diff --git a/docs/hiddenservice-protocol.md b/docs/hiddenservice-protocol.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1554f68a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/hiddenservice-protocol.md
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+# Hidden Service Message Protocol
+
+## Creating a hidden service
+
+```sequence
+Note left of alice: return header A ->
+Note left of alice: hidden service ->
+alice-->bob: relay
+bob-->charlie: relay
+charlie-->dave: relay
+note right of dave: <-introducer
+note left of dave: return header A <-
+dave-->charlie: gossip intro
+dave-->eve: gossip intro
+dave-->bob: gossip intro
+```
+## Requesting connection from introducer
+
+```sequence
+Note left of eve: return header B ->
+eve-->dave: routing request
+Note left of dave: -> return header A
+dave-->charlie: relay
+charlie-->bob: relay
+bob-->alice: relay
+note right of alice: <- return header B
+alice-->bob: ready
+note left of alice: return header C <-
+bob-->charlie: 
+charlie-->eve: 
+note left of eve: return header C ->
+```
+## Request/Response Cycle
+
+```sequence
+note left of eve: return header C ->
+Note left of eve: request message ->
+Note right of eve: -> return header D
+eve-->charlie: return onion
+charlie-->bob: return onion
+bob-->alice: return onion
+Note right of alice: <- return header D
+Note left of alice: reply message <-
+note left of alice: return header E <-
+alice-->bob: next request...
+bob-->charlie:
+note right of eve: <- return header E
+charlie-->eve: 
+note left of eve: new request message ->
+note left of eve: return header F ->
+eve-->charlie: etc
+charlie-->bob: etc
+bob-->alice: and so on
+
+```
+
diff --git a/pkg/engine/hiddenroute.go b/pkg/engine/hiddenroute.go
index 1f536895..54dd16ce 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/hiddenroute.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/hiddenroute.go
@@ -19,23 +19,19 @@ func init() { Register(HiddenRouteMagic, HiddenRoutePrototype) }
 
 type HiddenRoute struct {
 	*pub.Key
-	recv  *pub.Key
-	Cloak cloak.PubKey
 	Onion
 }
 
-func (o Skins) HiddenRoute(addr, recv *pub.Key) Skins {
+func (o Skins) HiddenRoute(addr *pub.Key) Skins {
 	return append(o, &HiddenRoute{
-		Key:   addr,
-		recv:  recv,
-		Cloak: cloak.GetCloak(recv),
+		Key: addr,
 	})
 }
 
 func (x *HiddenRoute) Magic() string { return HiddenRouteMagic }
 
 func (x *HiddenRoute) Encode(s *octet.Splice) (e error) {
-	s.Magic(HiddenRouteMagic).Pubkey(x.Key).Cloak(x.recv)
+	s.Magic(HiddenRouteMagic).Pubkey(x.Key)
 	if x.Onion != nil {
 		return x.Onion.Encode(s)
 	}
@@ -46,8 +42,7 @@ func (x *HiddenRoute) Decode(s *octet.Splice) (e error) {
 	if e = magic.TooShort(s.Remaining(), HiddenRouteLen-magic.Len,
 		HiddenRouteMagic); check(e) {
 		
-		s.ReadPubkey(&x.Key).
-			ReadCloak(&x.Cloak)
+		s.ReadPubkey(&x.Key)
 		return
 	}
 	return
@@ -64,9 +59,9 @@ func (x *HiddenRoute) Handle(s *octet.Splice, p Onion,
 	return
 }
 
-func MakeHiddenRoute(addr, recv *pub.Key, header slice.Bytes,
+func MakeHiddenRoute(addr *pub.Key, header slice.Bytes,
 	r *Routing) (o Skins) {
 	
-	o = o.Triple(header).HiddenRoute(addr, recv).RoutingHeader(r)
+	o = o.Triple(header).HiddenRoute(addr).RoutingHeader(r)
 	return
 }
diff --git a/pkg/engine/route.go b/pkg/engine/route.go
index c27b638b..d21db23c 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/route.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/route.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"git-indra.lan/indra-labs/indra/pkg/crypto/sha256"
 	"git-indra.lan/indra-labs/indra/pkg/engine/magic"
 	"git-indra.lan/indra-labs/indra/pkg/util/octet"
+	"git-indra.lan/indra-labs/indra/pkg/util/slice"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -22,7 +23,10 @@ func RoutePrototype() Onion { return &Route{} }
 func init() { Register(RouteMagic, RoutePrototype) }
 
 type Route struct {
-	HiddenService, Receiver *pub.Key
+	HiddenService *pub.Key
+	// Header is the 3 layer header to use with the following cipher and
+	// nonces to package the return message.
+	Header slice.Bytes
 	// Ciphers is a set of 3 symmetric ciphers that are to be used in their
 	// given order over the reply message from the service.
 	Ciphers [3]sha256.Hash
@@ -32,10 +36,11 @@ type Route struct {
 	Onion
 }
 
