diff --git a/api/net/sf/briar/api/serial/Writer.java b/api/net/sf/briar/api/serial/Writer.java
index 48661a82fba593b5c4bc39d62047b36fdba27f11..5ea269eb5a7baf069769bbd971ca6abfb7793bc5 100644
--- a/api/net/sf/briar/api/serial/Writer.java
+++ b/api/net/sf/briar/api/serial/Writer.java
@@ -22,11 +22,13 @@ public interface Writer {
 	void writeRaw(byte[] b) throws IOException;
 	void writeRaw(Raw r) throws IOException;
 
-	void writeList(List<?> l, boolean definite) throws IOException;
 	void writeList(List<?> l) throws IOException;
+	void writeListStart() throws IOException;
+	void writeListEnd() throws IOException;
 
-	void writeMap(Map<?, ?> m, boolean definite) throws IOException;
 	void writeMap(Map<?, ?> m) throws IOException;
+	void writeMapStart() throws IOException;
+	void writeMapEnd() throws IOException;
 
 	void writeNull() throws IOException;
 }
diff --git a/components/net/sf/briar/serial/WriterImpl.java b/components/net/sf/briar/serial/WriterImpl.java
index aca49adc175b18fe8093ec434044e55bbec24833..626a47a48f66171e42a2e960220b7657a8a0f612 100644
--- a/components/net/sf/briar/serial/WriterImpl.java
+++ b/components/net/sf/briar/serial/WriterImpl.java
@@ -106,16 +106,10 @@ class WriterImpl implements Writer {
 		writeRaw(r.getBytes());
 	}
 
-	public void writeList(List<?> l, boolean definite) throws IOException {
-		if(definite) {
-			out.write(Tag.LIST_DEF);
-			writeIntAny(l.size());
-			for(Object o : l) writeObject(o);
-		} else {
-			out.write(Tag.LIST_INDEF);
-			for(Object o : l) writeObject(o);
-			out.write(Tag.END);
-		}
+	public void writeList(List<?> l) throws IOException {
+		out.write(Tag.LIST_DEF);
+		writeIntAny(l.size());
+		for(Object o : l) writeObject(o);
 	}
 
 	private void writeObject(Object o) throws IOException {
@@ -134,30 +128,29 @@ class WriterImpl implements Writer {
 		else throw new IllegalStateException();
 	}
 
-	public void writeList(List<?> l) throws IOException {
-		writeList(l, true);
-	}
-
-	public void writeMap(Map<?, ?> m, boolean definite) throws IOException {
-		if(definite) {
-			out.write(Tag.MAP_DEF);
-			writeIntAny(m.size());
-			for(Entry<?, ?> e : m.entrySet()) {
-				writeObject(e.getKey());
-				writeObject(e.getValue());
-			}
-		} else {
-			out.write(Tag.MAP_INDEF);
-			for(Entry<?, ?> e : m.entrySet()) {
-				writeObject(e.getKey());
-				writeObject(e.getValue());
-			}
-			out.write(Tag.END);
-		}
+	public void writeListStart() throws IOException {
+		out.write(Tag.LIST_INDEF);
+	}
+
+	public void writeListEnd() throws IOException {
+		out.write(Tag.END);
 	}
 
 	public void writeMap(Map<?, ?> m) throws IOException {
-		writeMap(m, true);
+		out.write(Tag.MAP_DEF);
+		writeIntAny(m.size());
+		for(Entry<?, ?> e : m.entrySet()) {
+			writeObject(e.getKey());
+			writeObject(e.getValue());
+		}
+	}
+
+	public void writeMapStart() throws IOException {
+		out.write(Tag.MAP_INDEF);
+	}
+
+	public void writeMapEnd() throws IOException {
+		out.write(Tag.END);
 	}
 
 	public void writeNull() throws IOException {
diff --git a/test/net/sf/briar/serial/WriterImplTest.java b/test/net/sf/briar/serial/WriterImplTest.java
index c50e3a552fa68dc7bb359bef6a0978cebb38efa3..f4afce160e824e04f86bdbdc81c5a477c90a350c 100644
--- a/test/net/sf/briar/serial/WriterImplTest.java
+++ b/test/net/sf/briar/serial/WriterImplTest.java
@@ -146,57 +146,53 @@ public class WriterImplTest extends TestCase {
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	@SuppressWarnings({ "rawtypes", "unchecked" })
 	public void testWriteDefiniteList() throws IOException {
-		List l = new ArrayList();
+		List<Object> l = new ArrayList<Object>();
 		l.add(Byte.valueOf((byte) 1)); // Written as a uint7
 		l.add("foo");
 		l.add(Long.valueOf(128L)); // Written as an int16
-		w.writeList(l, true);
+		w.writeList(l);
 		checkContents("F5" + "03" + "01" + "F703666F6F" + "FC0080");
 	}
-	
+
 	@Test
-	@SuppressWarnings({ "rawtypes", "unchecked" })
 	public void testWriteDefiniteMap() throws IOException {
 		// Use LinkedHashMap to get predictable iteration order
-		Map m = new LinkedHashMap();
+		Map<Object, Object> m = new LinkedHashMap<Object, Object>();
 		m.put("foo", Integer.valueOf(123)); // Written as a uint7
 		m.put(new RawImpl(new byte[] {}), null); // Empty array != null
-		w.writeMap(m, true);
+		w.writeMap(m);
 		checkContents("F4" + "02" + "F703666F6F" + "7B" + "F600" + "F0");
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	@SuppressWarnings({ "rawtypes", "unchecked" })
 	public void testWriteIndefiniteList() throws IOException {
-		List l = new ArrayList();
-		l.add(Byte.valueOf((byte) 1)); // Written as a uint7
-		l.add("foo");
-		l.add(Long.valueOf(128L)); // Written as an int16
-		w.writeList(l, false);
+		w.writeListStart();
+		w.writeIntAny((byte) 1); // Written as uint7
+		w.writeUtf8("foo");
+		w.writeIntAny(128L); // Written as an int16
+		w.writeListEnd();
 		checkContents("F3" + "01" + "F703666F6F" + "FC0080" + "F1");
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	@SuppressWarnings({ "rawtypes", "unchecked" })
 	public void testWriteIndefiniteMap() throws IOException {
-		// Use LinkedHashMap to get predictable iteration order
-		Map m = new LinkedHashMap();
-		m.put("foo", Integer.valueOf(123)); // Written as a uint7
-		m.put(new RawImpl(new byte[] {}), null); // Empty array != null
-		w.writeMap(m, false);
+		w.writeMapStart();
+		w.writeUtf8("foo");
+		w.writeIntAny(123); // Written as a uint7
+		w.writeRaw(new byte[] {});
+		w.writeNull();
+		w.writeMapEnd();
 		checkContents("F2" + "F703666F6F" + "7B" + "F600" + "F0" + "F1");
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	@SuppressWarnings({ "rawtypes", "unchecked" })
 	public void testWriteNestedMapsAndLists() throws IOException {
-		Map m = new LinkedHashMap();
+		Map<Object, Object> m = new LinkedHashMap<Object, Object>();
 		m.put("foo", Integer.valueOf(123));
-		List l = new ArrayList();
+		List<Object> l = new ArrayList<Object>();
 		l.add(Byte.valueOf((byte) 1));
-		Map m1 = new LinkedHashMap();
+		Map<Object, Object> m1 = new LinkedHashMap<Object, Object>();
 		m1.put(m, l);
 		w.writeMap(m1);
 		checkContents("F4" + "01" + "F4" + "01" + "F703666F6F" + "7B" +