diff --git a/app/controllers/socket.js b/app/controllers/socket.js
index a98f3503..be6e614c 100644
--- a/app/controllers/socket.js
+++ b/app/controllers/socket.js
@@ -9,15 +9,16 @@ module.exports.init = function(io_ext) {
   ios = io_ext;
   ios.sockets.on('connection', function(socket) {
     socket.on('subscribe', function(topic) {
-      console.log('subscribe ' + topic);
       socket.join(topic);
     });
     socket.on('message', function(m) {
-      mdb.addMessage(m, m.from, m.to, function(err) {
+      mdb.addMessage(m, function(err) {
         if (err) throw err; // TODO: handle
       });
     });
   });
+
+  mdb.on('message', broadcastMessage);
 };
 
 module.exports.broadcastTx = function(tx) {
@@ -60,14 +61,9 @@ module.exports.broadcastSyncInfo = function(historicSync) {
     ios.sockets.in('sync').emit('status', historicSync);
 };
 
-module.exports.broadcastMessage = function(from, to, ts, message) {
+var broadcastMessage = module.exports.broadcastMessage = function(message) {
   if (ios) {
-    console.log('sending message '+to);
-    ios.sockets.in(to).emit('message', {
-      from: from,
-      payload: message,
-      ts: ts
-    });
+    ios.sockets.in(message.to).emit('message', message);
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/examples/messages.html b/examples/messages.html
index fde7b90f..dfbd83ee 100644
--- a/examples/messages.html
+++ b/examples/messages.html
@@ -67,41 +67,44 @@
       var AuthMessage = bitcore.AuthMessage;
       var Buffer = bitcore.Buffer;
 
-      // show message
-      var show = function(msg) {
-        $('#messages').append($('<li>').text(msg.from+':' + JSON.stringify(msg.payload)));
-      };
-
-
       // generate new identity
       var pk = Key.generateSync();
       var pubkey = pk.public.toString('hex');
       $('#pubkey').text('Your key: '+pubkey);
 
+      // show message
+      var show = function(from, text) {
+        $('#messages').append($('<li>').text(from+': ' + text));
+      };
+
       // send chat handler
-      $('form').submit(function()
+      $('form').submit(function(e)
       {
+        e.preventDefault();
         var text = $('#m').val()
         if (text.length === 0) {
-          return false;
+          return;
         }
 
         var otherPubkey = $('#other').val();
-        var data = AuthMessage.encode(otherPubkey, pk, new Buffer(text));
-        data.to = otherPubkey;
+        var data = AuthMessage.encode(otherPubkey, pk, text);
         socket.emit('message', data);
-        data.from = 'You';
-        show(data);
+        show('You', text);
 
         $('#m').val('');
-        return false;
+        return;
       });
 
       // receive chat handler
       socket.emit('subscribe', pubkey);
       socket.on('message', function(msg)
       {
-        show(msg);
+        try {
+          var data = AuthMessage.decode(pk, msg);
+        } catch(e) {
+          alert(e);
+        }
+        show(msg.pubkey, data.payload);
       });
     });
   </script>
diff --git a/lib/MessageDb.js b/lib/MessageDb.js
index 164abfcd..36b195cb 100644
--- a/lib/MessageDb.js
+++ b/lib/MessageDb.js
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@ var async = require('async');
 var logger = require('./logger').logger;
 var util = require('util');
 var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
-var sockets = require('../app/controllers/socket.js');
 var microtime = require('microtime');
 var bitcore = require('bitcore');
 var AuthMessage = bitcore.AuthMessage;
+var preconditions = require('preconditions').singleton();
 
 var MESSAGE_PREFIX = 'msg-'; // msg-<sin1>-<sin2> => <message>
 
@@ -37,13 +37,13 @@ util.inherits(MessageDb, EventEmitter);
 
 MessageDb.prototype.initEvents = function() {
   if (db) return;
+  var self = this;
   this.db.on('put', function(key, value) {
-    var spl = key.split('-');
-    var from = spl[1];
-    var to = spl[2];
-    var ts = spl[3];
-    var message = value;
-    sockets.broadcastMessage(from, to, ts, message);
+    var data = {};
+    data.key = key;
+    data.value = value;
+    var message = MessageDb.fromStorage(data);
+    self.emit('message', message);
   });
   this.db.on('ready', function() {
     //console.log('Database ready!');
@@ -55,49 +55,58 @@ MessageDb.prototype.close = function(cb) {
 };
 
