diff --git a/radicle-node/src/bounded.rs b/radicle-node/src/bounded.rs
index 55c85ac7..c1bb3379 100644
--- a/radicle-node/src/bounded.rs
+++ b/radicle-node/src/bounded.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
-use std::{collections::BTreeSet, ops};
+use std::{
+    collections::BTreeSet,
+    ops::{self, RangeBounds},
+};
 
 #[derive(thiserror::Error, Debug)]
 pub enum Error {
@@ -155,6 +158,26 @@ impl<T, const N: usize> BoundedVec<T, N> {
     pub fn unbound(self) -> Vec<T> {
         self.v
     }
+
+    /// Calls [`Vec::Drain`].
+    pub fn drain<R: RangeBounds<usize>>(&mut self, range: R) -> std::vec::Drain<T> {
+        self.v.drain(range)
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T: Clone, const N: usize> BoundedVec<T, N> {
+    /// Like [`Vec::extend_from_slice`] but returns an error if out of bounds.
+    pub fn extend_from_slice(&mut self, slice: &[T]) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        if self.len() + slice.len() > N {
+            return Err(Error::InvalidSize {
+                expected: N,
+                actual: self.len() + slice.len(),
+            });
+        }
+        self.v.extend_from_slice(slice);
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }
 
 impl<T, const N: usize> ops::Deref for BoundedVec<T, N> {
diff --git a/radicle-node/src/deserializer.rs b/radicle-node/src/deserializer.rs
index 29c87b46..3879a9c2 100644
--- a/radicle-node/src/deserializer.rs
+++ b/radicle-node/src/deserializer.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 use std::io;
 use std::marker::PhantomData;
 
+use crate::bounded;
+use crate::prelude::BoundedVec;
 use crate::service::message::Message;
 use crate::wire;
 
@@ -8,43 +10,46 @@ use crate::wire;
 ///
 /// Used to for example turn a byte stream into network messages.
 #[derive(Debug)]
-pub struct Deserializer<D = Message> {
-    unparsed: Vec<u8>,
+pub struct Deserializer<const B: usize, D = Message> {
+    unparsed: BoundedVec<u8, B>,
     item: PhantomData<D>,
 }
 
-impl<D: wire::Decode> Default for Deserializer<D> {
+impl<const B: usize, D: wire::Decode> Default for Deserializer<B, D> {
     fn default() -> Self {
         Self::new(wire::Size::MAX as usize + 1)
     }
 }
 
-impl<D> From<Vec<u8>> for Deserializer<D> {
-    fn from(unparsed: Vec<u8>) -> Self {
-        Self {
+impl<const B: usize, D> TryFrom<Vec<u8>> for Deserializer<B, D> {
+    type Error = bounded::Error;
+
+    fn try_from(unparsed: Vec<u8>) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
+        BoundedVec::try_from(unparsed).map(|unparsed| Self {
             unparsed,
             item: PhantomData,
-        }
+        })
     }
 }
 
-impl<D: wire::Decode> Deserializer<D> {
+impl<const B: usize, D: wire::Decode> Deserializer<B, D> {
     /// Create a new stream decoder.
     pub fn new(capacity: usize) -> Self {
         Self {
-            unparsed: Vec::with_capacity(capacity),
+            unparsed: BoundedVec::with_capacity(capacity)
+                .expect("Deserializer::new: capacity exceeds maximum"),
             item: PhantomData,
         }
     }
 
     /// Input bytes into the decoder.
-    pub fn input(&mut self, bytes: &[u8]) {
-        self.unparsed.extend_from_slice(bytes);
+    pub fn input(&mut self, bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<(), bounded::Error> {
+        self.unparsed.extend_from_slice(bytes)
     }
 
     /// Decode and return the next message. Returns [`None`] if nothing was decoded.
     pub fn deserialize_next(&mut self) -> Result<Option<D>, wire::Error> {
-        let mut reader = io::Cursor::new(self.unparsed.as_mut_slice());
+        let mut reader = io::Cursor::new(self.unparsed.as_slice());
 
         match D::decode(&mut reader) {
             Ok(msg) => {
@@ -74,9 +79,9 @@ impl<D: wire::Decode> Deserializer<D> {
     }
 }
 
-impl<D: wire::Decode> io::Write for Deserializer<D> {
+impl<const B: usize, D: wire::Decode> io::Write for Deserializer<B, D> {
     fn write(&mut self, buf: &[u8]) -> io::Result<usize> {
-        self.input(buf);
+        self.input(buf).map_err(|_| io::ErrorKind::OutOfMemory)?;
 
         Ok(buf.len())
     }
@@ -86,7 +91,7 @@ impl<D: wire::Decode> io::Write for Deserializer<D> {
     }
 }
 
