diff --git a/src/brei-shared.c b/src/brei-shared.c
index 67b8671..027af13 100644
--- a/src/brei-shared.c
+++ b/src/brei-shared.c
@@ -31,6 +31,21 @@
 #include "proto/ei.pb-c.h"
 #include "brei-shared.h"
 
+struct brei_message_private {
+	struct brei_message base;
+	int *fd;
+};
+
+int
+brei_message_take_fd(struct brei_message *m)
+{
+	struct brei_message_private *msg = (struct brei_message_private*)m;
+
+	int fd = *msg->fd;
+	*msg->fd = -1;
+	return fd;
+}
+
 static void frame_cleanup(Frame **f) {
 	if (*f)
 		frame__free_unpacked(*f, NULL);
@@ -80,7 +95,7 @@ brei_dispatch(int fd,
 	      void *user_data)
 {
 	_cleanup_iobuf_ struct iobuf *buf = iobuf_new(64);
-	int rc = iobuf_append_from_fd(buf, fd);
+	int rc = iobuf_recv_from_fd(buf, fd);
 	if (rc == -EAGAIN) {
 		return 0;
 	} else if (rc == 0) {
@@ -90,6 +105,7 @@ brei_dispatch(int fd,
 		goto error;
 	}
 
+	_cleanup_close_ int recvfd = -1;
 	size_t idx = 0;
 	while (true) {
 		const char *data = iobuf_data(buf) + idx;
@@ -105,13 +121,23 @@ brei_dispatch(int fd,
 
 		assert(len >= msglen);
 
-		struct brei_message msg = {
-			.data = msgdata,
-			.len = msglen,
+		/* This is a bit messy because it's just blu tacked on.
+		 * Our protocol passes maximum of one fd per message. We
+		 * take whatever next fd is and pass it along. Where the
+		 * parser takes it (brei_message_take_fd()) it gets set to
+		 * -1 and we take the next fd for the next message.
+		 */
+		if (recvfd == -1)
+			recvfd = iobuf_take_fd(buf);
+
+		struct brei_message_private msg = {
+			.base.data = msgdata,
+			.base.len = msglen,
+			.fd = &recvfd,
 		};
 
 		/* Actual message parsing is done by the caller */
-		consumed = callback(&msg, user_data);
+		consumed = callback(&msg.base, user_data);
 		assert(consumed != 0);
 		if (consumed < 0) {
 			rc = consumed;
diff --git a/src/brei-shared.h b/src/brei-shared.h
index 8f07109..80c3899 100644
--- a/src/brei-shared.h
+++ b/src/brei-shared.h
@@ -30,6 +30,17 @@ struct brei_message {
 	size_t len;
 };
 
+/**
+ * Return the first file descriptor passed along with this message, or -1.
+ * You must only call this when a message is supposed to have an fd.
+ *
+ * Brei can not determine which message an fd belongs to, hence calling this
+ * function for a non-fd-carrying message will take that fd away from the
+ * message that fd actually belongs to.
+ */
+int
+brei_message_take_fd(struct brei_message *b);
+
 /**
  * Dispatch messages for the data on fd.
  * The callback is called for each protocol message, parsing must be done by