diff --git a/lib/bcoin/workers.js b/lib/bcoin/workers.js
index cbf853a0..9881ee0c 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/workers.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/workers.js
@@ -389,8 +389,8 @@ function Worker(id) {
     self.emit('error', e);
   });
 
-  this.parser.on('packet', function(job, body) {
-    self.emit('packet', job, body);
+  this.parser.on('packet', function(packet) {
+    self.emit('packet', packet);
   });
 
   this._init();
@@ -419,28 +419,28 @@ Worker.prototype._init = function _init() {
     utils.log.apply(utils, items);
   });
 
-  this.on('packet', function(job, body) {
+  this.on('packet', function(packet) {
     var err, result;
 
-    if (body.name === 'event') {
-      self.emit.apply(self, body.items);
-      self.emit('event', body.items);
+    if (packet.cmd === 'event') {
+      self.emit.apply(self, packet.items);
+      self.emit('event', packet.items);
       return;
     }
 
-    if (body.name === 'response') {
-      err = body.items[0];
-      result = body.items[1];
+    if (packet.cmd === 'response') {
+      err = packet.items[0];
+      result = packet.items[1];
 
       if (err)
         err = toError(err);
 
-      self.emit('response ' + job, err, result);
+      self.emit('response ' + packet.job, err, result);
 
       return;
     }
 
-    err = new Error('Unknown packet: ' + body.name);
+    err = new Error('Unknown packet: ' + packet.cmd);
     self.emit('error', err);
   });
 
@@ -471,13 +471,13 @@ Worker.prototype.write = function write(data) {
 /**
  * Frame and send a packet.
  * @param {String} job
- * @param {String} name
+ * @param {String} cmd
  * @param {Array} items
  * @returns {Boolean}
  */
 
-Worker.prototype.send = function send(job, name, items) {
-  return this.write(this.framer.packet(job, name, items));
+Worker.prototype.send = function send(job, cmd, items) {
+  return this.write(this.framer.packet(job, cmd, items));
 };
 
 /**
@@ -612,8 +612,8 @@ function Master(options) {
     self.emit('error', e);
   });
 
-  this.parser.on('packet', function(job, body) {
-    self.emit('packet', job, body);
+  this.parser.on('packet', function(packet) {
+    self.emit('packet', packet);
   });
 }
 
@@ -641,13 +641,13 @@ Master.prototype.write = function write(data) {
 /**
  * Frame and send a packet.
  * @param {String} job
- * @param {String} name
+ * @param {String} cmd
  * @param {Array} items
  * @returns {Boolean}
  */
 
-Master.prototype.send = function send(job, name, items) {
-  return this.write(this.framer.packet(job, name, items));
+Master.prototype.send = function send(job, cmd, items) {
+  return this.write(this.framer.packet(job, cmd, items));
 };
 
 /**
@@ -709,22 +709,22 @@ Master.listen = function listen(options) {
     master.sendEvent('worker error', fromError(err));
   });
 
-  master.on('packet', function(job, body) {
+  master.on('packet', function(packet) {
     var result;
 
-    if (body.name === 'event') {
-      master.emit('event', body.items);
-      master.emit.apply(master, body.items);
+    if (packet.cmd === 'event') {
+      master.emit('event', packet.items);
+      master.emit.apply(master, packet.items);
       return;
     }
 
     try {
-      result = jobs[body.name].apply(jobs, body.items);
+      result = jobs[packet.cmd].apply(jobs, packet.items);
     } catch (e) {
-      return master.send(job, 'response', [fromError(e)]);
+      return master.send(packet.job, 'response', [fromError(e)]);
     }
 
-    return master.send(job, 'response', [null, result]);
+    return master.send(packet.job, 'response', [null, result]);
   });
 
   bcoin.master = master;
@@ -819,31 +819,28 @@ function Framer() {
 
 utils.inherits(Framer, EventEmitter);
 