-impl<D: wire::Decode> Iterator for Deserializer<D> {
+impl<const B: usize, D: wire::Decode> Iterator for Deserializer<B, D> {
     type Item = Result<D, wire::Error>;
 
     fn next(&mut self) -> Option<Self::Item> {
@@ -106,17 +111,17 @@ mod test {
 
     #[test]
     fn test_decode_next() {
-        let mut decoder = Deserializer::<String>::new(8);
+        let mut decoder = Deserializer::<1024, String>::new(8);
 
-        decoder.input(&[3, b'b']);
+        decoder.input(&[3, b'b']).unwrap();
         assert_matches!(decoder.deserialize_next(), Ok(None));
         assert_eq!(decoder.unparsed.len(), 2);
 
-        decoder.input(&[b'y']);
+        decoder.input(&[b'y']).unwrap();
         assert_matches!(decoder.deserialize_next(), Ok(None));
         assert_eq!(decoder.unparsed.len(), 3);
 
-        decoder.input(&[b'e']);
+        decoder.input(&[b'e']).unwrap();
         assert_matches!(decoder.deserialize_next(), Ok(Some(s)) if s.as_str() == "bye");
         assert_eq!(decoder.unparsed.len(), 0);
         assert!(decoder.is_empty());
@@ -124,9 +129,9 @@ mod test {
 
     #[test]
     fn test_unparsed() {
-        let mut decoder = Deserializer::<String>::new(8);
+        let mut decoder = Deserializer::<1024, String>::new(8);
 
-        decoder.input(&[3, b'b', b'y']);
+        decoder.input(&[3, b'b', b'y']).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(decoder.unparsed().collect::<Vec<_>>(), vec![3, b'b', b'y']);
         assert!(decoder.is_empty());
     }
@@ -135,7 +140,7 @@ mod test {
     fn prop_decode_next(chunk_size: usize) {
         let mut bytes = vec![];
         let mut msgs = vec![];
-        let mut decoder = Deserializer::<String>::new(8);
+        let mut decoder = Deserializer::<1024, String>::new(8);
 
         let chunk_size = 1 + chunk_size % MSG_HELLO.len() + MSG_BYE.len();
 
@@ -143,7 +148,7 @@ mod test {
         bytes.extend_from_slice(MSG_BYE);
 
         for chunk in bytes.as_slice().chunks(chunk_size) {
-            decoder.input(chunk);
+            decoder.input(chunk).unwrap();
 
             while let Some(msg) = decoder.deserialize_next().unwrap() {
                 msgs.push(msg);
diff --git a/radicle-node/src/wire/message.rs b/radicle-node/src/wire/message.rs
index 2fdf84d1..8c058e58 100644
--- a/radicle-node/src/wire/message.rs
+++ b/radicle-node/src/wire/message.rs
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn prop_message_decoder() {
         fn property(items: Vec<Message>) {
-            let mut decoder = Deserializer::<Message>::new(8);
+            let mut decoder = Deserializer::<1048576, Message>::new(8);
 
             for item in &items {
                 item.encode(&mut decoder).unwrap();
diff --git a/radicle-node/src/wire/protocol.rs b/radicle-node/src/wire/protocol.rs
index b623feee..82d62262 100644
--- a/radicle-node/src/wire/protocol.rs
+++ b/radicle-node/src/wire/protocol.rs
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ enum Peer {
         addr: NetAddr<HostName>,
         link: Link,
         nid: NodeId,
-        inbox: Deserializer<Frame>,
+        inbox: Deserializer<MAX_INBOX_SIZE, Frame>,
         streams: Streams,
     },
     /// The peer was scheduled for disconnection. Once the transport is handed over
@@ -702,13 +702,13 @@ where
                     ..
                 }) = self.peers.get_mut(&id)
                 {
-                    if inbox.len() + data.len() > MAX_INBOX_SIZE {
+                    if inbox.input(&data).is_err() {
                         log::error!(target: "wire", "Maximum inbox size ({MAX_INBOX_SIZE}) reached for peer {nid}");
                         log::error!(target: "wire", "Unable to process messages fast enough for peer {nid}; disconnecting..");
                         self.disconnect(id, DisconnectReason::Session(session::Error::Misbehavior));
+
                         return;
                     }
-                    inbox.input(&data);
 
                     loop {
                         match inbox.deserialize_next() {
@@ -1176,8 +1176,8 @@ mod test {
         // Encode gossip message using the varint-prefix format into the stream.
         varint::payload::encode(&gossip, &mut stream).unwrap();
 
-        let mut de = deserializer::Deserializer::<Frame>::new(1024);
-        de.input(&stream);
+        let mut de = deserializer::Deserializer::<1024, Frame>::new(1024);
+        de.input(&stream).unwrap();
 
         // The "pong" message decodes successfully, even though there is trailing data.
         assert_eq!(