diff --git a/source/src/client.cpp b/source/src/client.cpp
index 754f54ba..eedf5cab 100644
--- a/source/src/client.cpp
+++ b/source/src/client.cpp
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ void connects(char *servername, char *password)
 
     if(clienthost)
     {
-        enet_host_connect(clienthost, &address, 4); 
+        enet_host_connect(clienthost, &address, 3); 
         enet_host_flush(clienthost);
         connecting = lastmillis;
         connattempts = 0;
@@ -290,6 +290,16 @@ void c2sinfo(dynent *d)                     // send update to the server
             sendstring(clientpassword, p);
             clientpassword[0] = 0;
         };
+        if(!c2sinit)    // tell other clients who I am
+        {
+            packet->flags = ENET_PACKET_FLAG_RELIABLE;
+            c2sinit = true;
+            putint(p, SV_INITC2S);
+            sendstring(player1->name, p);
+            sendstring(player1->team, p);
+            putint(p, player1->skin);
+            putint(p, player1->lifesequence);
+        };
         if(gun_changed)
         {
             packet->flags = ENET_PACKET_FLAG_RELIABLE;
@@ -306,16 +316,6 @@ void c2sinfo(dynent *d)                     // send update to the server
             senditemstoserver = false;
             serveriteminitdone = true;
         };
-        if(!c2sinit)    // tell other clients who I am
-        {
-            packet->flags = ENET_PACKET_FLAG_RELIABLE;
-            c2sinit = true;
-            putint(p, SV_INITC2S);
-            sendstring(player1->name, p);
-            sendstring(player1->team, p);
-            putint(p, player1->skin);
-            putint(p, player1->lifesequence);
-        };
         int i = 0;
         while(i < messages.length()) // send messages collected during the previous frames
         {
diff --git a/source/src/clients2c.cpp b/source/src/clients2c.cpp
index 4c092c7c..7dc5107b 100644
--- a/source/src/clients2c.cpp
+++ b/source/src/clients2c.cpp
@@ -123,6 +123,14 @@ void parsemessages(int cn, playerent *d, ucharbuf &p)
             break;
         };
 
+        case SV_CLIENT:
+        {
+            int cn = getint(p), len = getuint(p);
+            ucharbuf q = p.subbuf(len);
+            parsemessages(cn, getclient(cn), q);
+            break;
+        };
+
         case SV_SOUND:
             if(!d) return;
             playsound(getint(p), &d->o);
@@ -476,20 +484,8 @@ void localservertoclient(int chan, uchar *buf, int len)   // processes any updat
     switch(chan)
     {
         case 0: parsepositions(p); break;
-        case 1: parsemessages(-1, NULL, p); break;
-        case 2:
-            while(p.remaining())
-            {
-                int cn = p.get();
-                playerent *d = getclient(cn);
-                int len = p.get();
-                len += p.get()<<8;
-                ucharbuf q(&p.buf[p.len], min(len, p.maxlen-p.len));
-                parsemessages(cn, d, q);
-                p.len += min(len, p.maxlen-p.len);
-            };
-            break;
-        case 3: parsemessages(-1, NULL, p); break;
+        case 1: 
+        case 2: parsemessages(-1, NULL, p); break;
         case 42: // player1 demo data only
             extern int democlientnum;
             parsemessages(democlientnum, getclient(democlientnum), p);
diff --git a/source/src/protocol.h b/source/src/protocol.h
index 1ec4c8d0..b1688d87 100644
--- a/source/src/protocol.h
+++ b/source/src/protocol.h
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 #define MAXTRANS 5000                   // max amount of data to swallow in 1 go
 #define CUBE_SERVER_PORT 28763
 #define CUBE_SERVINFO_PORT 28764
-#define PROTOCOL_VERSION 1123            // bump when protocol changes
-#define SAVEGAMEVERSION 1006               // bump if dynent/netprotocol changes or any other savegame/demo data bumped from 5
+#define PROTOCOL_VERSION 1124            // bump when protocol changes
+#define SAVEGAMEVERSION 1007               // bump if dynent/netprotocol changes or any other savegame/demo data bumped from 5
 
