diff --git a/include/ipfs/exchange/bitswap/message.h b/include/ipfs/exchange/bitswap/message.h
index c06adbf..616b822 100644
--- a/include/ipfs/exchange/bitswap/message.h
+++ b/include/ipfs/exchange/bitswap/message.h
@@ -40,3 +40,164 @@ struct BitswapMessage {
 	struct Libp2pVector* payload;
 
 };
+
+/***
+ * Allocate memory for a struct BitswapBlock
+ * @returns a new BitswapBlock
+ */
+struct BitswapBlock* ipfs_bitswap_block_new();
+
+/**
+ * Deallocate memory for a struct BitswapBlock
+ * @param block the block to deallocate
+ * @returns true(1)
+ */
+int ipfs_bitswap_block_free(struct BitswapBlock* block);
+
+/**
+ * Retrieve an estimate of the size of a protobuf'd BitswapBlock
+ * @returns the approximate (maximum actually) size of a protobuf'd BitswapBlock
+ */
+size_t ipfs_bitswap_message_block_protobuf_size(struct BitswapBlock* block);
+
+/***
+ * Encode a BitswapBlock
+ * @param incoming the block to encode
+ * @param outgoing where to place the results
+ * @param max_size the maximum allocated space for outgoing
+ * @param bytes_written the number of bytes written to outgoing
+ */
+int ipfs_bitswap_message_block_protobuf_encode(struct BitswapBlock* incoming, uint8_t* outgoing, size_t max_size, size_t* bytes_written);
+
+/***
+ * Decode a protobuf to a BitswapBlock
+ * @param buffer the incoming protobuf
+ * @param buffer_length the length of the incoming protobuf buffer
+ * @param output a pointer to the BitswapBlock that will be allocated
+ * @returns true(1) on success, false(0) if not. If false, any memory was deallocated
+ */
+int ipfs_bitswap_message_block_protobuf_decode(uint8_t* buffer, size_t buffer_length, struct BitswapBlock** output);
+
+/***
+ * Allocate memory for a new WantlistEntry
+ * @returns the newly allocated WantlistEntry
+ */
+struct WantlistEntry* ipfs_bitswap_wantlist_entry_new();
+
+/***
+ * Free allocations of a WantlistEntry
+ * @param entry the WantlistEntry
+ * @returns true(1)
+ */
+int ipfs_bitswap_wantlist_entry_free(struct WantlistEntry* entry);
+
+/**
+ * Retrieve an estimate of the size of a protobuf'd WantlistEntry
+ * @param entry the struct to examine
+ * @returns the approximate (maximum actually) size of a protobuf'd WantlistEntry
+ */
+size_t ipfs_bitswap_wantlist_entry_protobuf_encode_size(struct WantlistEntry* entry);
+
+/***
+ * Encode a WantlistEntry into a Protobuf
+ * @param entry the WantlistEntry to encode
+ * @param buffer where to put the results
+ * @param buffer_length the maximum size of the buffer
+ * @param bytes_written the number of bytes written into the buffer
+ * @returns true(1) on success, false(0) otherwise
+ */
+int ipfs_bitswap_wantlist_entry_protobuf_encode(struct WantlistEntry* entry, unsigned char* buffer, size_t buffer_length, size_t* bytes_written);
+
+/***
+ * Decode a protobuf into a struct WantlistEntry
+ * @param buffer the protobuf buffer
+ * @param buffer_length the length of the data in the protobuf buffer
+ * @param output the resultant WantlistEntry
+ * @returns true(1) on success, otherwise false(0)
+ */
+int ipfs_bitswap_wantlist_entry_protobuf_decode(unsigned char* buffer, size_t buffer_length, struct WantlistEntry** output);
+
+/***
+ * Allocate memory for a new Bitswap Message WantList
+ * @returns the allocated struct BitswapWantlist
+ */
+struct BitswapWantlist* ipfs_bitswap_wantlist_new();
+
+/**
+ * Free the resources used by a Wantlist
+ * @param list the list to free
+ * @returns true(1)
+ */
+int ipfs_bitswap_wantlist_free(struct BitswapWantlist* list);
+
+/***
+ * Calculate the maximum size of a protobuf'd BitswapWantlist
+ * @param list the Wantlist
+ * @returns the maximum size of the protobuf'd list
+ */
+size_t ipfs_bitswap_wantlist_protobuf_encode_size(struct BitswapWantlist* list);
