diff --git a/JKMP.Plugin.Multiplayer/Matchmaking/MatchmakingManager.cs b/JKMP.Plugin.Multiplayer/Matchmaking/MatchmakingManager.cs
index e424bf5..f30c3a0 100644
--- a/JKMP.Plugin.Multiplayer/Matchmaking/MatchmakingManager.cs
+++ b/JKMP.Plugin.Multiplayer/Matchmaking/MatchmakingManager.cs
@@ -88,6 +88,11 @@ await Client.Connect(endpoint,
                         {
                             break;
                         }
+                        catch (Exception ex)
+                        {
+                            Logger.Error(ex, "Matchmaking thread raised an unhandled exception");
+                            // Ignore for now to ensure we don't crash the game
+                        }
 
                         if (matchmakingCancellationSource.IsCancellationRequested)
                             break;
diff --git a/Matchmaking.Client/Networking/Framed.cs b/Matchmaking.Client/Networking/Framed.cs
index d5eb60d..02ed09d 100644
--- a/Matchmaking.Client/Networking/Framed.cs
+++ b/Matchmaking.Client/Networking/Framed.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Net.Sockets;
@@ -30,34 +31,134 @@ public Framed(TStream stream, TCodec sink)
             if (!Stream.CanRead)
                 return default;
 
-            int numBytes;
+            Tuple<bool, ulong> msgLengthTuple = await ReadMessageLength(Stream);
 
+            if (!msgLengthTuple.Item1)
+                return default;
+
+            ulong messageLength = msgLengthTuple.Item2;
+            
+            byte varIntLength = EncodingUtility.GetVarIntLength(messageLength);
+
+            if (messageLength > int.MaxValue || (int)messageLength > recvBuffer.Length)
+                throw new InvalidDataException($"Message too large (length = {msgLengthTuple})");
+
+            if (!await ReadBytes(Stream, (int)messageLength, recvBuffer))
+                return default;
+            
+            // tfw no span
+            byte[] bytes = new byte[messageLength + varIntLength];
+            
+            // Write message length to first n bytes
+            using (var writer = new BinaryWriter(new MemoryStream(bytes, true)))
+            {
+                writer.WriteVarInt(messageLength);
+            }
+
+            Array.Copy(recvBuffer, 0, bytes, varIntLength, (int)messageLength);
+
+            using var memoryStream = new MemoryStream(bytes);
+            using var reader = new BinaryReader(memoryStream);
+                
             try
             {
-                numBytes = await Stream.ReadAsync(recvBuffer, 0, recvBuffer.Length, cancellationToken);
+                return Codec.Decode(reader);
             }
-            catch (ObjectDisposedException) // Socket was closed
+            catch (FormatException ex)
             {
-                return default;
+                throw new FormatException($"Decoding incoming message failed.\nBytes: [{BytesToString(bytes)}]", ex);
             }
-            catch (TaskCanceledException)
+        }
+
+        private async Task<Tuple<bool, ulong>> ReadMessageLength(TStream stream)
+        {
+            Tuple<bool, ulong> Success(ulong val) => new(true, val);
+            Tuple<bool, ulong> Fail() => new(false, default);
+
+            byte[] discriminatorBytes = new byte[1];
+            if (!await ReadBytes(stream, 1, discriminatorBytes))
+                return Fail();
+
+            var varIntLength = EncodingUtility.GetVarIntLength(discriminatorBytes[0]);
+
+            switch (varIntLength)
             {
-                return default;
+                case 1: // byte
+                    return Success(discriminatorBytes[0]);
+                case 3: // ushort
+                {
+                    byte[] bytes = new byte[2];
+
+                    if (!await ReadBytes(stream, 2, bytes))
+                        return Fail();
+
+                    return Success(BitConverter.ToUInt16(bytes, 0));
+                }
+                case 5: // uint
+                {
+                    byte[] bytes = new byte[4];
+
+                    if (!await ReadBytes(stream, 4, bytes))
+                        return Fail();
+
+                    return Success(BitConverter.ToUInt32(bytes, 0));
+                }
+                case 9: // ulong
+                {
+                    byte[] bytes = new byte[8];
+
+                    if (!await ReadBytes(stream, 8, bytes))
+                        return Fail();
+
+                    return Success(BitConverter.ToUInt64(bytes, 0));
+                }
+                default: throw new NotImplementedException();
             }
+        }
 
