diff --git a/src/channel.js b/src/channel.js
index bd9c078..8945c7d 100644
--- a/src/channel.js
+++ b/src/channel.js
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class Channel extends EE {
         endedLocal: this._endedLocal,
         endedRemote: this._endedRemote,
         initiator: this._initiator,
-        data: data || ''
+        data: (data && data.toString()) || ''
       })
     }
 
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ class Channel extends EE {
   push (data) {
     this._log('push', data)
     this._msgs.push(data)
+    log('buffer', this._msgs.buffer)
   }
 
   // close for reading
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 5d750d8..61efc51 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -20,21 +20,23 @@ class Plex extends EE {
     this._initiator = !!initiator
     this._chanId = this._initiator ? 1 : 0
     this._channels = {}
+    this._destroyed = false
 
     this._log = (name, data) => {
       log({
-        src: 'channel.js',
+        src: 'index.js',
         op: name,
         channel: this._name,
         id: this._id,
         localEnded: this._endedLocal,
         remoteEnded: this._endedRemote,
         initiator: this._initiator,
-        data: data || ''
+        data: (data && data.toString()) || ''
       })
     }
 
     this._chandata = pushable((err) => {
+      if (this._destroyed) { return }
       this.destroy(err || new Error('Underlying stream has been closed'))
     })
 
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ class Plex extends EE {
       utils.decode(),
       (read) => {
         const next = (end, data) => {
-          if (end === true) { return }
+          if (end === true || this._destroyed) { return }
           if (end) { return this.destroy(end) }
           this._handle(data)
           return read(null, next)
@@ -75,19 +77,28 @@ class Plex extends EE {
       .keys(this._channels)
       .forEach((id) => {
         const chan = this._channels[id]
-        chan.reset(err)
+        if (err) {
+          chan.reset(err)
+        } else {
+          chan.close()
+        }
         delete this._channels[id]
       })
 
+    this._destroyed = true
+    this._chandata.end(err) // close source
+
     if (err) {
       return setImmediate(() => this.emit('error', err))
     }
 
-    this.emit('close')
+    this.emit('close', err)
   }
 
   push (data) {
+    log('push', data)
     this._chandata.push(data)
+    log('buffer', this._chandata.buffer)
   }
 
   _nextChanId () {
diff --git a/src/utils.js b/src/utils.js
index 368e421..537bb0a 100644
--- a/src/utils.js
+++ b/src/utils.js
@@ -7,29 +7,40 @@ const cat = require('pull-cat')
 const through = require('pull-through')
 
 exports.encode = () => {
-  return through(function (msg) {
-    const data = Buffer.concat([
-      Buffer.from(varint.encode(msg[0] << 3 | msg[1])),
-      Buffer.from(varint.encode(Buffer.byteLength(msg[2]))),
-      Buffer.from(msg[2])
-    ])
-    this.queue(data)
-  })
+  return pull(
+    through(function (msg) {
+      const data = Buffer.concat([
+        Buffer.from(varint.encode(msg[0] << 3 | msg[1])),
+        Buffer.from(varint.encode(Buffer.byteLength(msg[2]))),
+        Buffer.from(msg[2])
+      ])
+      this.queue(data)
+    })
+  )
 }
 
 exports.decode = () => {
-  return through(function (msg) {
+  const decode = (msg) => {
     let offset = 0
     const h = varint.decode(msg)
     offset += varint.decode.bytes
-    const length = varint.decode(msg.slice(offset))
+    const length = varint.decode(msg, offset)
     offset += varint.decode.bytes
     const decoded = {
       id: h >> 3,
       type: h & 7,
-      data: msg.slice(offset /*, length*/) // somehow length gets offset and truncates the buffer
+      data: msg.slice(offset, offset + length)
     }
 
-    this.queue(decoded)
+    return [msg.slice(offset + length), decoded]
+  }
+
+  return through(function (msg) {
+    let offset = 0
+    let decoded
+    while (msg.length) {
+      [msg, decoded] = decode(msg)
+      this.queue(decoded)
+    }
   })
 }
diff --git a/test/utils.spec.js b/test/utils.spec.js
index fc873f8..7acbb65 100644
--- a/test/utils.spec.js
+++ b/test/utils.spec.js
@@ -34,4 +34,35 @@ describe('utils', () => {
       })
     )
   })
+
+  it('encodes several msgs into buffer', () => {
+    pull(
+      pull.values([
+        [17, 0, Buffer.from('17')],
+        [19, 0, Buffer.from('19')],
+        [21, 0, Buffer.from('21')]
+      ]),
+      utils.encode(),
+      pull.collect((err, data) => {
+        expect(err).to.not.exist()
+        expect(Buffer.concat(data)).to.be.eql(Buffer.from('88010231379801023139a801023231', 'hex'))
+      })
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('decodes msgs from buffer', () => {
+    pull(
+      pull.values([Buffer.from('88010231379801023139a801023231', 'hex')]),
+      utils.decode(),
+      pull.collect((err, data) => {
+        expect(err).to.not.exist()
+        expect(data).to.be.deep.eql([
+          { id: 17, type: 0, data: Buffer.from('17') },
+          { id: 19, type: 0, data: Buffer.from('19') },
+          { id: 21, type: 0, data: Buffer.from('21') }
+        ])
+      })
+    )
+  })
+
 })
\ No newline at end of file