diff --git a/channel.go b/channel.go
index 2339767..a71260b 100644
--- a/channel.go
+++ b/channel.go
@@ -5,101 +5,95 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"io"
-	"net"
 
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/log"
-	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/proto"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
-const maxMessageSize = 8 << 10 // TODO(stevvooe): Cut these down, since they are pre-alloced.
+const (
+	messageHeaderLength = 10
+	messageLengthMax    = 8 << 10
+)
 
-type channel struct {
-	conn net.Conn
-	bw   *bufio.Writer
-	br   *bufio.Reader
+type messageType uint8
+
+const (
+	messageTypeRequest  messageType = 0x1
+	messageTypeResponse messageType = 0x2
+)
+
+// messageHeader represents the fixed-length message header of 10 bytes sent
+// with every request.
+type messageHeader struct {
+	Length   uint32      // length excluding this header. b[:4]
+	StreamID uint32      // identifies which request stream message is a part of. b[4:8]
+	Type     messageType // message type b[8]
+	Flags    uint8       // reserved          b[9]
 }
 
-func newChannel(conn net.Conn) *channel {
+func readMessageHeader(p []byte, r io.Reader) (messageHeader, error) {
+	_, err := io.ReadFull(r, p[:messageHeaderLength])
+	if err != nil {
+		return messageHeader{}, err
+	}
+
+	return messageHeader{
+		Length:   binary.BigEndian.Uint32(p[:4]),
+		StreamID: binary.BigEndian.Uint32(p[4:8]),
+		Type:     messageType(p[8]),
+		Flags:    p[9],
+	}, nil
+}
+
+func writeMessageHeader(w io.Writer, p []byte, mh messageHeader) error {
+	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(p[:4], mh.Length)
+	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(p[4:8], mh.StreamID)
+	p[8] = byte(mh.Type)
+	p[9] = mh.Flags
+
+	_, err := w.Write(p[:])
+	return err
+}
+
+type channel struct {
+	bw    *bufio.Writer
+	br    *bufio.Reader
+	hrbuf [messageHeaderLength]byte // avoid alloc when reading header
+	hwbuf [messageHeaderLength]byte
+}
+
+func newChannel(w io.Writer, r io.Reader) *channel {
 	return &channel{
-		conn: conn,
-		bw:   bufio.NewWriterSize(conn, maxMessageSize),
-		br:   bufio.NewReaderSize(conn, maxMessageSize),
+		bw: bufio.NewWriter(w),
+		br: bufio.NewReader(r),
 	}
 }
 
-func (ch *channel) recv(ctx context.Context, msg interface{}) error {
-	defer log.G(ctx).WithField("msg", msg).Info("recv")
+func (ch *channel) recv(ctx context.Context, p []byte) (messageHeader, error) {
+	mh, err := readMessageHeader(ch.hrbuf[:], ch.br)
+	if err != nil {
+		return messageHeader{}, err
+	}
 
-	// TODO(stevvooe): Use `bufio.Reader.Peek` here to remove this allocation.
-	var p [maxMessageSize]byte
-	n, err := readmsg(ch.br, p[:])
+	if mh.Length > uint32(len(p)) {
+		return messageHeader{}, errors.Wrapf(io.ErrShortBuffer, "message length %v over buffer size %v", mh.Length, len(p))
+	}
+
+	if _, err := io.ReadFull(ch.br, p[:mh.Length]); err != nil {
+		return messageHeader{}, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed reading message")
+	}
+
+	return mh, nil
+}
+
+func (ch *channel) send(ctx context.Context, streamID uint32, t messageType, p []byte) error {
+	if err := writeMessageHeader(ch.bw, ch.hwbuf[:], messageHeader{Length: uint32(len(p)), StreamID: streamID, Type: t}); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	_, err := ch.bw.Write(p)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	switch msg := msg.(type) {
-	case proto.Message:
-		return proto.Unmarshal(p[:n], msg)
-	default:
-		return errors.Errorf("unnsupported type in channel: %#v", msg)
-	}
-}
-
-func (ch *channel) send(ctx context.Context, msg interface{}) error {
-	log.G(ctx).WithField("msg", msg).Info("send")
-	var p []byte
-	switch msg := msg.(type) {
-	case proto.Message:
-		var err error
-		// TODO(stevvooe): trickiest allocation of the bunch. This will be hard
-		// to get rid of without using `MarshalTo` directly.
-		p, err = proto.Marshal(msg)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	default:
-		return errors.Errorf("unsupported type recv from channel: %#v", msg)
-	}
-
-	return writemsg(ch.bw, p)
-}
-
-func readmsg(r *bufio.Reader, p []byte) (int, error) {
-	mlen, err := binary.ReadVarint(r)
-	if err != nil {
-		return 0, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed reading message size")
-	}
-
-	if mlen > int64(len(p)) {
-		return 0, errors.Wrapf(io.ErrShortBuffer, "message length %v over buffer size %v", mlen, len(p))
-	}
-
-	nn, err := io.ReadFull(r, p[:mlen])
-	if err != nil {
-		return 0, errors.Wrapf(err, "failed reading message size")
-	}
-
-	if int64(nn) != mlen {
-		return 0, errors.Errorf("mismatched read against message length %v != %v", nn, mlen)
-	}
-
-	return int(mlen), nil
-}
-
-func writemsg(w *bufio.Writer, p []byte) error {
-	var (
-		mlenp [binary.MaxVarintLen64]byte
-		n     = binary.PutVarint(mlenp[:], int64(len(p)))
-	)
-
-	if _, err := w.Write(mlenp[:n]); err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed writing message header")
-	}
-
-	if _, err := w.Write(p); err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed writing message")
-	}
-
-	return w.Flush()
+	return ch.bw.Flush()
 }
diff --git a/channel_test.go b/channel_test.go
index 8bff326..58ac82b 100644
--- a/channel_test.go
+++ b/channel_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package ttrpc
 import (
 	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"io"
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
@@ -12,8 +13,10 @@ import (
 
