diff --git a/lib/bcoin/block.js b/lib/bcoin/block.js
index ba15431d..642e2095 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/block.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/block.js
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ function Block(data, subtype) {
     else if (this.txs.length)
       this.subtype = 'block';
     else
-      this.subtype = 'header';
+      this.subtype = 'headers';
   }
 
   if (this.subtype === 'block') {
@@ -120,7 +120,14 @@ Block.verify = function verify(data, subtype) {
 Block.prototype.render = function render() {
   if (this._raw)
     return this._raw;
-  return bcoin.protocol.framer.block(this, this.subtype);
+
+  if (this.subtype === 'merkleblock')
+    return bcoin.protocol.framer.merkleBlock(this);
+
+  if (this.subtype === 'headers')
+    return bcoin.protocol.framer.headers(this);
+
+  return bcoin.protocol.framer.block(this);
 };
 
 Block.prototype.getSize = function getSize() {
diff --git a/lib/bcoin/protocol/framer.js b/lib/bcoin/protocol/framer.js
index d95bfea7..0404abfb 100644
--- a/lib/bcoin/protocol/framer.js
+++ b/lib/bcoin/protocol/framer.js
@@ -386,32 +386,22 @@ Framer.prototype.tx = function tx(tx) {
   return this.packet('tx', Framer.tx(tx));
 };
 
-Framer.block = function _block(block, type) {
+Framer.block = function _block(block) {
   var off = 0;
   var txSize = 0;
   var txs = [];
   var i, tx, p;
 
-  if (!type)
-    type = block.subtype;
-
-  if (type === 'merkleblock') {
-    p = new Buffer(80 + 4
-      + utils.sizeIntv(block.hashes.length) + (block.hashes.length * 32)
-      + utils.sizeIntv(block.flags.length) + block.flags.length);
-  } else if (type === 'header') {
-    p = new Buffer(80 + utils.sizeIntv(block.txs.length));
-  } else {
-    for (i = 0; i < block.txs.length; i++) {
-      tx = block.txs[i].render
-        ? block.txs[i].render()
-        : Framer.tx(block.txs[i]);
-      txs.push(tx);
-      txSize += tx.length;
-    }
-    p = new Buffer(80 + utils.sizeIntv(block.txs.length) + txSize);
+  for (i = 0; i < block.txs.length; i++) {
+    tx = block.txs[i].render
+      ? block.txs[i].render()
+      : Framer.tx(block.txs[i]);
+    txs.push(tx);
+    txSize += tx.length;
   }
 
+  p = new Buffer(80 + utils.sizeIntv(block.txs.length) + txSize);
+
   // version
   off += utils.write32(p, block.version, off);
 
@@ -432,44 +422,106 @@ Framer.block = function _block(block, type) {
 
   assert.equal(off, 80);
 
-  if (type === 'merkleblock') {
-    // txn_count
-    off += utils.writeU32(p, block.totalTX, off);
+  // txn_count
+  off += utils.writeIntv(p, block.txs.length, off);
 
-    // hash count
-    off += utils.writeIntv(p, block.hashes.length, off);
+  // txs
+  for (i = 0; i < txs.length; i++)
+    off += utils.copy(txs[i], p, off);
 
-    // hashes
-    for (i = 0; i < block.hashes.length; i++)
-      off += utils.copy(new Buffer(block.hashes[i], 'hex'), p, off);
+  return p;
+};
 
-    // flag count
-    off += utils.writeIntv(p, block.flags.length, off);
+Framer.merkleBlock = function _merkleBlock(block) {
+  var off = 0;
+  var p, i;
 
-    // flags
-    for (i = 0; i < block.flags.length; i++)
-      p[off++] = block.flags[i];
-  } else if (type === 'header') {
-    // txn_count
-    off += utils.writeIntv(p, block.txs.length, off);
-  } else {
-    // txn_count
-    off += utils.writeIntv(p, block.txs.length, off);
+  p = new Buffer(80 + 4
+    + utils.sizeIntv(block.hashes.length) + (block.hashes.length * 32)
+    + utils.sizeIntv(block.flags.length) + block.flags.length);
 
-    // txs
-    for (i = 0; i < txs.length; i++)
-      off += utils.copy(txs[i], p, off);
-  }
+  // version
+  off += utils.write32(p, block.version, off);
+
+  // prev_block
+  off += utils.copy(new Buffer(block.prevBlock, 'hex'), p, off);
+
+  // merkle_root
+  off += utils.copy(new Buffer(block.merkleRoot, 'hex'), p, off);
+
+  // timestamp
+  off += utils.writeU32(p, block.ts, off);
+
+  // bits
+  off += utils.writeU32(p, block.bits, off);
+
+  // nonce
+  off += utils.writeU32(p, block.nonce, off);
+
+  assert.equal(off, 80);
+
+  // txn_count
+  off += utils.writeU32(p, block.totalTX, off);
+
+  // hash count
+  off += utils.writeIntv(p, block.hashes.length, off);
+
+  // hashes
+  for (i = 0; i < block.hashes.length; i++)
+    off += utils.copy(new Buffer(block.hashes[i], 'hex'), p, off);
+
+  // flag count
+  off += utils.writeIntv(p, block.flags.length, off);
+
+  // flags
+  for (i = 0; i < block.flags.length; i++)
+    p[off++] = block.flags[i];
+
+  return p;
+};
+
+Framer.headers = function _headers(block) {
+  var off = 0;
+  var p, i;
+
+  p = new Buffer(80 + utils.sizeIntv(data.totalTX));
+
+  // version
+  off += utils.write32(p, block.version, off);
+
+  // prev_block
+  off += utils.copy(new Buffer(block.prevBlock, 'hex'), p, off);
+
+  // merkle_root
+  off += utils.copy(new Buffer(block.merkleRoot, 'hex'), p, off);
+
+  // timestamp
+  off += utils.writeU32(p, block.ts, off);
+
+  // bits
+  off += utils.writeU32(p, block.bits, off);
+
+  // nonce
+  off += utils.writeU32(p, block.nonce, off);
+
+  assert.equal(off, 80);
+
+  // txn_count
+  off += utils.writeIntv(p, data.totalTX, off);
 
   return p;
 };
 
 Framer.prototype.block = function _block(block) {
-  return this.packet('block', Framer.block(block, 'block'));
+  return this.packet('block', Framer.block(block));
 };
 
 Framer.prototype.merkleBlock = function merkleBlock(block) {
-  return this.packet('merkleblock', Framer.block(block, 'merkleblock'));
+  return this.packet('merkleblock', Framer.merkleBlock(block));
+};
+
+Framer.prototype.headers = function headers(block) {
+  return this.packet('headers', Framer.headers(block));
 };
 
 Framer.prototype.reject = function reject(details) {