diff --git a/src/relay.ts b/src/relay.ts
index 626e67b..b6d958e 100644
--- a/src/relay.ts
+++ b/src/relay.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { Actor, Assertion, attenuate, Entity, Handle, Ref, Turn } from './actor.js';
-import { Bytes, canonicalString, decode, encode, FlexMap, IdentityMap, mapPointers, underlying, Value } from 'preserves';
+import { BytesLike, canonicalString, Decoder, encode, FlexMap, IdentityMap, mapPointers, underlying, Value } from 'preserves';
 import {
     EncodedAttenuation,
     EntityMessage,
@@ -146,6 +146,30 @@ export class Relay {
     debug: boolean;
     trustPeer: boolean;
 
+    readonly decoder = new Decoder<WireRef>(void 0, {
+        includeAnnotations: false,
+        decodePointer: v => {
+            function complain(): never {
+                throw new Error(
+                    `Received invalid object reference ${v.asPreservesText()} from peer`);
+            }
+            if (!(Array.isArray(v) && v.length >= 2 && typeof v[1] === 'number')) {
+                complain();
+            }
+            const oid = v[1] as Oid;
+            switch (v[0]) {
+                case 0:
+                    if (v.length > 2) complain();
+                    return myRef(oid);
+                case 1:
+                    // TODO: check EncodedAttenuation
+                    return yourRef(oid, v.slice(2) as EncodedAttenuation);
+                default:
+                    complain();
+            }
+        },
+    });
+
     constructor(t: Turn, options: RelayOptions) {
         this.actor = t.actor;
         this.w = options.packetWriter;
@@ -255,37 +279,19 @@ export class Relay {
         return this.exported.byOid.get(localOid)?.ref ?? INERT_REF;
     }
 
-    accept(bs0: Uint8Array): void {
+    accept(bs: BytesLike): void {
         Turn.for(this.actor, t => {
-            const bs = Bytes.from(bs0);
-            const wireTurn = decode<WireRef>(bs, {
-                decodePointer: v => {
-                    function complain(): never {
-                        throw new Error(
-                            `Received invalid object reference ${v.asPreservesText()} from peer`);
-                    }
-                    if (!(Array.isArray(v) && v.length >= 2 && typeof v[1] === 'number')) {
-                        complain();
-                    }
-                    const oid = v[1] as Oid;
-                    switch (v[0]) {
-                        case 0:
-                            if (v.length > 2) complain();
-                            return myRef(oid);
-                        case 1:
-                            // TODO: check EncodedAttenuation
-                            return yourRef(oid, v.slice(2) as EncodedAttenuation);
-                        default:
-                            complain();
-                    }
-                },
-            }) as TurnMessage<WireRef>;
-            // ^ TODO: deep check that v is a TurnMessage
-            if (this.debug) console.log('IN', wireTurn.asPreservesText());
-            wireTurn.forEach(v => {
-                const [localOid, m] = v;
-                this.handle(t, this.lookupLocal(localOid), m);
-            });
+            this.decoder.write(bs);
+            while (true) {
+                const wireTurn = this.decoder.try_next() as (TurnMessage<WireRef> | undefined);
+                if (wireTurn === void 0) break;
+                // TODO: deep check that wireTurn really is a TurnMessage
+                if (this.debug) console.log('IN', wireTurn.asPreservesText());
+                wireTurn.forEach(v => {
+                    const [localOid, m] = v;
+                    this.handle(t, this.lookupLocal(localOid), m);
+                });
+            }
         });
     }