diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/awdl.go b/src/yggdrasil/awdl.go
index 573b6e7..7207b22 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/awdl.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/awdl.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ func (l *awdl) create(fromAWDL chan []byte, toAWDL chan []byte, name string) (*a
 	inPacket := func(packet []byte) {
 		intf.link.fromlink <- packet
 	}
-	intf.stream.init(inPacket)
+	intf.stream.init(nil, inPacket) // FIXME nil = ReadWriteCloser
 	go intf.handler()
 	l.mutex.Lock()
 	l.interfaces[name] = &intf
diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/link.go b/src/yggdrasil/link.go
index 32b5ea7..423a968 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/link.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/link.go
@@ -17,6 +17,15 @@ type link struct {
 	interfaces map[string]*linkInterface
 }
 
+type linkInterfaceMsgIO interface {
+	readMsg() ([]byte, error)
+	writeMsg([]byte) (int, error)
+	close() error
+	// These are temporary workarounds to stream semantics
+	_sendMetaBytes([]byte) error
+	_recvMetaBytes() ([]byte, error)
+}
+
 type linkInterface struct {
 	name     string
 	link     *link
diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/stream.go b/src/yggdrasil/stream.go
index 43eff3f..ecfa245 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/stream.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/stream.go
@@ -3,21 +3,115 @@ package yggdrasil
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 
 	"github.com/yggdrasil-network/yggdrasil-go/src/util"
 )
 
+// Test that this matches the interface we expect
+var _ = linkInterfaceMsgIO(&stream{})
+
 type stream struct {
-	inputBuffer  []byte
+	rwc          io.ReadWriteCloser
+	inputBuffer  []byte // Incoming packet stream
+	didFirstSend bool   // Used for metadata exchange
+	didFirstRecv bool   // Used for metadata exchange
+	// TODO remove the rest, it shouldn't matter in the long run
 	handlePacket func([]byte)
 }
 
+func (s *stream) close() error {
+	return s.rwc.Close()
+}
+
 const streamMsgSize = 2048 + 65535
 
 var streamMsg = [...]byte{0xde, 0xad, 0xb1, 0x75} // "dead bits"
 
-func (s *stream) init(in func([]byte)) {
+func (s *stream) init(rwc io.ReadWriteCloser, in func([]byte)) {
+	// TODO have this also do the metadata handshake and create the peer struct
+	s.rwc = rwc
 	s.handlePacket = in
+
+	// TODO call something to do the metadata exchange
+}
+
+// writeMsg writes a message with stream padding, and is *not* thread safe.
+func (s *stream) writeMsg(bs []byte) (int, error) {
+	buf := util.GetBytes()
+	defer util.PutBytes(buf)
+	buf = append(buf, streamMsg[:]...)
+	buf = append(buf, wire_encode_uint64(uint64(len(bs)))...)
+	padLen := len(buf)
+	buf = append(buf, bs...)
+	var bn int
+	for bn < len(buf) {
+		n, err := s.rwc.Write(buf[bn:])
+		bn += n
+		if err != nil {
+			l := bn - padLen
+			if l < 0 {
+				l = 0
+			}
+			return l, err
+		}
+	}
+	return len(bs), nil
+}
+
+// readMsg reads a message from the stream, accounting for stream padding, and is *not* thread safe.
+func (s *stream) readMsg() ([]byte, error) {
+	for {
+		buf := s.inputBuffer
+		msg, ok, err := stream_chopMsg(&buf)
+		switch {
+		case err != nil:
+			// Something in the stream format is corrupt
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("message error: %v", err)
+		case ok:
+			// Copy the packet into bs, shift the buffer, and return
+			msg = append(util.GetBytes(), msg...)
+			s.inputBuffer = append(s.inputBuffer[:0], buf...)
+			return msg, nil
+		default:
+			// Wait for the underlying reader to return enough info for us to proceed
+			frag := make([]byte, 2*streamMsgSize)
+			n, err := s.rwc.Read(frag)
+			if n > 0 {
+				s.inputBuffer = append(s.inputBuffer, frag[:n]...)
+			} else if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// Writes metadata bytes without stream padding, meant to be temporary
+func (s *stream) _sendMetaBytes(metaBytes []byte) error {
+	var written int
+	for written < len(metaBytes) {
+		n, err := s.rwc.Write(metaBytes)
+		written += n
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Reads metadata bytes without stream padding, meant to be temporary
+func (s *stream) _recvMetaBytes() ([]byte, error) {
+	var meta version_metadata
+	frag := meta.encode()
+	metaBytes := make([]byte, 0, len(frag))
+	for len(metaBytes) < len(frag) {
+		n, err := s.rwc.Read(frag)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		metaBytes = append(metaBytes, frag[:n]...)
+	}
+	return metaBytes, nil
 }
 
 // This reads from the channel into a []byte buffer for incoming messages. It
@@ -28,7 +122,8 @@ func (s *stream) init(in func([]byte)) {
 func (s *stream) handleInput(bs []byte) error {
 	if len(bs) > 0 {
 		s.inputBuffer = append(s.inputBuffer, bs...)
-		msg, ok, err2 := stream_chopMsg(&s.inputBuffer)
+		buf := s.inputBuffer
+		msg, ok, err2 := stream_chopMsg(&buf)
 		if err2 != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("message error: %v", err2)
 		}
@@ -37,7 +132,7 @@ func (s *stream) handleInput(bs []byte) error {
 			return nil
 		}
 		newMsg := append(util.GetBytes(), msg...)
-		s.inputBuffer = append(s.inputBuffer[:0], s.inputBuffer...)
+		s.inputBuffer = append(s.inputBuffer[:0], buf...)
 		s.handlePacket(newMsg)
 		util.Yield() // Make sure we give up control to the scheduler
 	}
diff --git a/src/yggdrasil/tcp.go b/src/yggdrasil/tcp.go
index 1d4ec99..975da46 100644
--- a/src/yggdrasil/tcp.go
+++ b/src/yggdrasil/tcp.go
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ func (iface *tcpInterface) handler(sock net.Conn, incoming bool) {
 	themAddrString := net.IP(themAddr[:]).String()
 	themString := fmt.Sprintf("%s@%s", themAddrString, them)
 	iface.core.log.Printf("Connected: %s, source: %s", themString, us)
-	iface.stream.init(p.handlePacket)
+	iface.stream.init(sock, p.handlePacket)
 	bs := make([]byte, 2*streamMsgSize)
 	var n int
 	for {