-            if (numBytes == 0) // EOF/Disconnected
-                return default;
+        private async Task<bool> ReadBytes(TStream stream, int length, byte[] buffer)
+        {
+            int numBytes = 0;
 
-            // tfw no span
-            byte[] bytes = new byte[numBytes];
-            Array.Copy(recvBuffer, bytes, numBytes);
+            while (numBytes < length)
+            {
+                int read;
 
-            using var memoryStream = new MemoryStream(bytes);
-            using var reader = new BinaryReader(memoryStream);
+                try
+                {
+                    read = await stream.ReadAsync(buffer, numBytes, length - numBytes);
+                }
+                catch (ObjectDisposedException) // Socket was closed
+                {
+                    return false;
+                }
+                catch (TaskCanceledException)
+                {
+                    return false;
+                }
 
-            // todo: support reading multiple messages in a packet
-                
-            return Codec.Decode(reader);
+                if (read == 0)
+                    return false;
+
+                numBytes += read;
+            }
+
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        private string BytesToString(byte[] bytes)
+        {
+            StringBuilder builder = new();
+
+            for (int i = 0; i < bytes.Length; ++i)
+            {
+                builder.Append("0x" + bytes[i].ToString("X2"));
+
+                if (i < bytes.Length - 1)
+                    builder.Append(", ");
+            }
+
+            return builder.ToString();
         }
 
         public async Task<bool> Send(TData data)
diff --git a/Matchmaking.Client/Networking/MessagesCodec.cs b/Matchmaking.Client/Networking/MessagesCodec.cs
index d97602c..bb233bd 100644
--- a/Matchmaking.Client/Networking/MessagesCodec.cs
+++ b/Matchmaking.Client/Networking/MessagesCodec.cs
@@ -53,10 +53,10 @@ public override Message Decode(BinaryReader reader)
             Message message = (Message)Activator.CreateInstance(clrType);
             message.Deserialize(reader);
 
-            available = (ulong)(reader.BaseStream.Position - reader.BaseStream.Length);
+            available = (ulong)(reader.BaseStream.Length - reader.BaseStream.Position);
             
             if (available > 0)
-                throw new FormatException($"Deserialized message did not consume the full length of the message (remaining bytes: {available}");
+                throw new FormatException($"Deserialized message did not consume the full length of the message (remaining bytes: {available})");
 
             return message;
         }
diff --git a/Resources/UI/Chat/ChatMessage.xmmp b/Resources/UI/Chat/ChatMessage.xmmp
index 55bac1b..7f46ad8 100644
--- a/Resources/UI/Chat/ChatMessage.xmmp
+++ b/Resources/UI/Chat/ChatMessage.xmmp
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
             <Proportion Type="Auto" />
         </HorizontalStackPanel.Proportions>
         <HorizontalStackPanel>
-            <Label Id="Name" Font="Fonts/OpenSans-Bold.ttf:22" SupportsCommands="False" />
-            <Label Id="Time" Font="Fonts/OpenSans-Bold.ttf:16" VerticalAlignment="Center" Padding="5, 0, 0, 0" />
+            <Label Id="Name" Font="Fonts/OpenSans-Bold.ttf:22" SupportsCommands="False" Padding="0, 0, 5, 0" />
+            <Label Id="Time" Font="Fonts/OpenSans-Bold.ttf:16" VerticalAlignment="Center" />
         </HorizontalStackPanel>
         <Label Id="Channel" Font="Fonts/OpenSans-Bold.ttf:22" />
     </HorizontalStackPanel>