 func TestReadWriteMessage(t *testing.T) {
 	var (
-		channel  bytes.Buffer
-		w        = bufio.NewWriter(&channel)
+		ctx      = context.Background()
+		buffer   bytes.Buffer
+		w        = bufio.NewWriter(&buffer)
+		ch       = newChannel(w, nil)
 		messages = [][]byte{
 			[]byte("hello"),
 			[]byte("this is a test"),
@@ -21,20 +24,21 @@ func TestReadWriteMessage(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	)
 
-	for _, msg := range messages {
-		if err := writemsg(w, msg); err != nil {
+	for i, msg := range messages {
+		if err := ch.send(ctx, uint32(i), 1, msg); err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
 	}
 
 	var (
 		received [][]byte
-		r        = bufio.NewReader(bytes.NewReader(channel.Bytes()))
+		r        = bufio.NewReader(bytes.NewReader(buffer.Bytes()))
+		rch      = newChannel(nil, r)
 	)
 
 	for {
 		var p [4096]byte
-		n, err := readmsg(r, p[:])
+		mh, err := rch.recv(ctx, p[:])
 		if err != nil {
 			if errors.Cause(err) != io.EOF {
 				t.Fatal(err)
@@ -42,7 +46,7 @@ func TestReadWriteMessage(t *testing.T) {
 
 			break
 		}
-		received = append(received, p[:n])
+		received = append(received, p[:mh.Length])
 	}
 
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(received, messages) {
@@ -52,21 +56,25 @@ func TestReadWriteMessage(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestSmallBuffer(t *testing.T) {
 	var (
-		channel bytes.Buffer
-		w       = bufio.NewWriter(&channel)
-		msg     = []byte("a message of massive length")
+		ctx    = context.Background()
+		buffer bytes.Buffer
+		w      = bufio.NewWriter(&buffer)
+		ch     = newChannel(w, nil)
+		msg    = []byte("a message of massive length")
 	)
 
-	if err := writemsg(w, msg); err != nil {
+	if err := ch.send(ctx, 1, 1, msg); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
 	// now, read it off the channel with a small buffer
 	var (
-		p = make([]byte, len(msg)-1)
-		r = bufio.NewReader(bytes.NewReader(channel.Bytes()))
+		p   = make([]byte, len(msg)-1)
+		r   = bufio.NewReader(bytes.NewReader(buffer.Bytes()))
+		rch = newChannel(nil, r)
 	)
-	_, err := readmsg(r, p[:])
+
+	_, err := rch.recv(ctx, p[:])
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error expected reading with small buffer")
 	}
@@ -75,41 +83,3 @@ func TestSmallBuffer(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("errors.Cause(err) should equal io.ErrShortBuffer: %v != %v", err, io.ErrShortBuffer)
 	}
 }
-
-func BenchmarkReadWrite(b *testing.B) {
-	b.StopTimer()
-	var (
-		messages = [][]byte{
-			[]byte("hello"),
-			[]byte("this is a test"),
-			[]byte("of message framing"),
-		}
-		total   int64
-		channel bytes.Buffer
-		w       = bufio.NewWriter(&channel)
-		p       [4096]byte
-	)
-
-	b.ReportAllocs()
-	b.StartTimer()
-	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
-		msg := messages[i%len(messages)]
-		if err := writemsg(w, msg); err != nil {
-			b.Fatal(err)
-		}
-		total += int64(len(msg))
-	}
-	b.SetBytes(total)
-
-	r := bufio.NewReader(bytes.NewReader(channel.Bytes()))
-	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
-		_, err := readmsg(r, p[:])
-		if err != nil {
-			if errors.Cause(err) != io.EOF {
-				b.Fatal(err)
-			}
-
-			break
-		}
-	}
-}
diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index 437c9f3..265ce95 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -3,56 +3,191 @@ package ttrpc
 import (
 	"context"
 	"net"
+	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 
 	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/proto"
-	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
 type Client struct {
-	channel *channel
+	codec        codec
+	channel      *channel
+	requestID    uint32
+	sendRequests chan sendRequest
+	recvRequests chan recvRequest
+
+	closed    chan struct{}
+	closeOnce sync.Once
+	done      chan struct{}
+	err       error
 }
 
