diff --git a/tunnels/client/protobuf/protobuf_client.c b/tunnels/client/protobuf/protobuf_client.c
index 0a152e8d..2ec242a9 100644
--- a/tunnels/client/protobuf/protobuf_client.c
+++ b/tunnels/client/protobuf/protobuf_client.c
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ static void downStream(tunnel_t *self, context_t *c)
             size_t         bytes_passed = readUleb128ToUint64(uleb_data, uleb_data + bufLen(full_data), &data_len);
             if (data_len == 0 || (bufLen(full_data) - (bytes_passed)) < data_len)
             {
+                shiftl(full_data, 1); // bring the data back to its original form
+
                 bufferStreamPush(bstream, full_data);
                 destroyContext(c);
                 return;
@@ -167,6 +169,7 @@ static void downStream(tunnel_t *self, context_t *c)
                     context_t *send_flow_ctx = newContextFrom(c);
                     send_flow_ctx->payload   = flowctl_buf;
                     self->up->upStream(self->up, send_flow_ctx);
+                    
                     if (! isAlive(c->line))
                     {
                         reuseBuffer(getContextBufferPool(c), full_data);
diff --git a/tunnels/server/protobuf/protobuf_server.c b/tunnels/server/protobuf/protobuf_server.c
index 700ae993..5e761dc4 100644
--- a/tunnels/server/protobuf/protobuf_server.c
+++ b/tunnels/server/protobuf/protobuf_server.c
@@ -63,11 +63,14 @@ static void upStream(tunnel_t *self, context_t *c)
             readUI8(full_data, &flags);
             shiftr(full_data, 1); // first byte is  (protobuf flag)
 
-            const uint8_t *uleb_data    = rawBuf(full_data); // first byte is \n (protobuf)
+            const uint8_t *uleb_data    = rawBuf(full_data);
             uint64_t       data_len     = 0;
             size_t         bytes_passed = readUleb128ToUint64(uleb_data, uleb_data + bufLen(full_data), &data_len);
+         
             if (data_len == 0 || (bufLen(full_data) - (bytes_passed)) < data_len)
             {
+                shiftl(full_data, 1); // bring the data back to its original form
+
                 bufferStreamPush(bstream, full_data);
                 destroyContext(c);
                 return;