diff --git a/include/villas/msg.h b/include/villas/msg.h
index 27c8e8bb6..133a457d9 100644
--- a/include/villas/msg.h
+++ b/include/villas/msg.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 /* Forward declarations. */
 struct msg;
+struct sample;
 
 /** Swaps the byte-order of the message.
  *
@@ -48,4 +49,17 @@ void msg_hton(struct msg *m);
  * @retval 0 The message header is valid.
  * @retval <0 The message header is invalid.
  */
-int msg_verify(struct msg *m);
\ No newline at end of file
+int msg_verify(struct msg *m);
+
+/** Copy fields from \p msg into \p smp. */
+int msg_to_sample(struct msg *msg, struct sample *smp);
+
+/** Copy fields form \p smp into \p msg. */
+int msg_from_sample(struct msg *msg, struct sample *smp);
+
+
+/** Copy / read struct msg's from buffer \p buf to / fram samples \p smps. */
+ssize_t msg_buffer_from_samples(struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt, char *buf, size_t len);
+
+/** Read struct sample's from buffer \p buf into samples \p smps. */
+int msg_buffer_to_samples(struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt, char *buf, size_t len);
diff --git a/lib/msg.c b/lib/msg.c
index b857515b2..183b42669 100644
--- a/lib/msg.c
+++ b/lib/msg.c
@@ -21,9 +21,12 @@
  *********************************************************************************/
 
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
+#include <string.h>
 
 #include "msg.h"
 #include "msg_format.h"
+#include "sample.h"
+#include "utils.h"
 
 void msg_ntoh(struct msg *m)
 {
@@ -67,4 +70,83 @@ int msg_verify(struct msg *m)
 		return -3;
 	else
 		return 0;
+}
+
+int msg_to_sample(struct msg *msg, struct sample *smp)
+{
+	int ret;
+
+	msg_ntoh(msg);
+
+	ret = msg_verify(msg);
+	if (ret)
+		return -1;
+
+	smp->length = MIN(msg->length, smp->capacity);
+	smp->sequence = msg->sequence;
+	smp->ts.origin = MSG_TS(msg);
+	smp->ts.received.tv_sec  = -1;
+	smp->ts.received.tv_nsec = -1;
+
+	memcpy(smp->data, msg->data, SAMPLE_DATA_LEN(smp->length));
+	
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int msg_from_sample(struct msg *msg, struct sample *smp)
+{
+	*msg = MSG_INIT(smp->length, smp->sequence);
+
+	msg->ts.sec  = smp->ts.origin.tv_sec;
+	msg->ts.nsec = smp->ts.origin.tv_nsec;
+
+	memcpy(msg->data, smp->data, MSG_DATA_LEN(smp->length));
+
+	msg_hton(msg);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+ssize_t msg_buffer_from_samples(struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt, char *buf, size_t len)
+{
+	int ret, i = 0;
+	char *ptr = buf;
+
+	struct msg *msg = (struct msg *) ptr;
+	struct sample *smp = smps[i];
+
+	while (ptr < buf + len && i < cnt) {
+		ret = msg_from_sample(msg, smp);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
+
+		ptr += MSG_LEN(smp->length);
+
+		msg = (struct msg *) ptr;
+		smp = smps[++i];
+	}
+	
+	return ptr - buf;
+}
+
+int msg_buffer_to_samples(struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt, char *buf, size_t len)
+{
+	int ret, i = 0;
+	char *ptr = buf;
+
+	struct msg *msg = (struct msg *) ptr;
+	struct sample *smp = smps[i];
+
+	while (ptr < buf + len && i < cnt) {
+		ret = msg_to_sample(msg, smp);
+		if (ret)
+			return ret;
+
+		ptr += MSG_LEN(smp->length);
+
+		msg = (struct msg *) ptr;
+		smp = smps[++i];
+	}
+	
+	return i;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/nodes/socket.c b/lib/nodes/socket.c
index 7b630218e..9eb8fcf9d 100644
--- a/lib/nodes/socket.c
+++ b/lib/nodes/socket.c
@@ -348,37 +348,16 @@ static int socket_read_villas(struct node *n, struct sample *smps[], unsigned cn
 		error("Remote node %s closed the connection", node_name(n));
 	else if (bytes < 0)
 		serror("Failed receive packet from node %s", node_name(n));
-
-	int received = 0;
-	char *ptr = data;
-
-	struct msg *msg = (struct msg *) ptr;
-	struct sample *smp = smps[received];
-
-	while (ptr < data + bytes - sizeof(struct msg) && received < cnt) {
-		msg_ntoh(msg);
-
-		ret = msg_verify(msg);
-		if (ret) {
-			warn("Received invalid packet for node %s", node_name(n));
-			return -1;
-		}
-
-		smp->length   = msg->length;
-		smp->sequence = msg->sequence;
-		smp->ts.origin = MSG_TS(msg);
-		smp->ts.received.tv_sec  = -1;
-		smp->ts.received.tv_nsec = -1;
-
-		memcpy(smp->data, msg->data, SAMPLE_DATA_LEN(msg->length));
-
-		ptr += MSG_LEN(msg->length);
-
-		msg = (struct msg *) ptr;
-		smp = smps[++received];
+	else if (bytes < MSG_LEN(1) || bytes % 4 != 0) {
+		warn("Received invalid packet for node %s", node_name(n));
+		return 0;
 	}
-
-	return received;
+	
+	ret = msg_buffer_to_samples(smps, cnt, data, bytes);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		warn("Received invalid packet from node: %s", node_name(n));
+	
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static int socket_write_none(struct node *n, struct sample *smps[], unsigned cnt)
@@ -423,32 +402,15 @@ static int socket_write_villas(struct node *n, struct sample *smps[], unsigned c
 {
 	struct socket *s = n->_vd;
 
-	ssize_t bytes = 0;
+	char data[MAX_PACKETLEN];
+	ssize_t bytes = 0, sent;
 
-	for (int i = 0; i < cnt; i++)
-		bytes += MSG_LEN(smps[i]->length);
-
-	char data[bytes], *ptr = data;
-
-	struct msg *msg = (struct msg *) ptr;
-
-	for (int i = 0; i < cnt; i++) {
-		*msg = MSG_INIT(smps[i]->length, smps[i]->sequence);
-
-		msg->ts.sec  = smps[i]->ts.origin.tv_sec;
-		msg->ts.nsec = smps[i]->ts.origin.tv_nsec;
-
-		memcpy(msg->data, smps[i]->data, MSG_DATA_LEN(smps[i]->length));
-
-		msg_hton(msg);
-
-		ptr += MSG_LEN(msg->length);
-
-		msg = (struct msg *) ptr;
-	}
+	sent = msg_buffer_from_samples(smps, cnt, data, sizeof(data));
+	if (sent < 0)
+		return -1;
 
 	/* Send message */
-	bytes = sendto(s->sd, data, bytes, 0, (struct sockaddr *) &s->remote, sizeof(s->remote));
+	bytes = sendto(s->sd, data, sent, 0, (struct sockaddr *) &s->remote, sizeof(s->remote));
 	if (bytes < 0)
 		serror("Failed send to node %s", node_name(n));