diff --git a/negentropy/negentropy.go b/negentropy/negentropy.go
index 52b15d8..6bbdd8e 100644
--- a/negentropy/negentropy.go
+++ b/negentropy/negentropy.go
@@ -58,69 +58,52 @@ func (n *Negentropy) Initiate() ([]byte, error) {
 	return output, nil
 }
 
-func (n *Negentropy) Reconcile(query []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+func (n *Negentropy) Reconcile(query []byte) (output []byte, haveIds []string, needIds []string, err error) {
 	if n.IsInitiator {
-		return []byte{}, fmt.Errorf("initiator not asking for have/need IDs")
+		return nil, nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("initiator not asking for have/need IDs")
 	}
-	var haveIds, needIds []string
 
-	output, err := n.ReconcileAux(query, &haveIds, &needIds)
+	reader := bytes.NewReader(query)
+	haveIds = make([]string, 0, 100)
+	needIds = make([]string, 0, 100)
+
+	output, err = n.ReconcileAux(reader, &haveIds, &needIds)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, nil, nil, err
 	}
 
 	if len(output) == 1 && n.IsInitiator {
-		return nil, nil
+		return nil, haveIds, needIds, nil
 	}
 
-	return output, nil
+	return output, haveIds, needIds, nil
 }
 
-// ReconcileWithIDs when IDs are expected to be returned.
-func (n *Negentropy) ReconcileWithIDs(query []byte, haveIds, needIds *[]string) ([]byte, error) {
-	if !n.IsInitiator {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("non-initiator asking for have/need IDs")
-	}
-
-	output, err := n.ReconcileAux(query, haveIds, needIds)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	if len(output) == 1 {
-		// Assuming an empty string is a special case indicating a condition similar to std::nullopt
-		return nil, nil
-	}
-
-	return output, nil
-}
-
-func (n *Negentropy) ReconcileAux(query []byte, haveIds, needIds *[]string) ([]byte, error) {
+func (n *Negentropy) ReconcileAux(reader *bytes.Reader, haveIds, needIds *[]string) ([]byte, error) {
 	n.lastTimestampIn, n.lastTimestampOut = 0, 0 // Reset for each message
 
 	var fullOutput []byte
 	fullOutput = append(fullOutput, protocolVersion)
 
-	protocolVersion, err := getByte(&query)
+	pv, err := reader.ReadByte()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	if protocolVersion < 0x60 || protocolVersion > 0x6F {
+	if pv < 0x60 || pv > 0x6F {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid negentropy protocol version byte")
 	}
-	if protocolVersion != protocolVersion {
+	if pv != protocolVersion {
 		if n.IsInitiator {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("unsupported negentropy protocol version requested")
 		}
 		return fullOutput, nil
 	}
 
-	storageSize := n.storage.Size()
 	var prevBound Bound
 	prevIndex := 0
 	skip := false
 
-	// convert the loop to process the query until it's consumed
-	for len(query) > 0 {
+	for reader.Len() > 0 {
 		var o []byte
 
 		doSkip := func() {
@@ -135,18 +118,18 @@ func (n *Negentropy) ReconcileAux(query []byte, haveIds, needIds *[]string) ([]b
 			}
 		}
 
-		currBound, err := n.DecodeBound(&query)
+		currBound, err := n.DecodeBound(reader)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		modeVal, err := decodeVarInt(&query)
+		modeVal, err := decodeVarInt(reader)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		mode := Mode(modeVal)
 
 		lower := prevIndex
-		upper, err := n.storage.FindLowerBound(prevIndex, storageSize, currBound)
+		upper, err := n.storage.FindLowerBound(prevIndex, n.storage.Size(), currBound)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -156,7 +139,8 @@ func (n *Negentropy) ReconcileAux(query []byte, haveIds, needIds *[]string) ([]b
 			skip = true
 
 		case FingerprintMode:
-			theirFingerprint, err := getBytes(&query, FingerprintSize)
+			theirFingerprint := make([]byte, FingerprintSize)
+			_, err := reader.Read(theirFingerprint)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
@@ -173,19 +157,20 @@ func (n *Negentropy) ReconcileAux(query []byte, haveIds, needIds *[]string) ([]b
 			}
 
 		case IdListMode:
-			numIds64, err := decodeVarInt(&query)
+			numIds64, err := decodeVarInt(reader)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
 			numIds := int(numIds64)
 
 			theirElems := make(map[string]struct{})
+			idb := make([]byte, n.idSize)
 			for i := 0; i < numIds; i++ {
-				e, err := getBytes(&query, n.idSize)
+				_, err := reader.Read(idb)
 				if err != nil {
 					return nil, err
 				}
-				theirElems[hex.EncodeToString(e)] = struct{}{}
+				theirElems[hex.EncodeToString(idb)] = struct{}{}
 			}
 
 			n.storage.Iterate(lower, upper, func(item Item, _ int) bool {
@@ -249,7 +234,7 @@ func (n *Negentropy) ReconcileAux(query []byte, haveIds, needIds *[]string) ([]b
 		// Check if the frame size limit is exceeded
 		if n.ExceededFrameSizeLimit(len(fullOutput) + len(o)) {
 			// Frame size limit exceeded, handle by encoding a boundary and fingerprint for the remaining range
-			remainingFingerprint, err := n.storage.Fingerprint(upper, storageSize)
+			remainingFingerprint, err := n.storage.Fingerprint(upper, n.storage.Size())
 			if err != nil {
 				panic(err)
 			}
@@ -277,15 +262,14 @@ func (n *Negentropy) ReconcileAux(query []byte, haveIds, needIds *[]string) ([]b
 
 func (n *Negentropy) SplitRange(lower, upper int, upperBound Bound, output *[]byte) {
 	numElems := upper - lower
-	const Buckets = 16
+	const buckets = 16
 
