diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_nexthop.c b/bgpd/bgp_nexthop.c
index 7336793..c74beba 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_nexthop.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_nexthop.c
@@ -789,8 +789,9 @@
   uint16_t length;
   u_char marker;
   u_char version;
-  uint16_t command __attribute__((unused));
-  int nbytes __attribute__((unused));
+  uint16_t vrf_id;
+  uint16_t command;
+  int err;
   struct in_addr raddr __attribute__((unused));
   uint32_t metric;
   int i;
@@ -801,14 +802,13 @@
   s = zlookup->ibuf;
   stream_reset (s);
 
-  /* nbytes not being checked */
-  nbytes = stream_read (s, zlookup->sock, 2);
-  length = stream_getw (s);
-
-  nbytes = stream_read (s, zlookup->sock, length - 2);
-  marker = stream_getc (s);
-  version = stream_getc (s);
-  
+  err = zclient_read_header (s, zlookup->sock, &length, &marker, &version,
+                             &vrf_id, &command);
+  if (err < 0)
+    {
+      zlog_err("%s: zserv_read_header() failed", __func__);
+      return NULL;
+    }
   if (version != ZSERV_VERSION || marker != ZEBRA_HEADER_MARKER)
     {
       zlog_err("%s: socket %d version mismatch, marker %d, version %d",
@@ -816,9 +816,6 @@
       return NULL;
     }
   
-  /* XXX: not checking command */
-  command = stream_getw (s);
-  
   /* XXX: not doing anything with raddr */
   raddr.s_addr = stream_get_ipv4 (s);
   metric = stream_getl (s);
@@ -902,11 +899,11 @@
 zlookup_read_ipv6 (void)
 {
   struct stream *s;
-  uint16_t length;
+  uint16_t length, vrf_id, cmd;
   u_char version, marker;
   struct in6_addr raddr;
   uint32_t metric;
-  int i;
+  int i, err;
   u_char nexthop_num;
   struct nexthop *nexthop;
   struct bgp_nexthop_cache *bnc;
@@ -914,14 +911,13 @@
   s = zlookup->ibuf;
   stream_reset (s);
 
-  /* XXX: ignoring nbytes, see also zread_lookup */
-  stream_read (s, zlookup->sock, 2);
-  length = stream_getw (s);
-
-  stream_read (s, zlookup->sock, length - 2);
-  marker = stream_getc (s);
-  version = stream_getc (s);
-  
+  err = zclient_read_header (s, zlookup->sock, &length, &marker, &version,
+                             &vrf_id, &cmd);
+  if (err < 0)
+    {
+      zlog_err("%s: zserv_read_header() failed", __func__);
+      return NULL;
+    }
   if (version != ZSERV_VERSION || marker != ZEBRA_HEADER_MARKER)
     {
       zlog_err("%s: socket %d version mismatch, marker %d, version %d",
@@ -929,9 +925,6 @@
       return NULL;
     }
   
-  /* XXX: ignoring command */  
-  stream_getw (s);
-  
   /* XXX: not actually doing anything with raddr */
   stream_get (&raddr, s, 16);
 
@@ -1018,9 +1011,8 @@
 {
   struct stream *s;
   int ret;
-  u_int16_t length, command __attribute__((unused));
+  u_int16_t length, vrf_id, command;
   u_char version, marker;
-  int nbytes __attribute__((unused));
   struct in_addr addr __attribute__((unused));
   struct in_addr nexthop;
   u_int32_t metric = 0;
@@ -1066,16 +1058,13 @@
   /* Get result. */
   stream_reset (s);
 
-  /* Fetch length. */
-  /* XXX: not using nbytes */
-  nbytes = stream_read (s, zlookup->sock, 2);
-  length = stream_getw (s);
-
-  /* Fetch whole data. */
-  nbytes = stream_read (s, zlookup->sock, length - 2);
-  marker = stream_getc (s);
-  version = stream_getc (s);
-
+  ret = zclient_read_header (s, zlookup->sock, &length, &marker, &version,
+                             &vrf_id, &command);
+  if (ret < 0)
+    {
+      zlog_err("%s: zserv_read_header() failed", __func__);
+      return 0;
+    }
   if (version != ZSERV_VERSION || marker != ZEBRA_HEADER_MARKER)
     {
       zlog_err("%s: socket %d version mismatch, marker %d, version %d",
@@ -1083,9 +1072,6 @@
       return 0;
     }
   
-  /* XXX: not using command */
-  command = stream_getw (s);
-  
   /* XXX: not using addr */
   addr.s_addr = stream_get_ipv4 (s);
   metric = stream_getl (s);
diff --git a/lib/zclient.c b/lib/zclient.c
index 8e443e2..a095632 100644
--- a/lib/zclient.c
+++ b/lib/zclient.c
@@ -302,6 +302,25 @@
   stream_putw (s, command);
 }
 
+int
+zclient_read_header (struct stream *s, int sock, u_int16_t *size, u_char *marker,
+                     u_char *version, u_int16_t *vrf_id, u_int16_t *cmd)
+{
+  if (stream_read (s, sock, ZEBRA_HEADER_SIZE) != ZEBRA_HEADER_SIZE)
+    return -1;
+
+  *size = stream_getw (s) - ZEBRA_HEADER_SIZE;
+  *marker = stream_getc (s);
+  *version = stream_getc (s);
+  *vrf_id = stream_getw (s);
+  *cmd = stream_getw (s);
+
+  if (*size && stream_read (s, sock, *size) != *size)
+    return -1;
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
 /* Send simple Zebra message. */
 static int
 zebra_message_send (struct zclient *zclient, int command, vrf_id_t vrf_id)
diff --git a/lib/zclient.h b/lib/zclient.h
index 19b4f0e..3490b32 100644
--- a/lib/zclient.h
+++ b/lib/zclient.h
@@ -163,6 +163,9 @@
 