 
-var messageKey = function(from, to, ts) {
+var messageKey = function(pubkey, to, ts) {
   if (!ts) ts = Math.round(microtime.now());
-  return MESSAGE_PREFIX + from.toString() + '-' + to.toString() + '-' + ts;
+  return MESSAGE_PREFIX + pubkey.toString() + '-' + to.toString() + '-' + ts;
 };
 
-MessageDb.prototype.addMessage = function(m, from, to, cb) {
-  
+MessageDb.prototype.addMessage = function(m, cb) {
+
   if (!this.authenticate(m)) {
     cb(new Error('Authentication failed'));
     return;
   }
 
-  var key = messageKey(from, to);
+  var key = messageKey(m.pubkey, m.to);
   var value = m;
   this.db.put(key, value, cb);
 };
 
 MessageDb.prototype.authenticate = function(m) {
+  preconditions.checkArgument(m.pubkey);
+  preconditions.checkArgument(m.sig);
+  preconditions.checkArgument(m.encrypted);
+
   var frompubkey = new Buffer(m.pubkey, 'hex');
   var sig = new Buffer(m.sig, 'hex');
   var encrypted = new Buffer(m.encrypted, 'hex');
   return AuthMessage._verify(frompubkey, sig, encrypted);
 };
 
-MessageDb.prototype.getMessages = function(from, to, lower_ts, upper_ts, cb) {
+MessageDb.fromStorage = function(data) {
+  var spl = data.key.split('-');
+  var pubkey = spl[1];
+  var to = spl[2];
+  var ts = +spl[3];
+  var message = data.value;
+  message.ts = ts;
+  message.to = to;
+  return message;
+};
+
+MessageDb.prototype.getMessages = function(pubkey, to, lower_ts, upper_ts, cb) {
   var list = [];
   var opts = {
-    end: messageKey(from, to, lower_ts),
-    start: messageKey(from, to, upper_ts),
+    end: messageKey(pubkey, to, lower_ts),
+    start: messageKey(pubkey, to, upper_ts),
     // limit: limit, TODO
     reverse: true,
   };
 
   db.createReadStream(opts)
     .on('data', function(data) {
-      var spl = data.key.split('-');
-      var from = spl[1];
-      var to = spl[2];
-      var ts = +spl[3];
-      list.push({
-        ts: ts,
-        message: data.value,
-      });
+      var message = MessageDb.fromStorage(data);
+      list.push(message);
     })
     .on('error', function(err) {
       return cb(err);
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 31dd267a..be8c9cd5 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -51,24 +51,25 @@
     "start": "node node_modules/grunt-cli/bin/grunt"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "bitcore": "git://github.com/bitpay/bitcore.git#4d8af75ae9916984c52ee2eda1870d5980656341",
-    "base58-native": "0.1.2",
     "async": "*",
+    "base58-native": "0.1.2",
+    "bignum": "*",
+    "bitcore": "git://github.com/bitpay/bitcore.git#4d8af75ae9916984c52ee2eda1870d5980656341",
+    "bufferput": "git://github.com/bitpay/node-bufferput.git",
+    "buffertools": "*",
+    "commander": "*",
+    "express": "~3.4.7",
+    "glob": "*",
     "leveldown": "*",
     "levelup": "*",
-    "glob": "*",
-    "soop": "=0.1.5",
-    "commander": "*",
-    "bignum": "*",
-    "winston": "*",
-    "express": "~3.4.7",
-    "buffertools": "*",
-    "should": "~2.1.1",
-    "socket.io": "~1.0.4",
     "moment": "~2.5.0",
+    "preconditions": "^1.0.7",
+    "should": "~2.1.1",
     "sinon": "~1.7.3",
-    "xmlhttprequest": "~1.6.0",
-    "bufferput": "git://github.com/bitpay/node-bufferput.git"
+    "socket.io": "~1.0.4",
+    "soop": "=0.1.5",
+    "winston": "*",
+    "xmlhttprequest": "~1.6.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "chai": "*",
diff --git a/test/test.MessageDb.js b/test/test.MessageDb.js
index c6aabaa0..151b6614 100644
--- a/test/test.MessageDb.js
+++ b/test/test.MessageDb.js
@@ -4,12 +4,14 @@ var chai = require('chai');
 var should = chai.should;
 var expect = chai.expect;
 
