diff --git a/tunnels/client/protobuf/protobuf_client.c b/tunnels/client/protobuf/protobuf_client.c
index a0ed5032..3aab8696 100644
--- a/tunnels/client/protobuf/protobuf_client.c
+++ b/tunnels/client/protobuf/protobuf_client.c
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ enum
 
 typedef struct protobuf_client_state_s
 {
-    void*_;
+    void *_;
 } protobuf_client_state_t;
 
 typedef struct protobuf_client_con_state_s
@@ -73,59 +73,54 @@ static void downStream(tunnel_t *self, context_t *c)
     if (c->payload != NULL)
     {
         buffer_stream_t *bstream = cstate->stream_buf;
-        bufferStreamPush(cstate->stream_buf, c->payload);
+        bufferStreamPush(bstream, c->payload);
         c->payload = NULL;
 
         while (true)
         {
-            if (bufferStreamLen(bstream) < 3)
+            if (bufferStreamLen(bstream) < 1)
             {
                 destroyContext(c);
                 return;
             }
-            unsigned int  read_len = (bufferStreamLen(bstream) >= 4 ? 4 : 2);
-            unsigned char uleb_encoded_buf[4];
-            bufferStreamViewBytesAt(bstream, 1, uleb_encoded_buf, read_len);
-            // if (uleb_encoded_buf[0] != '\n')
-            // {
-            //     LOGE("ProtoBufClient: rejected, invalid data");
-            //     goto disconnect;
-            // }
-
-            size_t data_len     = 0;
-            size_t bytes_passed = readUleb128ToUint64(uleb_encoded_buf, uleb_encoded_buf + read_len, &data_len);
-            if (data_len == 0)
+            shift_buffer_t *full_data    = bufferStreamFullRead(bstream);
+            const uint8_t  *uleb_data    = &(((uint8_t *) rawBuf(full_data))[1]); // first byte is \n (protobuf)
+            size_t          data_len     = 0;
+            size_t          bytes_passed = readUleb128ToUint64(uleb_data, uleb_data + bufLen(full_data) - 1, &data_len);
+            if (data_len == 0 || (bufLen(full_data) - (bytes_passed + 1)) < data_len)
             {
-                if (uleb_encoded_buf[0] == 0x0)
-                {
-                    LOGE("ProtoBufClient: rejected, invalid data");
-                    goto disconnect;
-                }
-
-                // keep waiting for more data to come
+                bufferStreamPush(bstream, full_data);
                 destroyContext(c);
                 return;
             }
+
             if (data_len > kMaxPacketSize)
             {
-                LOGE("ProtoBufClient: rejected, size too large %zu (%zu passed %lu left)", data_len, bytes_passed,
-                     bufferStreamLen(bstream));
+                LOGE("ProtoBufServer: rejected, size too large");
                 goto disconnect;
             }
-            if (! (bufferStreamLen(bstream) >= 1 + bytes_passed + data_len))
-            {
-                destroyContext(c);
-                return;
-            }
+
             context_t *downstream_ctx = newContextFrom(c);
-            downstream_ctx->payload   = bufferStreamRead(cstate->stream_buf, 1 + bytes_passed + data_len);
+            downstream_ctx->payload   = shallowSliceBuffer(full_data, data_len + (bytes_passed + 1));
             shiftr(downstream_ctx->payload, 1 + bytes_passed);
+
+            if (bufLen(full_data) > 0)
+            {
+                bufferStreamPush(bstream, full_data);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                reuseBuffer(getContextBufferPool(c), full_data);
+            }
+
             if (! cstate->first_sent)
             {
                 downstream_ctx->first = true;
                 cstate->first_sent    = true;
             }
+
             self->dw->downStream(self->dw, downstream_ctx);
+
             if (! isAlive(c->line))
             {
                 destroyContext(c);
diff --git a/tunnels/server/protobuf/protobuf_server.c b/tunnels/server/protobuf/protobuf_server.c
index a423752e..adeb281d 100644
--- a/tunnels/server/protobuf/protobuf_server.c
+++ b/tunnels/server/protobuf/protobuf_server.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "protobuf_server.h"
 #include "basic_types.h"
+#include "buffer_pool.h"
 #include "buffer_stream.h"
 #include "loggers/network_logger.h"
 #include "node.h"
@@ -8,6 +9,7 @@
 #include "uleb128.h"
 #include <stdatomic.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 /*
     we shall not use nanopb or any protobuf lib because they need atleast 1 memcopy
@@ -44,59 +46,54 @@ static void upStream(tunnel_t *self, context_t *c)
     if (c->payload != NULL)
     {
         buffer_stream_t *bstream = cstate->stream_buf;
-        bufferStreamPush(cstate->stream_buf, c->payload);
+        bufferStreamPush(bstream, c->payload);
         c->payload = NULL;
 