+
+/***
+ * Encode a BitswapWantlist into a protobuf buffer
+ * @param list the list to encode
+ * @param buffer the buffer to fill
+ * @param buffer_length the length of the allocated buffer
+ * @param bytes_written the total number of bytes written to the buffer
+ * @returns true(1) on success, otherwise false(0)
+ */
+int ipfs_bitswap_wantlist_protobuf_encode(struct BitswapWantlist* list, unsigned char* buffer, size_t buffer_length, size_t* bytes_written);
+
+/***
+ * Decode a Wantlist from a protobuf
+ * @param buffer the protobuf
+ * @param buffer_length the length of the protobuf
+ * @param output the newly allocated BitswapWantlist
+ * @returns true(1) on success, otherwise false(0)
+ */
+int ipfs_bitswap_wantlist_protobuf_decode(unsigned char* buffer, size_t buffer_length, struct BitswapWantlist** output);
+
+/***
+ * Bitswap Message
+ *
+ */
+
+/***
+ * Allocate memory for a new Bitswap Message
+ * @returns the allocated struct BitswapMessage
+ */
+struct BitswapMessage* ipfs_bitswap_message_new();
+
+/**
+ * Free the resources used by a BitswapMessage
+ * @param message the BitswapMessage to free
+ * @returns true(1)
+ */
+int ipfs_bitswap_message_free(struct BitswapMessage* message);
+
+/***
+ * Calculate the maximum size of a protobuf'd BitswapMessage
+ * @param message the BitswapMessage
+ * @returns the maximum size of the protobuf'd BitswapMessage
+ */
+size_t ipfs_bitswap_message_protobuf_encode_size(struct BitswapMessage* message);
+
+/***
+ * Encode a BitswapMessage into a protobuf buffer
+ * @param message the message to encode
+ * @param buffer the buffer to fill
+ * @param buffer_length the length of the allocated buffer
+ * @param bytes_written the total number of bytes written to the buffer
+ * @returns true(1) on success, otherwise false(0)
+ */
+int ipfs_bitswap_message_protobuf_encode(struct BitswapMessage* message, unsigned char* buffer, size_t buffer_length, size_t* bytes_written);
+
+/***
+ * Decode a BitswapMessage from a protobuf
+ * @param buffer the protobuf
+ * @param buffer_length the length of the protobuf
+ * @param output the newly allocated BitswapMessage
+ * @returns true(1) on success, otherwise false(0)
+ */
+int ipfs_bitswap_message_protobuf_decode(unsigned char* buffer, size_t buffer_length, struct BitswapMessage** output);
+
+
diff --git a/test/exchange/test_bitswap.h b/test/exchange/test_bitswap.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a97ac74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/exchange/test_bitswap.h
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#include "ipfs/exchange/bitswap/message.h"
+/**
+ * Test the protobufing of a BitswapMessage
+ * this should be run with valgrind
+ */
+int test_bitswap_new_free() {
+	int retVal = 0;
+
+	// create a simple BitswapMessage
+	struct BitswapMessage* message = ipfs_bitswap_message_new();
+	ipfs_bitswap_message_free(message);
+
+
+
+	retVal = 1;
+	exit:
+	return retVal;
+}
diff --git a/test/testit.c b/test/testit.c
index 999f933..1e06ada 100644
--- a/test/testit.c
+++ b/test/testit.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "cid/test_cid.h"
 #include "cmd/ipfs/test_init.h"
+#include "exchange/test_bitswap.h"
 #include "flatfs/test_flatfs.h"
 #include "merkledag/test_merkledag.h"
 #include "node/test_node.h"
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ int testit(const char* name, int (*func)(void)) {
 }
 
 const char* names[] = {
+		"test_bitswap_new_free",
 		"test_cid_new_free",
 		"test_cid_cast_multihash",
 		"test_cid_cast_non_multihash",
@@ -82,6 +84,7 @@ const char* names[] = {
 };
 
 int (*funcs[])(void) = {
+		test_bitswap_new_free,
 		test_cid_new_free,
 		test_cid_cast_multihash,
 		test_cid_cast_non_multihash,