-var MessageDb = require('../lib/MessageDb');
-var bitcore = require('bitcore');
-var SIN = bitcore.SIN;
 var levelup = require('levelup');
 var memdown = require('memdown');
 var microtime = require('microtime');
+var MessageDb = require('../lib/MessageDb');
+var bitcore = require('bitcore');
+var SIN = bitcore.SIN;
+var Key = bitcore.Key;
+var AuthMessage = bitcore.AuthMessage;
 
 describe('MessageDb', function() {
   var opts = {
@@ -28,18 +30,23 @@ describe('MessageDb', function() {
     var mdb = MessageDb.default();
     expect(mdb).to.exist;
   });
-  var from = new SIN(new Buffer('dadbad00', 'hex'));
-  var to = new SIN(new Buffer('bacacafe', 'hex'));
-  var message = {
+  var fpk = Key.generateSync();
+  var tpk = Key.generateSync();
+  var from = fpk.public.toString('hex');
+  var to = tpk.public.toString('hex');
+  var messageData = {
     a: 1,
     b: 2
   };
-  var message2 = {};
-  var message3 = ['a', 'b'];
+  var messageData2 = {};
+  var messageData3 = ['a', 'b'];
+  var message = AuthMessage.encode(to, fpk, messageData);
+  var message2 = AuthMessage.encode(to, fpk, messageData2);
+  var message3 = AuthMessage.encode(to, fpk, messageData3);
   it('should be able to add and read a message', function(done) {
     var mdb = new MessageDb(opts);
     var lower_ts = microtime.now();
-    mdb.addMessage(message, from, to, function(err) {
+    mdb.addMessage(message, function(err) {
       expect(err).to.not.exist;
       var upper_ts = microtime.now();
       mdb.getMessages(from, to, lower_ts, upper_ts, function(err, messages) {
@@ -47,7 +54,7 @@ describe('MessageDb', function() {
         messages.length.should.equal(1);
         messages[0].ts.should.be.below(upper_ts);
         messages[0].ts.should.be.above(lower_ts);
-        var m = messages[0].message;
+        var m = AuthMessage.decode(tpk, messages[0]).payload;
         m.a.should.equal(1);
         m.b.should.equal(2);
         done();
@@ -57,23 +64,25 @@ describe('MessageDb', function() {
   it('should be able to add many messages and read them', function(done) {
     var mdb = new MessageDb(opts);
     var lower_ts = microtime.now();
-    mdb.addMessage(message, from, to, function(err) {
+    mdb.addMessage(message, function(err) {
       expect(err).to.not.exist;
-      mdb.addMessage(message2, from, to, function(err) {
+      mdb.addMessage(message2, function(err) {
         expect(err).to.not.exist;
         var upper_ts = microtime.now();
         setTimeout(function() {
-          mdb.addMessage(message3, from, to, function(err) {
+          mdb.addMessage(message3, function(err) {
             expect(err).to.not.exist;
             mdb.getMessages(from, to, lower_ts, upper_ts, function(err, messages) {
               expect(err).to.not.exist;
               messages.length.should.equal(2);
               messages[0].ts.should.be.below(upper_ts);
               messages[0].ts.should.be.above(lower_ts);
-              JSON.stringify(messages[0].message).should.equal('{"a":1,"b":2}');
+              var m0 = AuthMessage.decode(tpk, messages[0]).payload;
+              JSON.stringify(m0).should.equal('{"a":1,"b":2}');
               messages[1].ts.should.be.below(upper_ts);
               messages[1].ts.should.be.above(lower_ts);
-              JSON.stringify(messages[1].message).should.equal('{}');
+              var m1 = AuthMessage.decode(tpk, messages[1]).payload;
+              JSON.stringify(m1).should.equal('{}');
               done();
             });
           });