diff --git a/src/handshake-ik.ts b/src/handshake-ik.ts
index ea29a4c..73b6c9b 100644
--- a/src/handshake-ik.ts
+++ b/src/handshake-ik.ts
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export class IKHandshake implements IHandshake {
       logger("IK Stage 0 - Responder receiving message...");
       const receivedMsg = await this.connection.readLP();
       try {
-        const receivedMessageBuffer = decode1(receivedMsg);
+        const receivedMessageBuffer = decode1(receivedMsg.slice());
         const plaintext = this.ik.recvMessage(this.session, receivedMessageBuffer);
         logger("IK Stage 0 - Responder got message, going to verify payload.");
         const decodedPayload = await decodePayload(plaintext);
diff --git a/src/handshake-xx.ts b/src/handshake-xx.ts
index 0085f13..fed9e4c 100644
--- a/src/handshake-xx.ts
+++ b/src/handshake-xx.ts
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ export class XXHandshake implements IHandshake {
       logger("Stage 0 - Initiator finished sending first message.");
     } else {
       logger("Stage 0 - Responder waiting to receive first message...");
-      const receivedMessageBuffer = decode0(await this.connection.readLP());
+      const receivedMessageBuffer = decode0((await this.connection.readLP()).slice());
       this.xx.recvMessage(this.session, receivedMessageBuffer);
       logger("Stage 0 - Responder received first message.");
     }
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ export class XXHandshake implements IHandshake {
   public async exchange(): Promise<void> {
     if (this.isInitiator) {
       logger('Stage 1 - Initiator waiting to receive first message from responder...');
-      const receivedMessageBuffer = decode1(await this.connection.readLP());
+      const receivedMessageBuffer = decode1((await this.connection.readLP()).slice());
       const plaintext = this.xx.recvMessage(this.session, receivedMessageBuffer);
       logger('Stage 1 - Initiator received the message. Got remote\'s static key.');
 
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ export class XXHandshake implements IHandshake {
       logger('Stage 2 - Initiator sent message with signed payload.');
     } else {
       logger('Stage 2 - Responder waiting for third handshake message...');
-      const receivedMessageBuffer = decode1(await this.connection.readLP());
+      const receivedMessageBuffer = decode1((await this.connection.readLP()).slice());
       const plaintext = this.xx.recvMessage(this.session, receivedMessageBuffer);
       logger('Stage 2 - Responder received the message, finished handshake. Got remote\'s static key.');
 
diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.ts
index d4e847d..ca14f1b 100644
--- a/src/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils.ts
@@ -74,7 +74,9 @@ export async function decodePayload(payload: bytes): Promise<INoisePayload> {
   ) as INoisePayload;
 }
 
-export const getHandshakePayload = (publicKey: bytes ) => Buffer.concat([Buffer.from("noise-libp2p-static-key:"), publicKey]);
+export function getHandshakePayload(publicKey: bytes): bytes {
+  return Buffer.concat([Buffer.from("noise-libp2p-static-key:"), publicKey]);
+}
 
 async function isValidPeerId(peerId: bytes, publicKeyProtobuf: bytes) {
   const generatedPeerId = await PeerId.createFromPubKey(publicKeyProtobuf);