 func NewClient(conn net.Conn) *Client {
-	return &Client{
-		channel: newChannel(conn),
+	c := &Client{
+		codec:        codec{},
+		channel:      newChannel(conn, conn),
+		sendRequests: make(chan sendRequest),
+		recvRequests: make(chan recvRequest),
+		closed:       make(chan struct{}),
+		done:         make(chan struct{}),
 	}
+
+	go c.run()
+	return c
 }
 
 func (c *Client) Call(ctx context.Context, service, method string, req, resp interface{}) error {
-	var payload []byte
-	switch v := req.(type) {
-	case proto.Message:
-		var err error
-		payload, err = proto.Marshal(v)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	default:
-		return errors.Errorf("ttrpc: unknown request type: %T", req)
+	payload, err := c.codec.Marshal(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
+	requestID := atomic.AddUint32(&c.requestID, 1)
 	request := Request{
 		Service: service,
 		Method:  method,
 		Payload: payload,
 	}
 
-	if err := c.channel.send(ctx, &request); err != nil {
+	if err := c.send(ctx, requestID, &request); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
 	var response Response
-	if err := c.channel.recv(ctx, &response); err != nil {
+	if err := c.recv(ctx, requestID, &response); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	switch v := resp.(type) {
-	case proto.Message:
-		if err := proto.Unmarshal(response.Payload, v); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	default:
-		return errors.Errorf("ttrpc: unknown response type: %T", resp)
-	}
+
+	return c.codec.Unmarshal(response.Payload, resp)
+}
+
+func (c *Client) Close() error {
+	c.closeOnce.Do(func() {
+		close(c.closed)
+	})
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+type sendRequest struct {
+	ctx context.Context
+	id  uint32
+	msg interface{}
+	err chan error
+}
+
+func (c *Client) send(ctx context.Context, id uint32, msg interface{}) error {
+	errs := make(chan error, 1)
+	select {
+	case c.sendRequests <- sendRequest{
+		ctx: ctx,
+		id:  id,
+		msg: msg,
+		err: errs,
+	}:
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return ctx.Err()
+	case <-c.done:
+		return c.err
+	}
+
+	select {
+	case err := <-errs:
+		return err
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return ctx.Err()
+	case <-c.done:
+		return c.err
+	}
+}
+
+type recvRequest struct {
+	id  uint32
+	msg interface{}
+	err chan error
+}
+
+func (c *Client) recv(ctx context.Context, id uint32, msg interface{}) error {
+	errs := make(chan error, 1)
+	select {
+	case c.recvRequests <- recvRequest{
+		id:  id,
+		msg: msg,
+		err: errs,
+	}:
+	case <-c.done:
+		return c.err
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return ctx.Err()
+	}
+
+	select {
+	case err := <-errs:
+		return err
+	case <-c.done:
+		return c.err
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return ctx.Err()
+	}
+}
+
+type received struct {
+	mh  messageHeader
+	p   []byte
+	err error
+}
+
+func (c *Client) run() {
+	defer close(c.done)
+	var (
+		waiters  = map[uint32]recvRequest{}
+		queued   = map[uint32]received{} // messages unmatched by waiter
+		incoming = make(chan received)
+	)
+
+	go func() {
+		// start one more goroutine to recv messages without blocking.
+		for {
+			var p [messageLengthMax]byte
+			mh, err := c.channel.recv(context.TODO(), p[:])
+			select {
+			case incoming <- received{
+				mh:  mh,
+				p:   p[:mh.Length],
+				err: err,
+			}:
+			case <-c.done:
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case req := <-c.sendRequests:
+			if p, err := proto.Marshal(req.msg.(proto.Message)); err != nil {
+				req.err <- err
+			} else {
+				req.err <- c.channel.send(req.ctx, req.id, messageTypeRequest, p)
+			}
+		case req := <-c.recvRequests:
+			if r, ok := queued[req.id]; ok {
+				req.err <- proto.Unmarshal(r.p, req.msg.(proto.Message))
+			}
+			waiters[req.id] = req
+		case r := <-incoming:
+			if r.err != nil {
+				c.err = r.err
+				return
+			}
+
+			if waiter, ok := waiters[r.mh.StreamID]; ok {
+				waiter.err <- proto.Unmarshal(r.p, waiter.msg.(proto.Message))
+			} else {
+				queued[r.mh.StreamID] = r
+			}
+		case <-c.closed:
+			return
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 812f911..7db9e9a 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 type Server struct {
 	services *serviceSet
+	codec    codec
 }
 