 // network messages codes, c2s, c2c, s2c
 enum
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ enum
     SV_FLAGPICKUP, SV_FLAGDROP, SV_FLAGRETURN, SV_FLAGSCORE, SV_FLAGINFO, SV_FLAGS, //EDIT: AH
     SV_GETMASTER, SV_MASTERCMD,
     SV_PWD,
-    SV_EXT,
+    SV_CLIENT,
 };
 
 enum { MCMD_KICK = 0, MCMD_BAN, MCMD_REMBANS };
diff --git a/source/src/savegamedemo.cpp b/source/src/savegamedemo.cpp
index 306b596d..9e1d3f64 100644
--- a/source/src/savegamedemo.cpp
+++ b/source/src/savegamedemo.cpp
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ void startdemo()
     demoplayback = true;
     starttime = lastmillis;
     conoutf("now playing demo");
-    dynent *d = getclient(democlientnum);
+    dynent *d = newclient(democlientnum);
     ASSERT(d);
     *d = *player1;
     readdemotime();
diff --git a/source/src/server.cpp b/source/src/server.cpp
index b83818ce..5204cecc 100644
--- a/source/src/server.cpp
+++ b/source/src/server.cpp
@@ -120,9 +120,11 @@ bool buildworldstate()
         else
         {
             c.messageoffset = ws.messages.length();
-            ws.messages.add(c.clientnum);
-            ws.messages.add(c.messages.length()&0xFF);
-            ws.messages.add(c.messages.length()>>8);
+            ucharbuf p = ws.messages.reserve(16);
+            putint(p, SV_CLIENT);
+            putint(p, c.clientnum);
+            putuint(p, c.messages.length());
+            ws.messages.addbuf(p);
             loopvj(c.messages) ws.messages.add(c.messages[j]);
         };
     };
@@ -151,7 +153,7 @@ bool buildworldstate()
             packet = enet_packet_create(&ws.messages[c.messageoffset<0 ? 0 : c.messageoffset+3+c.messages.length()],
                                         c.messageoffset<0 ? msize : msize-3-c.messages.length(),
                                         (reliablemessages ? ENET_PACKET_FLAG_RELIABLE : 0) | ENET_PACKET_FLAG_NO_ALLOCATE);
-            sendpacket(c.clientnum, 2, packet);
+            sendpacket(c.clientnum, 1, packet);
             if(!packet->referenceCount) enet_packet_destroy(packet);
             else { ++ws.uses; packet->freeCallback = cleanworldstate; };
         };
@@ -666,7 +668,7 @@ void process(ENetPacket *packet, int sender, int chan)   // sender may be -1
         case SV_RECVMAP:
         {
             ENetPacket *mappacket = recvmap(sender);
-            if(mappacket) sendpacket(sender, 3, mappacket);
+            if(mappacket) sendpacket(sender, 2, mappacket);
             else sendservmsg("no map to get", sender);
             break;
         };
diff --git a/source/src/serverutil.cpp b/source/src/serverutil.cpp
index 20bcdc81..e500e0c9 100644
--- a/source/src/serverutil.cpp
+++ b/source/src/serverutil.cpp
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ char msgsizesl[] =               // size inclusive message token, 0 for variable
     SV_FLAGPICKUP, 2, SV_FLAGDROP, 2, SV_FLAGRETURN, 2, SV_FLAGSCORE, 2, SV_FLAGINFO, 0, SV_FLAGS, 2, // EDIT: AH
 	SV_GETMASTER, 0, SV_MASTERCMD, 3,
 	SV_PWD, 0,
-    SV_EXT, 0,
+    SV_CLIENT, 0,
     -1
 };
 
diff --git a/source/src/tools.h b/source/src/tools.h
index ffac7b13..2e99e61e 100644
--- a/source/src/tools.h
+++ b/source/src/tools.h
@@ -114,6 +114,65 @@ extern uint randomMT(void);
 #define loopvk(v)   if(false) {} else for(int k = 0; k<(v).length(); k++)
 #define loopvrev(v) if(false) {} else for(int i = (v).length()-1; i>=0; i--)
 
