diff --git a/briar-core/src/org/briarproject/properties/TransportPropertyManagerImpl.java b/briar-core/src/org/briarproject/properties/TransportPropertyManagerImpl.java
index 38400d1913e5db1a6579189285d01518b102d0ae..9c04d99fe9c2e670714c5a682f17ad379c632035 100644
--- a/briar-core/src/org/briarproject/properties/TransportPropertyManagerImpl.java
+++ b/briar-core/src/org/briarproject/properties/TransportPropertyManagerImpl.java
@@ -5,21 +5,16 @@ import com.google.inject.Inject;
 import org.briarproject.api.DeviceId;
 import org.briarproject.api.FormatException;
 import org.briarproject.api.TransportId;
+import org.briarproject.api.clients.ClientHelper;
 import org.briarproject.api.clients.PrivateGroupFactory;
 import org.briarproject.api.contact.Contact;
 import org.briarproject.api.contact.ContactId;
 import org.briarproject.api.contact.ContactManager.AddContactHook;
 import org.briarproject.api.contact.ContactManager.RemoveContactHook;
 import org.briarproject.api.data.BdfDictionary;
-import org.briarproject.api.data.BdfReader;
-import org.briarproject.api.data.BdfReaderFactory;
-import org.briarproject.api.data.BdfWriter;
-import org.briarproject.api.data.BdfWriterFactory;
-import org.briarproject.api.data.MetadataEncoder;
-import org.briarproject.api.data.MetadataParser;
+import org.briarproject.api.data.BdfList;
 import org.briarproject.api.db.DatabaseComponent;
 import org.briarproject.api.db.DbException;
-import org.briarproject.api.db.Metadata;
 import org.briarproject.api.db.NoSuchGroupException;
 import org.briarproject.api.db.Transaction;
 import org.briarproject.api.properties.TransportProperties;
@@ -29,22 +24,15 @@ import org.briarproject.api.sync.Group;
 import org.briarproject.api.sync.GroupFactory;
 import org.briarproject.api.sync.GroupId;
 import org.briarproject.api.sync.Message;
-import org.briarproject.api.sync.MessageFactory;
 import org.briarproject.api.sync.MessageId;
 import org.briarproject.api.system.Clock;
 import org.briarproject.util.StringUtils;
 
-import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
-import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
-import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Map.Entry;
 
-import static org.briarproject.api.properties.TransportPropertyConstants.MAX_PROPERTY_LENGTH;
-import static org.briarproject.api.sync.SyncConstants.MESSAGE_HEADER_LENGTH;
-
 class TransportPropertyManagerImpl implements TransportPropertyManager,
 		AddContactHook, RemoveContactHook {
 
@@ -55,28 +43,18 @@ class TransportPropertyManagerImpl implements TransportPropertyManager,
 	private static final byte[] LOCAL_GROUP_DESCRIPTOR = new byte[0];
 
 	private final DatabaseComponent db;
+	private final ClientHelper clientHelper;
 	private final PrivateGroupFactory privateGroupFactory;
-	private final MessageFactory messageFactory;
-	private final BdfReaderFactory bdfReaderFactory;
-	private final BdfWriterFactory bdfWriterFactory;
-	private final MetadataEncoder metadataEncoder;
-	private final MetadataParser metadataParser;
 	private final Clock clock;
 	private final Group localGroup;
 
