diff --git a/toversok/actors/a_conn.go b/toversok/actors/a_conn.go
index e92cb2e..1d3bad4 100644
--- a/toversok/actors/a_conn.go
+++ b/toversok/actors/a_conn.go
@@ -275,13 +275,15 @@ func (ic *InConn) Ctx() context.Context {
 // This prevents routers from blocking when the conn is shutting down,
 // or if its blocked otherwise.
 func (ic *InConn) ForwardPacket(pkt []byte) {
-	select {
-	case ic.pktCh <- pkt:
-	default:
-		// TODO maybe convert dropping to timeout?
-		//  making lots of timers would be costly though
-		// TODO log? metric?
-	}
+	//select {
+	//case ic.pktCh <- pkt:
+	//default:
+	//	// TODO maybe convert dropping to timeout?
+	//	//  making lots of timers would be costly though
+	//	// TODO log? metric?
+	//}
+
+	ic.pktCh <- pkt
 }
 
 // Bump the activity timer.
diff --git a/toversok/actors/a_sockrecv.go b/toversok/actors/a_sockrecv.go
index 374da4a..3f4eb33 100644
--- a/toversok/actors/a_sockrecv.go
+++ b/toversok/actors/a_sockrecv.go
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 package actors
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"log/slog"
 	"net"
 	"net/netip"
 	"runtime/debug"
-	"slices"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/edup2p/common/types"
@@ -52,7 +52,9 @@ func (r *SockRecv) Run() {
 		}
 	}()
 
-	buf := make([]byte, 1<<16)
+	const MaxBuf = 1 << 16
+
+	var buf = [MaxBuf]byte{0}
 
 	for {
 		if r.ctx.Err() != nil {
@@ -65,7 +67,7 @@ func (r *SockRecv) Run() {
 			return
 		}
 
-		n, ap, err := r.Conn.ReadFromUDPAddrPort(buf)
+		n, ap, err := r.Conn.ReadFromUDPAddrPort(buf[:])
 
 		ts := time.Now()
 
@@ -92,7 +94,7 @@ func (r *SockRecv) Run() {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		pkt := slices.Clone(buf[:n])
+		pkt := bytes.Clone(buf[:n])
 
 		if r.ctx.Err() != nil {
 			return
diff --git a/usrwg/channel_conn.go b/usrwg/channel_conn.go
index 89581df..5d3259a 100644
--- a/usrwg/channel_conn.go
+++ b/usrwg/channel_conn.go
@@ -43,15 +43,19 @@ func (cc *ChannelConn) SetReadDeadline(t time.Time) error {
 func (cc *ChannelConn) ReadFromUDPAddrPort(b []byte) (n int, addr netip.AddrPort, err error) {
 	var val []byte
 
-	if cc.currentReadDeadline == (time.Time{}) {
-		// Block until value received.
-		val = <-cc.incoming
-	} else {
-		// Block until value or timeout.
-		select {
-		case val = <-cc.incoming:
-		case <-time.After(time.Until(cc.currentReadDeadline)):
-			return 0, netip.AddrPort{}, context.DeadlineExceeded
+	select {
+	case val = <-cc.incoming:
+	default:
+		if cc.currentReadDeadline == (time.Time{}) {
+			// Block until value received.
+			val = <-cc.incoming
+		} else {
+			// Block until value or timeout.
+			select {
+			case val = <-cc.incoming:
+			case <-time.After(time.Until(cc.currentReadDeadline)):
+				return 0, netip.AddrPort{}, context.DeadlineExceeded
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -110,8 +114,13 @@ func (cc *ChannelConn) putIn(pkt []byte, d time.Duration) (ok bool) {
 	select {
 	case cc.incoming <- pkt:
 		ok = true
-	case <-time.After(d):
-		ok = false
+	default:
+		select {
+		case cc.incoming <- pkt:
+			ok = true
+		case <-time.After(d):
+			ok = false
+		}
 	}
 
 	return