diff --git a/src/libei-proto.c b/src/libei-proto.c
index 706d621..84c4ed8 100644
--- a/src/libei-proto.c
+++ b/src/libei-proto.c
@@ -49,14 +49,15 @@ static void servermessage_cleanup(ServerMessage **m) {
 #define _cleanup_servermessage_ _cleanup_(servermessage_cleanup)
 
 struct message *
-ei_proto_parse_message(const char *msgdata, size_t msglen, size_t *consumed)
+ei_proto_parse_message(struct brei_message *bmsg, size_t *consumed)
 {
-	_cleanup_servermessage_ ServerMessage *proto = server_message__unpack(NULL, msglen,
-						      (const unsigned char*)msgdata);
+	_cleanup_servermessage_ ServerMessage *proto = server_message__unpack(NULL,
+									      bmsg->len,
+									      (const unsigned char*)bmsg->data);
 	if (!proto)
 		return NULL;
 
-	*consumed = msglen;
+	*consumed = bmsg->len;
 
 	_cleanup_message_ struct message *msg = xalloc(sizeof(*msg));
 
diff --git a/src/libei-proto.h b/src/libei-proto.h
index 0444450..2c227e0 100644
--- a/src/libei-proto.h
+++ b/src/libei-proto.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "util-macros.h"
 #include "util-mem.h"
 
+#include "brei-shared.h"
 #include "libei-private.h"
 
 /* The message type for the wire format */
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ DEFINE_TRIVIAL_CLEANUP_FUNC(struct message*, message_free);
 #define _cleanup_message_ _cleanup_(message_freep)
 
 struct message *
-ei_proto_parse_message(const char *data, size_t len, size_t *consumed);
+ei_proto_parse_message(struct brei_message *message, size_t *consumed);
 
 int
 ei_proto_send_connect(struct ei *ei);
diff --git a/src/libei.c b/src/libei.c
index c1a80ca..cab7584 100644
--- a/src/libei.c
+++ b/src/libei.c
@@ -544,8 +544,7 @@ connection_message_callback(struct brei_message *bmsg, void *userdata)
 	struct ei *ei = userdata;
 	size_t consumed;
 
-	_cleanup_message_ struct message *msg =
-		ei_proto_parse_message(bmsg->data, bmsg->len, &consumed);
+	_cleanup_message_ struct message *msg = ei_proto_parse_message(bmsg, &consumed);
 	if (!msg)
 		return -EBADMSG;