diff --git a/abduco.c b/abduco.c
index 2880714..90b95e1 100644
--- a/abduco.c
+++ b/abduco.c
@@ -66,30 +66,23 @@ enum PacketType {
 	MSG_REDRAW  = 4,
 };
 
-/* packet sent from client to server */
 typedef struct {
-	unsigned char type;
-	unsigned char len;
+	unsigned int type;
+	size_t len;
 	union {
-		char msg[sizeof(struct winsize)];
+		char msg[BUFSIZ];
 		struct winsize ws;
 		int i;
 	} u;
-} ClientPacket;
-
-/* packet sent from server to all clients */
-typedef struct {
-	char buf[BUFSIZ];
-	size_t len;
-} ServerPacket;
+} Packet;
 
 typedef struct {
-	ClientPacket pkt;
+	Packet pkt;
 	size_t off;
 } ClientPacketState;
 
 typedef struct {
-	ServerPacket *pkt;
+	Packet *pkt;
 	size_t off;
 } ServerPacketState;
 
@@ -113,9 +106,9 @@ typedef struct {
 	Client *clients;
 	int client_count;
 	int socket;
-	ServerPacket pty_output;
+	Packet pty_output;
 	ClientPacketState pty_input;
-	ClientPacket queue[10];
+	Packet queue[10];
 	unsigned int queue_count;
 	unsigned int queue_insert;
 	unsigned int queue_remove;
@@ -139,16 +132,24 @@ static int create_socket(const char *name);
 static void die(const char *s);
 static void info(const char *str, ...);
 
+static inline size_t packet_header_size() {
+	return offsetof(Packet, u);
+}
+
+static size_t packet_size(Packet *pkt) {
+	return packet_header_size() + pkt->len;
+}
+
 static bool is_client_packet_complete(ClientPacketState *pkt) {
-	return pkt->off == sizeof pkt->pkt;
+	return pkt->off >= packet_header_size() && pkt->off == packet_size(&pkt->pkt);
 }
 
 static bool is_server_packet_complete(ServerPacketState *pkt) {
-	return pkt->pkt && pkt->off == pkt->pkt->len;
+	return pkt->pkt && pkt->off == packet_size(pkt->pkt);
 }
 
 static bool is_server_packet_nonempty(ServerPacketState *pkt) {
-	return pkt->pkt && pkt->pkt->len > 0; 
+	return pkt->pkt && pkt->pkt->len > 0;
 }
 
 #include "debug.c"
diff --git a/client.c b/client.c
index f5832f2..240605c 100644
--- a/client.c
+++ b/client.c
@@ -40,9 +40,10 @@ static ssize_t read_all(int fd, char *buf, size_t len) {
 	return ret;
 }
 
-static bool client_send_packet(ClientPacket *pkt) {
-	print_client_packet("client-send:", pkt);
-	if (write_all(server.socket, (char *)pkt, sizeof(ClientPacket)) != sizeof(ClientPacket)) {
+static bool client_send_packet(Packet *pkt) {
+	print_packet("client-send:", pkt);
+	size_t size = packet_size(pkt);
+	if (write_all(server.socket, (char *)pkt, size) != size) {
 		debug("FAILED\n");
 		server.running = false;
 		return false;
@@ -50,15 +51,19 @@ static bool client_send_packet(ClientPacket *pkt) {
 	return true;
 }
 
-static bool client_recv_packet(ServerPacket *pkt) {
-	ssize_t len = pkt->len = read_all(server.socket, pkt->buf, sizeof(pkt->buf));
-	print_server_packet("client-recv:", pkt);
-	if (len <= 0) {
-		debug("FAILED\n");
-		server.running = false;
-		return false;
-	}
+static bool client_recv_packet(Packet *pkt) {
+	ssize_t len = read_all(server.socket, (char*)pkt, packet_header_size());
+	if (len <= 0 || len != packet_header_size() || pkt->len == 0)
+		goto error;
+	len = read_all(server.socket, pkt->u.msg, pkt->len);
+	print_packet("client-recv:", pkt);
+	if (len <= 0 || len != pkt->len)
+		goto error;
 	return true;
+error:
+	debug("FAILED here\n");
+	server.running = false;
+	return false;
 }
 