-Framer.prototype.packet = function packet(job, name, items) {
+Framer.prototype.packet = function packet(job, cmd, items) {
   var p = new BufferWriter();
-  var payload = this.body(name, items);
+  var payload = this.body(items);
+
+  assert(cmd.length < 12);
+  assert(payload.length <= 0xffffffff);
+
   p.writeU32(0xdeadbeef);
   p.writeU32(job);
-  p.writeU32(payload.length);
+  p.writeString(cmd, 'ascii');
+  p.fill(0, 12 - cmd.length);
+  p.writeU32(payload.length + 1);
   p.writeBytes(payload);
-  return p.render();
-};
-
-Framer.prototype.body = function body(name, items) {
-  var p = new BufferWriter();
-
-  if (name)
-    p.writeVarString(name, 'ascii');
-  else
-    p.writeVarint(0);
-
-  Framer.item(items, p);
-
   p.writeU8(0x0a);
 
   return p.render();
 };
 
+Framer.prototype.body = function body(items) {
+  return Framer.item(items);
+};
+
 Framer.item = function _item(item, writer) {
   var p = BufferWriter(writer);
   var i, keys;
@@ -942,8 +939,8 @@ function Parser() {
 
   EventEmitter.call(this);
 
-  this.waiting = 12;
-  this.header = null;
+  this.waiting = 24;
+  this.packet = null;
   this.pending = [];
   this.total = 0;
 }
@@ -998,57 +995,66 @@ Parser.prototype.feed = function feed(data) {
 };
 
 Parser.prototype.parse = function parse(data) {
-  var header, body;
+  var packet;
 
-  if (!this.header) {
-    header = this.parseHeader(data);
-
-    if (header.magic !== 0xdeadbeef) {
-      this.emit('error', new Error('Bad magic number.'));
+  if (!this.packet) {
+    try {
+      packet = this.parseHeader(data);
+    } catch (e) {
+      this.emit('error', e);
       return;
     }
 
-    this.header = header;
-    this.waiting = header.size;
+    this.packet = packet;
+    this.waiting = packet.size;
 
     return;
   }
 
-  header = this.header;
-  this.waiting = 12;
-  this.header = null;
+  packet = this.packet;
+
+  this.waiting = 24;
+  this.packet = null;
 
   try {
-    body = this.parseBody(data);
+    packet.items = this.parseBody(data);
   } catch (e) {
     this.emit('error', e);
     return;
   }
 
-  this.emit('packet', header.job, body);
+  if (data[data.length - 1] !== 0x0a) {
+    this.emit('error', new Error('No trailing newline.'));
+    return;
+  }
+
+  this.emit('packet', packet);
 };
 
 Parser.prototype.parseHeader = function parseHeader(data) {
-  return {
-    magic: data.readUInt32LE(0, true),
-    job: data.readUInt32LE(4, true),
-    size: data.readUInt32LE(8, true)
-  };
+  var magic, job, size, i, cmd;
+
+  magic = data.readUInt32LE(0, true);
+
+  if (magic !== 0xdeadbeef)
+    throw new Error('Bad magic number: ' + magic.toString(16));
+
+  job = data.readUInt32LE(4, true);
+
+  for (i = 0; data[i + 8] !== 0 && i < 12; i++);
+
+  if (i === 12)
+    throw new Error('Not NULL-terminated cmd');
+
+  cmd = data.toString('ascii', 8, 8 + i);
+
+  size = data.readUInt32LE(20, true);
+
+  return new Packet(job, cmd, size);
 };
 
 Parser.prototype.parseBody = function parseBody(data) {
-  var p = new BufferReader(data, true);
-  var name, items;
-
-  name = p.readVarString('ascii');
-  items = Parser.parseItem(p);
-
-  assert(p.readU8() === 0x0a);
-
-  return {
-    name: name || null,
-    items: items
-  };
+  return Parser.parseItem(data);
 };
 
 Parser.parseItem = function parseItem(data) {
@@ -1107,6 +1113,18 @@ Parser.parseItem = function parseItem(data) {
   }
 };
 
+/**
+ * Packet
+ * @constructor
+ */
+
+function Packet(job, cmd, size) {
+  this.job = job;
+  this.cmd = cmd;
+  this.size = size;
+  this.items = null;
+}
+
 /*
  * Helpers
  */