 	@Inject
 	TransportPropertyManagerImpl(DatabaseComponent db,
-			GroupFactory groupFactory, PrivateGroupFactory privateGroupFactory,
-			MessageFactory messageFactory, BdfReaderFactory bdfReaderFactory,
-			BdfWriterFactory bdfWriterFactory, MetadataEncoder metadataEncoder,
-			MetadataParser metadataParser, Clock clock) {
+			ClientHelper clientHelper, GroupFactory groupFactory,
+			PrivateGroupFactory privateGroupFactory, Clock clock) {
 		this.db = db;
+		this.clientHelper = clientHelper;
 		this.privateGroupFactory = privateGroupFactory;
-		this.messageFactory = messageFactory;
-		this.bdfReaderFactory = bdfReaderFactory;
-		this.bdfWriterFactory = bdfWriterFactory;
-		this.metadataEncoder = metadataEncoder;
-		this.metadataParser = metadataParser;
 		this.clock = clock;
 		localGroup = groupFactory.createGroup(CLIENT_ID,
 				LOCAL_GROUP_DESCRIPTOR);
@@ -145,8 +123,9 @@ class TransportPropertyManagerImpl implements TransportPropertyManager,
 						true);
 				if (latest != null) {
 					// Retrieve and parse the latest local properties
-					byte[] raw = db.getRawMessage(txn, latest.messageId);
-					p = parseProperties(raw);
+					BdfList message = clientHelper.getMessageAsList(txn,
+							latest.messageId);
+					p = parseProperties(message);
 				}
 				txn.setComplete();
 			} finally {
@@ -175,8 +154,9 @@ class TransportPropertyManagerImpl implements TransportPropertyManager,
 					LatestUpdate latest = findLatest(txn, g.getId(), t, false);
 					if (latest != null) {
 						// Retrieve and parse the latest remote properties
-						byte[] raw = db.getRawMessage(txn, latest.messageId);
-						remote.put(c.getId(), parseProperties(raw));
+						BdfList message = clientHelper.getMessageAsList(txn,
+								latest.messageId);
+						remote.put(c.getId(), parseProperties(message));
 					}
 				}
 				txn.setComplete();
@@ -206,8 +186,9 @@ class TransportPropertyManagerImpl implements TransportPropertyManager,
 					merged = p;
 					changed = true;
 				} else {
-					byte[] raw = db.getRawMessage(txn, latest.messageId);
-					TransportProperties old = parseProperties(raw);
+					BdfList message = clientHelper.getMessageAsList(txn,
+							latest.messageId);
+					TransportProperties old = parseProperties(message);
 					merged = new TransportProperties(old);
 					merged.putAll(p);
 					changed = !merged.equals(old);
@@ -250,8 +231,9 @@ class TransportPropertyManagerImpl implements TransportPropertyManager,
 					localGroup.getId(), true);
 			// Retrieve and parse the latest local properties
 			for (Entry<TransportId, LatestUpdate> e : latest.entrySet()) {
-				byte[] raw = db.getRawMessage(txn, e.getValue().messageId);
-				local.put(e.getKey(), parseProperties(raw));
+				BdfList message = clientHelper.getMessageAsList(txn,
+						e.getValue().messageId);
+				local.put(e.getKey(), parseProperties(message));
 			}
 			return local;
 		} catch (NoSuchGroupException e) {
@@ -266,48 +248,35 @@ class TransportPropertyManagerImpl implements TransportPropertyManager,
 			TransportId t, TransportProperties p, long version, boolean local,
 			boolean shared) throws DbException {
 		try {
-			byte[] body = encodeProperties(dev, t, p, version);
+			BdfList body = encodeProperties(dev, t, p, version);
 			long now = clock.currentTimeMillis();
-			Message m = messageFactory.createMessage(g, now, body);
-			BdfDictionary d = new BdfDictionary();
-			d.put("transportId", t.getString());
-			d.put("version", version);
-			d.put("local", local);
-			Metadata meta = metadataEncoder.encode(d);
-			db.addLocalMessage(txn, m, CLIENT_ID, meta, shared);
+			Message m = clientHelper.createMessage(g, now, body);
+			BdfDictionary meta = new BdfDictionary();
+			meta.put("transportId", t.getString());
+			meta.put("version", version);
+			meta.put("local", local);
+			clientHelper.addLocalMessage(txn, m, CLIENT_ID, meta, shared);
 		} catch (FormatException e) {
 			throw new RuntimeException(e);
 		}
 	}
 