-	if numElems < Buckets*2 {
+	if numElems < buckets*2 {
 		boundEncoded, err := n.encodeBound(upperBound)
 		if err != nil {
 			fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)
 			panic(err)
 		}
-		fmt.Println("upp", upperBound, boundEncoded)
 		*output = append(*output, boundEncoded...)
 		*output = append(*output, encodeVarInt(IdListMode)...)
 		*output = append(*output, encodeVarInt(numElems)...)
@@ -296,11 +280,11 @@ func (n *Negentropy) SplitRange(lower, upper int, upperBound Bound, output *[]by
 			return true
 		})
 	} else {
-		itemsPerBucket := numElems / Buckets
-		bucketsWithExtra := numElems % Buckets
+		itemsPerBucket := numElems / buckets
+		bucketsWithExtra := numElems % buckets
 		curr := lower
 
-		for i := 0; i < Buckets; i++ {
+		for i := 0; i < buckets; i++ {
 			bucketSize := itemsPerBucket
 			if i < bucketsWithExtra {
 				bucketSize++
@@ -350,8 +334,8 @@ func (n *Negentropy) ExceededFrameSizeLimit(size int) bool {
 
 // Decoding
 
-func (n *Negentropy) DecodeTimestampIn(encoded *[]byte) (nostr.Timestamp, error) {
-	t, err := decodeVarInt(encoded)
+func (n *Negentropy) DecodeTimestampIn(reader *bytes.Reader) (nostr.Timestamp, error) {
+	t, err := decodeVarInt(reader)
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
 	}
@@ -371,19 +355,19 @@ func (n *Negentropy) DecodeTimestampIn(encoded *[]byte) (nostr.Timestamp, error)
 	return timestamp, nil
 }
 
-func (n *Negentropy) DecodeBound(encoded *[]byte) (Bound, error) {
-	timestamp, err := n.DecodeTimestampIn(encoded)
+func (n *Negentropy) DecodeBound(reader *bytes.Reader) (Bound, error) {
+	timestamp, err := n.DecodeTimestampIn(reader)
 	if err != nil {
 		return Bound{}, err
 	}
 
-	length, err := decodeVarInt(encoded)
+	length, err := decodeVarInt(reader)
 	if err != nil {
 		return Bound{}, err
 	}
 
-	id, err := getBytes(encoded, length)
-	if err != nil {
+	id := make([]byte, length)
+	if _, err = reader.Read(id); err != nil {
 		return Bound{}, err
 	}
 
diff --git a/negentropy/utils.go b/negentropy/utils.go
index ae7e87a..ce99e5c 100644
--- a/negentropy/utils.go
+++ b/negentropy/utils.go
@@ -1,58 +1,18 @@
 package negentropy
 
-import (
-	"errors"
-)
+import "bytes"
 
-var ErrParseEndsPrematurely = errors.New("parse ends prematurely")
-
-func getByte(encoded *[]byte) (byte, error) {
-	if len(*encoded) < 1 {
-		return 0, ErrParseEndsPrematurely
-	}
-	b := (*encoded)[0]
-	*encoded = (*encoded)[1:]
-
-	return b, nil
-}
-
-func getBytes(encoded *[]byte, n int) ([]byte, error) {
-	// fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "getBytes", len(*encoded), n)
-	if len(*encoded) < n {
-		return nil, errors.New("parse ends prematurely")
-	}
-	result := (*encoded)[:n]
-	*encoded = (*encoded)[n:]
-	return result, nil
-}
-
-func decodeVarInt(encoded *[]byte) (int, error) {
-	//var res uint64
-	//
-	//for i := 0; i < len(*encoded); i++ {
-	//	byte := (*encoded)[i]
-	//	res = (res << 7) | uint64(byte&0x7F)
-	//	if (byte & 0x80) == 0 {
-	//		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "decodeVarInt", encoded, i)
-	//		*encoded = (*encoded)[i+1:] // Advance the slice to reflect consumed bytes
-	//		return res, nil
-	//	}
-	//}
-	//return 0, ErrParseEndsPrematurely
+func decodeVarInt(reader *bytes.Reader) (int, error) {
 	var res int = 0
 
 	for {
-		if len(*encoded) == 0 {
-			return 0, errors.New("parse ends prematurely")
+		b, err := reader.ReadByte()
+		if err != nil {
+			return 0, err
 		}
 
-		// Remove the first byte from the slice and update the slice.
-		// This simulates JavaScript's shift operation on arrays.
-		byte := (*encoded)[0]
-		*encoded = (*encoded)[1:]
-
-		res = (res << 7) | (int(byte) & 127)
-		if (byte & 128) == 0 {
+		res = (res << 7) | (int(b) & 127)
+		if (b & 128) == 0 {
 			break
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/negentropy/whatever_test.go b/negentropy/whatever_test.go
index e6723c5..d2f0567 100644
--- a/negentropy/whatever_test.go
+++ b/negentropy/whatever_test.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func TestSimple(t *testing.T) {
 			n2.Insert(events[i])
 		}
 
-		q, err = n2.Reconcile(q)
+		q, _, _, err = n2.Reconcile(q)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 			return
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func TestSimple(t *testing.T) {
 	{
 		var have []string
 		var need []string
-		q, err = n1.ReconcileWithIDs(q, &have, &need)
+		q, have, need, err = n1.Reconcile(q)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 			return