diff --git a/src/common/protocol.c b/src/common/protocol.c
--- a/src/common/protocol.c
+++ b/src/common/protocol.c
@@ -114,6 +114,58 @@ int distren_request_new_fromdata(struct 
   return 0;
 }
 
+size_t distren_request_handle(size_t *expectlen,
+			      void *buf,
+			      size_t len,
+			      struct distren_request **req,
+			      void **req_data,
+			      short *err)
+{
+  size_t dead_expectlen;
+
+  *err = 0;
+  *req = NULL;
+
+  if(!expectlen)
+    {
+      dead_expectlen = 0;
+      expectlen = &dead_expectlen;
+    }
+
+  if(!*expectlen)
+    {
+      if(len < sizeof(struct distren_request))
+	return 0;
+
+      if(distren_request_new_fromdata(req, buf, len))
+	{
+	  fprintf(stderr, "Error trying to handle packet\n");
+	  *err = 1;
+	  return 0;
+	}
+
+      *expectlen = sizeof(struct distren_request) + (*req)->len;
+    }
+
+  if(!*expectlen
+     || len < *expectlen)
+    {
+      if(*req)
+	{
+	  distren_request_free(*req);
+	  *req = NULL;
+	}
+
+      return 0;
+    }
+
+  if(!*req)
+    distren_request_new_fromdata(req, buf, len);
+  *req_data = buf + sizeof(struct distren_request);
+
+  return sizeof(struct distren_request) + (*req)->len;
+}
+
 int distren_request_free(struct distren_request *req)
 {
   free(req);