-	private byte[] encodeProperties(DeviceId dev, TransportId t,
+	private BdfList encodeProperties(DeviceId dev, TransportId t,
 			TransportProperties p, long version) {
-		ByteArrayOutputStream out = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
-		BdfWriter w = bdfWriterFactory.createWriter(out);
-		try {
-			w.writeListStart();
-			w.writeRaw(dev.getBytes());
-			w.writeString(t.getString());
-			w.writeLong(version);
-			w.writeDictionary(p);
-			w.writeListEnd();
-		} catch (IOException e) {
-			// Shouldn't happen with ByteArrayOutputStream
-			throw new RuntimeException(e);
-		}
-		return out.toByteArray();
+		return BdfList.of(dev, t.getString(), version, p);
 	}
 
 	private Map<TransportId, LatestUpdate> findLatest(Transaction txn,
 			GroupId g, boolean local) throws DbException, FormatException {
 		Map<TransportId, LatestUpdate> latestUpdates =
 				new HashMap<TransportId, LatestUpdate>();
-		Map<MessageId, Metadata> metadata = db.getMessageMetadata(txn, g);
-		for (Entry<MessageId, Metadata> e : metadata.entrySet()) {
-			BdfDictionary d = metadataParser.parse(e.getValue());
-			if (d.getBoolean("local") == local) {
-				TransportId t = new TransportId(d.getString("transportId"));
-				long version = d.getLong("version");
+		Map<MessageId, BdfDictionary> metadata =
+				clientHelper.getMessageMetadataAsDictionary(txn, g);
+		for (Entry<MessageId, BdfDictionary> e : metadata.entrySet()) {
+			BdfDictionary meta = e.getValue();
+			if (meta.getBoolean("local") == local) {
+				TransportId t = new TransportId(meta.getString("transportId"));
+				long version = meta.getLong("version");
 				LatestUpdate latest = latestUpdates.get(t);
 				if (latest == null || version > latest.version)
 					latestUpdates.put(t, new LatestUpdate(e.getKey(), version));
@@ -319,12 +288,13 @@ class TransportPropertyManagerImpl implements TransportPropertyManager,
 	private LatestUpdate findLatest(Transaction txn, GroupId g, TransportId t,
 			boolean local) throws DbException, FormatException {
 		LatestUpdate latest = null;
-		Map<MessageId, Metadata> metadata = db.getMessageMetadata(txn, g);
-		for (Entry<MessageId, Metadata> e : metadata.entrySet()) {
-			BdfDictionary d = metadataParser.parse(e.getValue());
-			if (d.getString("transportId").equals(t.getString())
-					&& d.getBoolean("local") == local) {
-				long version = d.getLong("version");
+		Map<MessageId, BdfDictionary> metadata =
+				clientHelper.getMessageMetadataAsDictionary(txn, g);
+		for (Entry<MessageId, BdfDictionary> e : metadata.entrySet()) {
+			BdfDictionary meta = e.getValue();
+			if (meta.getString("transportId").equals(t.getString())
+					&& meta.getBoolean("local") == local) {
+				long version = meta.getLong("version");
 				if (latest == null || version > latest.version)
 					latest = new LatestUpdate(e.getKey(), version);
 			}
@@ -332,33 +302,14 @@ class TransportPropertyManagerImpl implements TransportPropertyManager,
 		return latest;
 	}
 
-	private TransportProperties parseProperties(byte[] raw)
+	private TransportProperties parseProperties(BdfList message)
 			throws FormatException {
+		// Device ID, transport ID, version, properties
+		BdfDictionary dictionary = message.getDictionary(3);
 		TransportProperties p = new TransportProperties();
-		ByteArrayInputStream in = new ByteArrayInputStream(raw,
-				MESSAGE_HEADER_LENGTH, raw.length - MESSAGE_HEADER_LENGTH);
-		BdfReader r = bdfReaderFactory.createReader(in);
-		try {
-			r.readListStart();
-			r.skipRaw(); // Device ID
-			r.skipString(); // Transport ID
-			r.skipLong(); // Version
-			r.readDictionaryStart();
-			while (!r.hasDictionaryEnd()) {
-				String key = r.readString(MAX_PROPERTY_LENGTH);
-				String value = r.readString(MAX_PROPERTY_LENGTH);
-				p.put(key, value);
-			}
-			r.readDictionaryEnd();
-			r.readListEnd();
-			if (!r.eof()) throw new FormatException();
-			return p;
-		} catch (FormatException e) {
-			throw e;
-		} catch (IOException e) {
-			// Shouldn't happen with ByteArrayInputStream
-			throw new RuntimeException(e);
-		}
+		for (String key : dictionary.keySet())
+			p.put(key, dictionary.getString(key));
+		return p;
 	}
 
 	private static class LatestUpdate {