 /* create header for command, length to be filled in by user later */
 extern void zclient_create_header (struct stream *, uint16_t, vrf_id_t);
+extern int zclient_read_header (struct stream *s, int sock, u_int16_t *size,
+				u_char *marker, u_char *version,
+				u_int16_t *vrf_id, u_int16_t *cmd);
 
 extern struct interface *zebra_interface_add_read (struct stream *,
     vrf_id_t);
diff --git a/pimd/pim_zlookup.c b/pimd/pim_zlookup.c
index 6000367..fae8f81 100644
--- a/pimd/pim_zlookup.c
+++ b/pimd/pim_zlookup.c
@@ -149,17 +149,18 @@
 {
   int num_ifindex = 0;
   struct stream *s;
-  const uint16_t MIN_LEN = 14; /* getc=1 getc=1 getw=2 getipv4=4 getc=1 getl=4 getc=1 */
-  uint16_t length, len;
+  const uint16_t MIN_LEN = 10; /* getipv4=4 getc=1 getl=4 getc=1 */
+  uint16_t length;
   u_char marker;
   u_char version;
+  uint16_t vrf_id;
   uint16_t command;
   int nbytes;
   struct in_addr raddr;
   uint8_t distance;
   uint32_t metric;
   int nexthop_num;
-  int i;
+  int i, err;
 
   if (PIM_DEBUG_ZEBRA) {
     char addr_str[100];
@@ -172,41 +173,37 @@
   s = zlookup->ibuf;
   stream_reset(s);
 
-  nbytes = stream_read(s, zlookup->sock, 2);
-  if (nbytes < 2) {
-    zlog_err("%s %s: failure reading zclient lookup socket: nbytes=%d",
-	     __FILE__, __PRETTY_FUNCTION__, nbytes);
+  err = zclient_read_header (s, zlookup->sock, &length, &marker, &version,
+                             &vrf_id, &command);
+  if (err < 0) {
+    zlog_err("%s %s: zclient_read_header() failed",
+	     __FILE__, __PRETTY_FUNCTION__);
     zclient_lookup_failed(zlookup);
     return -1;
   }
-  length = stream_getw(s);
 
-  len = length - 2;
-
-  if (len < MIN_LEN) {
+  if (length < MIN_LEN) {
     zlog_err("%s %s: failure reading zclient lookup socket: len=%d < MIN_LEN=%d",
-	     __FILE__, __PRETTY_FUNCTION__, len, MIN_LEN);
+	     __FILE__, __PRETTY_FUNCTION__, length, MIN_LEN);
     zclient_lookup_failed(zlookup);
     return -2;
   }
-
-  nbytes = stream_read(s, zlookup->sock, len);
-  if (nbytes < (length - 2)) {
+  
+  nbytes = stream_read(s, zlookup->sock, length);
+  if (nbytes < length) {
     zlog_err("%s %s: failure reading zclient lookup socket: nbytes=%d < len=%d",
-	     __FILE__, __PRETTY_FUNCTION__, nbytes, len);
+	     __FILE__, __PRETTY_FUNCTION__, nbytes, length);
     zclient_lookup_failed(zlookup);
     return -3;
   }
-  marker = stream_getc(s);
-  version = stream_getc(s);
   
   if (version != ZSERV_VERSION || marker != ZEBRA_HEADER_MARKER) {
     zlog_err("%s: socket %d version mismatch, marker %d, version %d",
 	     __func__, zlookup->sock, marker, version);
+    zclient_lookup_failed(zlookup);
     return -4;
   }
     
-  command = stream_getw(s);
   if (command != ZEBRA_IPV4_NEXTHOP_LOOKUP_MRIB) {
     zlog_err("%s: socket %d command mismatch: %d",
             __func__, zlookup->sock, command);
@@ -236,19 +233,19 @@
     return -6;
   }
 
-  len -= MIN_LEN;
+  length -= MIN_LEN;
 
   for (i = 0; i < nexthop_num; ++i) {
     enum nexthop_types_t nexthop_type;
 
-    if (len < 1) {
+    if (length < 1) {
       zlog_err("%s: socket %d empty input expecting nexthop_type: len=%d",
-	       __func__, zlookup->sock, len);
+	       __func__, zlookup->sock, length);
       return -7;
     }
     
     nexthop_type = stream_getc(s);
-    --len;
+    --length;
 
     switch (nexthop_type) {
     case ZEBRA_NEXTHOP_IFINDEX:
@@ -263,13 +260,13 @@
 	return num_ifindex;
       }
       if (nexthop_type == ZEBRA_NEXTHOP_IPV4_IFINDEX) {
-	if (len < 4) {
+	if (length < 4) {
 	  zlog_err("%s: socket %d short input expecting nexthop IPv4-addr: len=%d",
-		   __func__, zlookup->sock, len);
+		   __func__, zlookup->sock, length);
 	  return -8;
 	}
 	nexthop_tab[num_ifindex].nexthop_addr.s_addr = stream_get_ipv4(s);
-	len -= 4;
+	length -= 4;
       }
       else {
 	nexthop_tab[num_ifindex].nexthop_addr.s_addr = PIM_NET_INADDR_ANY;
@@ -289,7 +286,7 @@
 	return num_ifindex;
       }
       nexthop_tab[num_ifindex].nexthop_addr.s_addr = stream_get_ipv4(s);
-      len -= 4;
+      length -= 4;
       nexthop_tab[num_ifindex].ifindex             = 0;
       nexthop_tab[num_ifindex].protocol_distance   = distance;
       nexthop_tab[num_ifindex].route_metric        = metric;