+template <class T>
+struct databuf
+{
+    enum
+    {
+        OVERREAD  = 1<<0,
+        OVERWROTE = 1<<1
+    };
+
+    T *buf;
+    int len, maxlen;
+    uchar flags;
+
+    template <class U>
+    databuf(T *buf, U maxlen) : buf(buf), len(0), maxlen((int)maxlen), flags(0) {};
+
+    const T &get()
+    {
+        static T overreadval;
+        if(len<maxlen) return buf[len++];
+        flags |= OVERREAD;
+        return overreadval;
+    };
+
+    databuf subbuf(int sz)
+    {
+        sz = min(sz, maxlen-len);
+        len += sz;
+        return databuf(&buf[len-sz], sz);
+    };
+
+    void put(const T &val)
+    {
+        if(len<maxlen) buf[len++] = val;
+        else flags |= OVERWROTE;
+    };
+
+    void put(const T *vals, int numvals)
+    {
+        if(maxlen-len<numvals) flags |= OVERWROTE;
+        memcpy(&buf[len], vals, min(maxlen-len, numvals)*sizeof(T));
+        len += min(maxlen-len, numvals);
+    };
+
+    int length() const { return len; };
+    int remaining() const { return maxlen-len; };
+    bool overread() const { return flags&OVERREAD; };
+    bool overwrote() const { return flags&OVERWROTE; };
+
+    void forceoverread()
+    {
+        len = maxlen;
+        flags |= OVERREAD;
+    };
+};
+
+typedef databuf<char> charbuf;
+typedef databuf<uchar> ucharbuf;
+
 template <class T> struct vector
 {
     T *buf;
@@ -202,6 +261,17 @@ template <class T> struct vector
         buf = (T *)_realloc(buf, olen*sizeof(T), (alen *= 2)*sizeof(T));
     };
 
+    ucharbuf reserve(int sz)
+    {
+        while(alen-ulen<sz) vrealloc();
+        return databuf<T>(&buf[ulen], sz);
+    };
+
+    void addbuf(const databuf<T> &p)
+    {
+        ulen += p.length();
+    };
+
     void remove(int i, int n)
     {
         for(int p = i+n; p<ulen; p++) buf[p-n] = buf[p];
@@ -388,57 +458,5 @@ inline char *newstring(const char *s, size_t l) { return s_strncpy(newstring(l),
 inline char *newstring(const char *s)           { return newstring(s, strlen(s));          };
 inline char *newstringbuf(const char *s)        { return newstring(s, _MAXDEFSTR-1);       };
 
-template <class T>
-struct databuf
-{
-    enum
-    {
-        OVERREAD  = 1<<0,
-        OVERWROTE = 1<<1
-    };
-
-    T *buf;
-    int len, maxlen;
-    uchar flags;
-	
-	template <class U>
-    databuf(T *buf, U maxlen) : buf(buf), len(0), maxlen((int)maxlen), flags(0) {};
-
-    const T &get()
-    {
-        static T overreadval;
-        if(len<maxlen) return buf[len++];
-        flags |= OVERREAD;
-        return overreadval;
-    };
-
-    void put(const T &val)
-    {
-        if(len<maxlen) buf[len++] = val;
-        else flags |= OVERWROTE;
-    };
-
-    void put(const T *vals, int numvals)
-    {
-        if(maxlen-len<numvals) flags |= OVERWROTE;
-        memcpy(&buf[len], vals, min(maxlen-len, numvals)*sizeof(T));
-        len += min(maxlen-len, numvals);
-    };
-
-    int length() const { return len; };
-    int remaining() const { return maxlen-len; };
-    bool overread() const { return flags&OVERREAD; };
-    bool overwrote() const { return flags&OVERWROTE; };
-
-    void forceoverread()
-    {
-        len = maxlen;
-        flags |= OVERREAD;
-    };
-};
-
-typedef databuf<char> charbuf;
-typedef databuf<uchar> ucharbuf;
-
 #endif