         while (true)
         {
-            if (bufferStreamLen(bstream) < 3)
+            if (bufferStreamLen(bstream) < 1)
             {
                 destroyContext(c);
                 return;
             }
-            unsigned int  read_len = (bufferStreamLen(bstream) >= 4 ? 4 : 2);
-            unsigned char uleb_encoded_buf[4];
-            bufferStreamViewBytesAt(bstream, 1, uleb_encoded_buf, read_len);
-            // if (uleb_encoded_buf[0] != '\n')
-            // {
-            //     LOGE("ProtoBufServer: rejected, invalid data");
-            //     goto disconnect;
-            // }
-            size_t data_len     = 0;
-            size_t bytes_passed = readUleb128ToUint64(uleb_encoded_buf, uleb_encoded_buf + read_len, &data_len);
-            if (data_len == 0)
+            shift_buffer_t *full_data    = bufferStreamFullRead(bstream);
+            const uint8_t  *uleb_data    = &(((uint8_t *) rawBuf(full_data))[1]); // first byte is \n (protobuf)
+            size_t          data_len     = 0;
+            size_t          bytes_passed = readUleb128ToUint64(uleb_data, uleb_data + bufLen(full_data) - 1, &data_len);
+            if (data_len == 0 || (bufLen(full_data) - (bytes_passed + 1)) < data_len)
             {
-                if (uleb_encoded_buf[0] == 0x0)
-                {
-                    LOGE("ProtoBufServer: rejected, invalid data");
-
-                    goto disconnect;
-                }
-
-                // keep waiting for more data to come
+                bufferStreamPush(bstream, full_data);
                 destroyContext(c);
                 return;
             }
+
             if (data_len > kMaxPacketSize)
             {
-                LOGE("ProtoBufServer: rejected, size too large %zu (%zu passed %lu left)", data_len, bytes_passed,
-                     bufferStreamLen(bstream));
+                LOGE("ProtoBufServer: rejected, size too large");
                 goto disconnect;
             }
-            if (! (bufferStreamLen(bstream) >= 1 + bytes_passed + data_len))
-            {
-                destroyContext(c);
-                return;
-            }
+
             context_t *upstream_ctx = newContextFrom(c);
-            upstream_ctx->payload   = bufferStreamRead(cstate->stream_buf, 1 + bytes_passed + data_len);
+            upstream_ctx->payload   = shallowSliceBuffer(full_data, data_len + (bytes_passed + 1));
             shiftr(upstream_ctx->payload, 1 + bytes_passed);
+
+            if (bufLen(full_data) > 0)
+            {
+                bufferStreamPush(bstream, full_data);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                reuseBuffer(getContextBufferPool(c), full_data);
+            }
+
             if (! cstate->first_sent)
             {
                 upstream_ctx->first = true;
                 cstate->first_sent  = true;
             }
+
             self->up->upStream(self->up, upstream_ctx);
+
             if (! isAlive(c->line))
             {
                 destroyContext(c);