-func (o Skins) Route(key, receiver *pub.Key, point *ExitPoint) Skins {
+func (o Skins) Route(key *pub.Key, header slice.Bytes,
+	point *ExitPoint) Skins {
 	return append(o, &Route{
 		HiddenService: key,
-		Receiver:      receiver,
+		Header:        header,
 		Ciphers:       GenCiphers(point.Keys, point.ReturnPubs),
 		Nonces:        point.Nonces,
 		Onion:         NewTmpl(),
@@ -47,7 +52,7 @@ func (x *Route) Magic() string { return TmplMagic }
 func (x *Route) Encode(s *octet.Splice) (e error) {
 	s.Magic(RouteMagic).
 		Pubkey(x.HiddenService).
-		Pubkey(x.Receiver).
+		Bytes(x.Header).
 		HashTriple(x.Ciphers).
 		IVTriple(x.Nonces)
 	if x.Onion != nil {
@@ -62,7 +67,7 @@ func (x *Route) Decode(s *octet.Splice) (e error) {
 		return
 	}
 	s.ReadPubkey(&x.HiddenService).
-		ReadPubkey(&x.Receiver).
+		ReadBytes(&x.Header).
 		ReadHashTriple(&x.Ciphers).
 		ReadIVTriple(&x.Nonces)
 	return
@@ -109,7 +114,7 @@ func (x *Route) Handle(s *octet.Splice, p Onion,
 				},
 				Nonces: [3]nonce.IV{n[0], n[1], n[2]},
 			}
-			hr := MakeHiddenRoute(hb.Intro.Key, x.Receiver, hb.Bytes, r)
+			hr := MakeHiddenRoute(hb.Intro.Key, hb.Bytes, r)
 			ob := hr.Assemble()
 			encoded := Encode(ob)
 			rb := FormatReply(hb.Bytes.ToBytes(), encoded.GetRange(-1, -1),
@@ -133,17 +138,17 @@ func (x *Route) Handle(s *octet.Splice, p Onion,
 	}
 }
 
-func MakeRoute(hs, recv *pub.Key, target *SessionData, s Circuit,
+func MakeRoute(hs *pub.Key, header slice.Bytes, target *SessionData, s Circuit,
 	ks *signer.KeySet) Skins {
 	headers := GetHeaders(target, s, ks)
 	return Skins{}.
 		RoutingHeader(headers.Forward).
-		Route(hs, recv, headers.ExitPoint()).
+		Route(hs, header, headers.ExitPoint()).
 		RoutingHeader(headers.Return)
 }
 
-func (ng *Engine) SendRoute(hs, recv *pub.Key, target *SessionData,
-	hook Callback) {
+func (ng *Engine) SendRoute(hs *pub.Key, header slice.Bytes,
+	target *SessionData, hook Callback) {
 	
 	log.D.Ln("sending route", hs.ToBase32Abbreviated())
 	hops := StandardCircuit()
@@ -152,7 +157,7 @@ func (ng *Engine) SendRoute(hs, recv *pub.Key, target *SessionData,
 	se := ng.SelectHops(hops, s)
 	var c Circuit
 	copy(c[:], se)
-	o := MakeRoute(hs, recv, c[2], c, ng.KeySet)
+	o := MakeRoute(hs, header, c[2], c, ng.KeySet)
 	log.D.Ln("sending out route request onion")
 	res := ng.PostAcctOnion(o)
 	ng.SendWithOneHook(c[0].AddrPort, res, hook, ng.PendingResponses)
diff --git a/pkg/engine/route_test.go b/pkg/engine/route_test.go
index 271c1675..e36464f3 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/route_test.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/route_test.go
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ func TestEngine_Route(t *testing.T) {
 	// peers := clients[1:]
 	delete(client.Introductions.KnownIntros, idPub.ToBytes())
 	rH := client.SessionManager.GetSessionsAtHop(2)
-	for i := range rH {
+	for _ = range rH {
 		wg.Add(1)
 		counter.Inc()
 		if len(rH) > 1 {
@@ -100,7 +100,6 @@ func TestEngine_Route(t *testing.T) {
 			func(id nonce.ID, k *pub.Bytes, b slice.Bytes) (e error) {
 				wg.Done()
 				counter.Dec()
-				log.I.Ln("success", i)
 				return
 			})
 		wg.Wait()