diff --git a/p2p/src/handshake.rs b/p2p/src/handshake.rs
index 659c571c3..3f517914a 100644
--- a/p2p/src/handshake.rs
+++ b/p2p/src/handshake.rs
@@ -44,9 +44,11 @@ impl Handshake {
 	}
 
 	/// Handles connecting to a new remote peer, starting the version handshake.
-	pub fn connect<'a>(&'a self, peer: &'a mut PeerConn) -> Result<&Protocol, Error> {
+	pub fn connect<'a>(&'a self, peer: &'a mut PeerConn) -> Result<Box<Protocol+'a>, Error> {
+    // get a new nonce that can be used on handshake to detect self-connection
 		let nonce = self.next_nonce();
 
+    // send the first part of the handshake
     let sender_addr = SockAddr(peer.local_addr());
     let receiver_addr = SockAddr(peer.peer_addr());
 		let opt_err = serialize(peer,
@@ -63,9 +65,10 @@ impl Handshake {
       None => {}
     }
 
+    // deserialize the handshake response and do version negotiation
 		let shake = try!(deserialize::<Shake>(peer));
 		if shake.version != 1 {
-			self.close(peer, ErrCodes::UNSUPPORTED_VERSION as u32,
+			self.close(peer, ErrCodes::UnsupportedVersion as u32,
 			           format!("Unsupported version: {}, ours: {})",
 			                   shake.version,
 			                   PROTOCOL_VERSION));
@@ -75,21 +78,23 @@ impl Handshake {
 		peer.user_agent = shake.user_agent;
     
 		// when more than one protocol version is supported, choosing should go here
-		Ok(&ProtocolV1::new(peer))
+		Ok(Box::new(ProtocolV1::new(peer)))
 	}
 
 	/// Handles receiving a connection from a new remote peer that started the
 	/// version handshake.
-	pub fn handshake<'a>(&'a self, peer: &'a mut PeerConn) -> Result<&Protocol, Error> {
+	pub fn handshake<'a>(&'a self, peer: &'a mut PeerConn) -> Result<Box<Protocol+'a>, Error> {
+    // deserialize first part of handshake sent to us and do version negotiation
 		let hand = try!(deserialize::<Hand>(peer));
 		if hand.version != 1 {
-			self.close(peer, ErrCodes::UNSUPPORTED_VERSION as u32,
+			self.close(peer, ErrCodes::UnsupportedVersion as u32,
 			           format!("Unsupported version: {}, ours: {})",
 			                   hand.version,
 			                   PROTOCOL_VERSION));
 			return Err(Error::UnexpectedData{expected: vec![PROTOCOL_VERSION as u8], received: vec![hand.version as u8]});
 		}
     {
+      // check the nonce to see if we could be trying to connect to ourselves
       let nonces = self.nonces.read().unwrap();
       if nonces.contains(&hand.nonce) {
         return Err(Error::UnexpectedData {
@@ -99,9 +104,11 @@ impl Handshake {
       }
     }
 
+    // all good, keep peer info
 		peer.capabilities = hand.capabilities;
 		peer.user_agent = hand.user_agent;
 
+    // send our reply with our info
 		let opt_err = serialize(peer,
 		               &Shake {
 			               version: PROTOCOL_VERSION,
@@ -114,9 +121,10 @@ impl Handshake {
     }
 
 		// when more than one protocol version is supported, choosing should go here
-		Ok(&ProtocolV1::new(peer))
+		Ok(Box::new(ProtocolV1::new(peer)))
 	}
 
+  /// Generate a new random nonce and store it in our ring buffer
 	fn next_nonce(&self) -> u64 {
 		let mut rng = OsRng::new().unwrap();
 		let nonce = rng.next_u64();
diff --git a/p2p/src/msg.rs b/p2p/src/msg.rs
index 915deef94..0488e033e 100644
--- a/p2p/src/msg.rs
+++ b/p2p/src/msg.rs
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ const MAGIC: [u8; 2] = [0x1e, 0xc5];
 
 /// Codes for each error that can be produced reading a message.
 pub enum ErrCodes {
-	UNSUPPORTED_VERSION = 100,
+	UnsupportedVersion = 100,
 }
 
 bitflags! {
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ pub enum Type {
 	PING,
 	PONG,
 	/// Never used over the network but to detect unrecognized types.
-	MAX_MSG_TYPE,
+	MaxMsgType,
 }
 
 /// Header of any protocol message, used to identify incoming messages.
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ pub struct MsgHeader {
 
 impl MsgHeader {
 	pub fn acceptable(&self) -> bool {
-		(self.msg_type as u8) < (Type::MAX_MSG_TYPE as u8)
+		(self.msg_type as u8) < (Type::MaxMsgType as u8)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ impl Readable<MsgHeader> for MsgHeader {
 		try!(reader.expect_u8(MAGIC[0]));
 		try!(reader.expect_u8(MAGIC[1]));
 		let t = try!(reader.read_u8());
-    if t < (Type::MAX_MSG_TYPE as u8) {
+    if t < (Type::MaxMsgType as u8) {
       return Err(ser::Error::CorruptedData);
     }
 		Ok(MsgHeader {
diff --git a/p2p/src/peer.rs b/p2p/src/peer.rs
index 88a72be74..0ee26b24c 100644
--- a/p2p/src/peer.rs
+++ b/p2p/src/peer.rs
@@ -13,13 +13,12 @@
 // limitations under the License.
 
 use std::net::SocketAddr;
-use std::io::{self, Read, Write, BufReader};
+use std::io::{self, Read, Write};
 
-use mioco::tcp::{TcpListener, TcpStream, Shutdown};
-use time::Duration;
+use mioco::tcp::{TcpStream, Shutdown};
 
-use core::ser::{serialize, deserialize, Error};
 use handshake::Handshake;
+use core::ser::Error;
 use msg::*;
 use types::*;
 
@@ -27,7 +26,6 @@ use types::*;
 /// low-level network communication and tracks peer information.
 pub struct PeerConn {
 	conn: TcpStream,
-	reader: BufReader<TcpStream>,
 	pub capabilities: Capabilities,
 	pub user_agent: String,
 }
@@ -36,7 +34,7 @@ pub struct PeerConn {
 /// Allows the peer to track how much is received.
 impl Read for PeerConn {
 	fn read(&mut self, buf: &mut [u8]) -> io::Result<usize> {
-		self.reader.read(buf)
+		self.conn.read(buf)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -66,7 +64,6 @@ impl PeerConn {
 
 		PeerConn {
 			conn: conn,
-			reader: BufReader::new(conn),
 			capabilities: UNKNOWN,
 			user_agent: "".to_string(),
 		}
diff --git a/p2p/src/server.rs b/p2p/src/server.rs
index d69c31413..e39c349a5 100644
--- a/p2p/src/server.rs
+++ b/p2p/src/server.rs
@@ -21,9 +21,8 @@ use std::str::FromStr;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
 use mioco;
-use mioco::tcp::{TcpListener, TcpStream, Shutdown};
+use mioco::tcp::TcpListener;
 
-use core::ser::{serialize, deserialize};
 use handshake::Handshake;
 use peer::PeerConn;
 use types::*;
@@ -54,7 +53,7 @@ impl Server {
 				let hs = Arc::new(Handshake::new());
 
 				loop {
-					let mut conn = try!(listener.accept());
+					let conn = try!(listener.accept());
           let hs_child = hs.clone();
 
 					mioco::spawn(move || -> io::Result<()> {