diff --git a/src/core/link.go b/src/core/link.go
index c13d6af3..c847e5ac 100644
--- a/src/core/link.go
+++ b/src/core/link.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/hex"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"math"
@@ -485,16 +484,10 @@ func (l *links) handler(linkType linkType, options linkOptions, conn net.Conn) e
 	case err == nil && n != len(metaBytes):
 		return fmt.Errorf("incomplete handshake send")
 	}
-	if _, err = io.ReadFull(conn, metaBytes); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("read handshake: %w", err)
-	}
-	if err = conn.SetDeadline(time.Time{}); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to clear handshake deadline: %w", err)
-	}
 	meta = version_metadata{}
 	base := version_getBaseMetadata()
-	if !meta.decode(metaBytes) {
-		return errors.New("failed to decode metadata")
+	if !meta.decode(conn) {
+		return conn.Close()
 	}
 	if !meta.check() {
 		return fmt.Errorf("remote node incompatible version (local %s, remote %s)",
@@ -502,6 +495,9 @@ func (l *links) handler(linkType linkType, options linkOptions, conn net.Conn) e
 			fmt.Sprintf("%d.%d", meta.majorVer, meta.minorVer),
 		)
 	}
+	if err = conn.SetDeadline(time.Time{}); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to clear handshake deadline: %w", err)
+	}
 	// Check if the remote side matches the keys we expected. This is a bit of a weak
 	// check - in future versions we really should check a signature or something like that.
 	if pinned := options.pinnedEd25519Keys; len(pinned) > 0 {
diff --git a/src/core/version.go b/src/core/version.go
index 3787d1e0..0820fbdd 100644
--- a/src/core/version.go
+++ b/src/core/version.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"crypto/ed25519"
 	"encoding/binary"
+	"io"
 )
 
 // This is the version-specific metadata exchanged at the start of a connection.
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ func version_getBaseMetadata() version_metadata {
 func (m *version_metadata) encode() []byte {
 	bs := make([]byte, 0, 64)
 	bs = append(bs, 'm', 'e', 't', 'a')
+	bs = append(bs, 0, 0) // Remaining message length
 
 	bs = binary.BigEndian.AppendUint16(bs, metaVersionMajor)
 	bs = binary.BigEndian.AppendUint16(bs, 2)
@@ -61,16 +63,25 @@ func (m *version_metadata) encode() []byte {
 	bs = binary.BigEndian.AppendUint16(bs, 1)
 	bs = append(bs, m.priority)
 
+	binary.BigEndian.PutUint16(bs[4:6], uint16(len(bs)-6))
 	return bs
 }
 
 // Decodes version metadata from its wire format into the struct.
-func (m *version_metadata) decode(bs []byte) bool {
-	meta := [4]byte{'m', 'e', 't', 'a'}
-	if !bytes.Equal(bs[:4], meta[:]) {
+func (m *version_metadata) decode(r io.Reader) bool {
+	bh := [6]byte{}
+	if _, err := io.ReadFull(r, bh[:]); err != nil {
 		return false
 	}
-	for bs = bs[4:]; len(bs) >= 4; {
+	meta := [4]byte{'m', 'e', 't', 'a'}
+	if !bytes.Equal(bh[:4], meta[:]) {
+		return false
+	}
+	bs := make([]byte, binary.BigEndian.Uint16(bh[4:6]))
+	if _, err := io.ReadFull(r, bs); err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	for len(bs) >= 4 {
 		op := binary.BigEndian.Uint16(bs[:2])
 		oplen := binary.BigEndian.Uint16(bs[2:4])
 		if bs = bs[4:]; len(bs) < int(oplen) {
diff --git a/src/core/version_test.go b/src/core/version_test.go
index 6fb7895c..511cb358 100644
--- a/src/core/version_test.go
+++ b/src/core/version_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package core
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"crypto/ed25519"
 	"math/rand"
 	"reflect"
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ func TestVersionRoundtrip(t *testing.T) {
 		test.publicKey = make(ed25519.PublicKey, ed25519.PublicKeySize)
 		rand.Read(test.publicKey)
 
-		encoded := test.encode()
+		encoded := bytes.NewBuffer(test.encode())
 		decoded := &version_metadata{}
 		if !decoded.decode(encoded) {
 			t.Fatalf("failed to decode")