 static void client_clear_screen() {
@@ -88,7 +93,7 @@ static int client_mainloop() {
 		if (client.need_resize) {
 			struct winsize ws;
 			if (ioctl(0, TIOCGWINSZ, &ws) != -1) {
-				ClientPacket pkt = {
+				Packet pkt = {
 					.type = MSG_RESIZE,
 					.u = { .ws = ws },
 					.len = sizeof(ws),
@@ -105,13 +110,18 @@ static int client_mainloop() {
 		}
 
 		if (FD_ISSET(server.socket, &fds)) {
-			ServerPacket pkt;
-			if (client_recv_packet(&pkt))
-				write_all(STDOUT_FILENO, pkt.buf, pkt.len);
+			Packet pkt;
+			if (client_recv_packet(&pkt)) {
+				switch (pkt.type) {
+				case MSG_CONTENT:
+					write_all(STDOUT_FILENO, pkt.u.msg, pkt.len);
+					break;
+				}
+			}
 		}
 
 		if (FD_ISSET(STDIN_FILENO, &fds)) {
-			ClientPacket pkt = { .type = MSG_CONTENT };
+			Packet pkt = { .type = MSG_CONTENT };
 			ssize_t len = read(STDIN_FILENO, pkt.u.msg, sizeof(pkt.u.msg));
 			if (len == -1 && errno != EAGAIN && errno != EINTR)
 				die("client-stdin");
@@ -121,6 +131,7 @@ static int client_mainloop() {
 					client.need_resize = true;
 				} else if (pkt.u.msg[0] == KEY_DETACH) {
 					pkt.type = MSG_DETACH;
+					pkt.len = 0;
 					client_send_packet(&pkt);
 					return -1;
 				} else {
diff --git a/debug.c b/debug.c
index 0157d71..94be37e 100644
--- a/debug.c
+++ b/debug.c
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 #ifdef NDEBUG
 static void debug(const char *errstr, ...) { }
-static void print_client_packet(const char *prefix, ClientPacket *pkt) { }
+static void print_packet(const char *prefix, Packet *pkt) { }
 static void print_client_packet_state(const char *prefix, ClientPacketState *pkt) { }
-static void print_server_packet(const char *prefix, ServerPacket *pkt) { }
 static void print_server_packet_state(const char *prefix, ServerPacketState *pkt) { }
 #else
 
@@ -13,7 +12,7 @@ static void debug(const char *errstr, ...) {
 	va_end(ap);
 }
 
-static void print_client_packet(const char *prefix, ClientPacket *pkt) {
+static void print_packet(const char *prefix, Packet *pkt) {
 	char *s = "UNKNOWN";
 	switch (pkt->type) {
 	case MSG_CONTENT:
@@ -39,24 +38,20 @@ static void print_client_packet(const char *prefix, ClientPacket *pkt) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "%c", pkt->u.msg[i]);
 		fprintf(stderr, "\n");
 	} else {
-		fprintf(stderr, "%s %s\n", prefix, s);
+		fprintf(stderr, "%s %s len: %d\n", prefix, s, pkt->len);
 	}
 }
 
 static void print_client_packet_state(const char *prefix, ClientPacketState *pkt) {
-	fprintf(stderr, "%s %d/%d\n", prefix, pkt->off, sizeof(ClientPacket));
+	fprintf(stderr, "%s %d/%d\n", prefix, pkt->off, packet_size(&pkt->pkt));
 	if (is_client_packet_complete(pkt))
-		print_client_packet(prefix, &pkt->pkt);
-}
-
-static void print_server_packet(const char *prefix, ServerPacket *pkt) {
-	fprintf(stderr, "%s len: %d buf: \n\t%s\n", prefix, pkt->len, pkt->buf);
+		print_packet(prefix, &pkt->pkt);
 }
 
 static void print_server_packet_state(const char *prefix, ServerPacketState *pkt) {
-	fprintf(stderr, "%s %d/%d\n", prefix, pkt->off, pkt->pkt->len);
+	fprintf(stderr, "%s %d/%d\n", prefix, pkt->off, packet_size(pkt->pkt));
 	if (is_server_packet_complete(pkt))
-		print_server_packet(prefix, pkt->pkt);
+		print_packet(prefix, pkt->pkt);
 }
 
