diff --git a/messages.js b/messages.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4768a1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/messages.js
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+const c = require('compact-encoding')
+
+const version = {
+  preencode (state, v) {
+    c.uint.preencode(state, v.major)
+    c.uint.preencode(state, v.minor)
+  },
+  encode (state, v) {
+    c.uint.encode(state, v.major)
+    c.uint.encode(state, v.minor)
+  },
+  decode (state, v) {
+    return {
+      major: c.uint.decode(state),
+      minor: c.uint.decode(state)
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+const protocol = {
+  preencode (state, p) {
+    c.string.preencode(state, p.name)
+    version.preencode(state, p.version)
+    c.uint.preencode(state, p.messages)
+  },
+  encode (state, p) {
+    c.string.encode(state, p.name)
+    version.encode(state, p.version)
+    c.uint.encode(state, p.messages)
+  },
+  decode (state, p) {
+    return {
+      name: c.string.decode(state),
+      version: version.decode(state),
+      messages: c.uint.decode(state)
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+const protocolArray = c.array(protocol)
+
+exports.handshake = {
+  preencode (state, h) {
+    state.end++ // reversed flags
+    protocolArray.preencode(state, h.protocols)
+  },
+  encode (state, h) {
+    state.buffer[state.start++] = 0 // reversed flags
+    protocolArray.encode(state, h.protocols)
+  },
+  decode (state) {
+    c.uint.decode(state) // not using any flags for now
+    return {
+      protocols: protocolArray.decode(state)
+    }
+  }
+}