diff --git a/exchange/bitswap/message.c b/exchange/bitswap/message.c
index b4739ec..92d3777 100644
--- a/exchange/bitswap/message.c
+++ b/exchange/bitswap/message.c
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ int ipfs_bitswap_wantlist_protobuf_decode(unsigned char* buffer, size_t buffer_l
 	if (buffer_length == 0)
 		return 1;
 
-	*output = (struct BitswapWantlist*) malloc(sizeof(struct BitswapWantlist));
+	*output = ipfs_bitswap_wantlist_new();
 	if (*output == NULL)
 		return 0;
 
@@ -567,7 +567,7 @@ int ipfs_bitswap_message_protobuf_decode(const uint8_t* buffer, size_t buffer_le
 	if (buffer_length == 0)
 		return 1;
 
-	*output = (struct BitswapMessage*) malloc(sizeof(struct BitswapMessage));
+	*output = (struct BitswapMessage*) ipfs_bitswap_message_new();
 	if (*output == NULL)
 		return 0;
 
diff --git a/exchange/bitswap/network.c b/exchange/bitswap/network.c
index a3ba511..f7e3706 100644
--- a/exchange/bitswap/network.c
+++ b/exchange/bitswap/network.c
@@ -69,9 +69,11 @@ int ipfs_bitswap_network_handle_message(const struct IpfsNode* node, const struc
 		return 0;
 	// process the message
 	// payload - what we want
-	for(int i = 0; i < message->payload->total; i++) {
-		struct Block* blk = (struct Block*)libp2p_utils_vector_get(message->payload, i);
-		node->exchange->HasBlock(node->exchange, blk);
+	if (message->payload != NULL) {
+		for(int i = 0; i < message->payload->total; i++) {
+			struct Block* blk = (struct Block*)libp2p_utils_vector_get(message->payload, i);
+			node->exchange->HasBlock(node->exchange, blk);
+		}
 	}
 	// wantlist - what they want
 	if (message->wantlist != NULL && message->wantlist->entries != NULL && message->wantlist->entries->total > 0) {