 #endif /* NDEBUG */
diff --git a/server.c b/server.c
index d0b30d7..895d666 100644
--- a/server.c
+++ b/server.c
@@ -42,18 +42,19 @@ static Client *server_accept_client(time_t now) {
 	return c;
 }
 
-static bool server_read_pty(ServerPacket *pkt) {
-	ssize_t len = read(server.pty, pkt->buf, sizeof(pkt->buf));
+static bool server_read_pty(Packet *pkt) {
+	pkt->type = MSG_CONTENT;
+	ssize_t len = read(server.pty, pkt->u.msg, sizeof(pkt->u.msg));
 	if (len != -1)
 		pkt->len = len;
 	else if (errno != EAGAIN && errno != EINTR)
 		server.running = false;
-	print_server_packet("server-read-pty:", pkt);
+	print_packet("server-read-pty:", pkt);
 	return len > 0;
 }
 
 static bool server_write_pty(ClientPacketState *pkt) {
-	int count = pkt->pkt.len - pkt->off; 
+	size_t count = pkt->pkt.len - pkt->off;
 	ssize_t len = write(server.pty, pkt->pkt.u.msg + pkt->off, count);
 	if (len == -1) {
 		if (errno != EAGAIN && errno != EINTR)
@@ -65,16 +66,39 @@ static bool server_write_pty(ClientPacketState *pkt) {
 	return len == count;
 }
 
-static void server_place_packet(Client *c, ServerPacket *pkt) {
+static void server_place_packet(Client *c, Packet *pkt) {
 	c->output.pkt = pkt;
 	c->output.off = 0;
 }
 
+static bool server_recv_packet_header(Client *c) {
+	ClientPacketState *pkt = &c->input;
+	if (pkt->off >= packet_header_size())
+		return true;
+	size_t count = packet_header_size() - pkt->off;
+	ssize_t len = recv(c->socket, ((char *)&pkt->pkt) + pkt->off, count, 0);
+	switch (len) {
+	case -1:
+		if (errno != EAGAIN && errno != EWOULDBLOCK && errno != EINTR) {
+	case 0:
+			c->state = STATE_DISCONNECTED;
+		}
+		break;
+	default:
+		pkt->off += len;
+		break;
+	}
+	print_client_packet_state("server-recv:", pkt);
+	return len == count;
+}
+
 static bool server_recv_packet(Client *c) {
 	ClientPacketState *pkt = &c->input;
 	if (is_client_packet_complete(pkt))
 		return true;
-	size_t count = sizeof(ClientPacket) - pkt->off;
+	if (!server_recv_packet_header(c))
+		return false;
+	size_t count = packet_size(&pkt->pkt) - pkt->off;
 	ssize_t len = recv(c->socket, ((char *)&pkt->pkt) + pkt->off, count, 0);
 	switch (len) {
 	case -1:
@@ -95,8 +119,8 @@ static bool server_send_packet(Client *c) {
 	ServerPacketState *pkt = &c->output;
 	if (is_server_packet_complete(pkt))
 		return true;
-	size_t count = pkt->pkt->len - pkt->off;
-	ssize_t len = send(c->socket, pkt->pkt->buf + pkt->off, count, 0);
+	size_t count = packet_size(pkt->pkt) - pkt->off;
+	ssize_t len = send(c->socket, (char*)pkt->pkt + pkt->off, count, 0);
 	switch (len) {
 	case -1:
 		if (errno != EAGAIN && errno != EWOULDBLOCK && errno != EINTR) {
@@ -138,7 +162,7 @@ static bool server_queue_empty() {
 	return server.queue_count == 0;
 }
 
-static bool server_queue_packet(ClientPacket *pkt) {
+static bool server_queue_packet(Packet *pkt) {
 	if (server.queue_count >= countof(server.queue))
 		return false;
 	server.queue[server.queue_insert] = *pkt;
@@ -148,7 +172,7 @@ static bool server_queue_packet(ClientPacket *pkt) {
 	return true;
 }
 
-static ClientPacket *server_peek_packet() {
+static Packet *server_peek_packet() {
 	return &server.queue[server.queue_remove];
 }