:    data,
+			}, nil
+		}
+	}
+	return nil, errors.New("invalid message")
 }