 func NewServer() *Server {
@@ -43,35 +44,91 @@ func (s *Server) Serve(l net.Listener) error {
 func (s *Server) handleConn(conn net.Conn) {
 	defer conn.Close()
 
+	type (
+		request struct {
+			id  uint32
+			req *Request
+		}
+
+		response struct {
+			id   uint32
+			resp *Response
+		}
+	)
+
 	var (
-		ch          = newChannel(conn)
-		req         Request
+		ch          = newChannel(conn, conn)
 		ctx, cancel = context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		responses   = make(chan response)
+		requests    = make(chan request)
+		recvErr     = make(chan error, 1)
+		done        = make(chan struct{})
 	)
 
 	defer cancel()
+	defer close(done)
 
-	// TODO(stevvooe): Recover here or in dispatch to handle panics in service
-	// methods.
+	go func() {
+		defer close(recvErr)
+		var p [messageLengthMax]byte
+		for {
+			mh, err := ch.recv(ctx, p[:])
+			if err != nil {
+				recvErr <- err
+				return
+			}
+
+			if mh.Type != messageTypeRequest {
+				// we must ignore this for future compat.
+				continue
+			}
+
+			var req Request
+			if err := s.codec.Unmarshal(p[:mh.Length], &req); err != nil {
+				recvErr <- err
+				return
+			}
+
+			select {
+			case requests <- request{
+				id:  mh.StreamID,
+				req: &req,
+			}:
+			case <-done:
+			}
+		}
+	}()
 
-	// every connection is just a simple in/out request loop. No complexity for
-	// multiplexing streams or dealing with head of line blocking, as this
-	// isn't necessary for shim control.
 	for {
-		if err := ch.recv(ctx, &req); err != nil {
-			log.L.WithError(err).Error("failed receiving message on channel")
-			return
-		}
+		select {
+		case request := <-requests:
+			go func(id uint32) {
+				p, status := s.services.call(ctx, request.req.Service, request.req.Method, request.req.Payload)
+				resp := &Response{
+					Status:  status.Proto(),
+					Payload: p,
+				}
 
-		p, status := s.services.call(ctx, req.Service, req.Method, req.Payload)
-
-		resp := &Response{
-			Status:  status.Proto(),
-			Payload: p,
-		}
-
-		if err := ch.send(ctx, resp); err != nil {
-			log.L.WithError(err).Error("failed sending message on channel")
+				select {
+				case responses <- response{
+					id:   id,
+					resp: resp,
+				}:
+				case <-done:
+				}
+			}(request.id)
+		case response := <-responses:
+			p, err := s.codec.Marshal(response.resp)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.L.WithError(err).Error("failed marshaling response")
+				return
+			}
+			if err := ch.send(ctx, response.id, messageTypeResponse, p); err != nil {
+				log.L.WithError(err).Error("failed sending message on channel")
+				return
+			}
+		case err := <-recvErr:
+			log.L.WithError(err).Error("error receiving message")
 			return
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/services.go b/services.go
index 943404c..b9a749e 100644
--- a/services.go
+++ b/services.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path"
 
-	"github.com/containerd/containerd/log"
 	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/proto"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/codes"
@@ -52,7 +51,6 @@ func (s *serviceSet) call(ctx context.Context, serviceName, methodName string, p
 }
 
 func (s *serviceSet) dispatch(ctx context.Context, serviceName, methodName string, p []byte) ([]byte, error) {
-	ctx = log.WithLogger(ctx, log.G(ctx).WithField("method", fullPath(serviceName, methodName)))
 	method, err := s.resolve(serviceName, methodName)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err