diff --git a/src/net.h b/src/net.h
--- a/src/net.h
+++ b/src/net.h
@@ -756,12 +756,32 @@
     CNetMessage GetMessage(const Config &config, int64_t time) override;
 };
 
+/**
+ * The TransportSerializer prepares messages for the network transport
+ */
+class TransportSerializer {
+public:
+    // prepare message for transport (header construction, error-correction
+    // computation, payload encryption, etc.)
+    virtual void prepareForTransport(const Config &config,
+                                     CSerializedNetMsg &msg,
+                                     std::vector<uint8_t> &header) = 0;
+    virtual ~TransportSerializer() {}
+};
+
+class V1TransportSerializer : public TransportSerializer {
+public:
+    void prepareForTransport(const Config &config, CSerializedNetMsg &msg,
+                             std::vector<uint8_t> &header) override;
+};
+
 /** Information about a peer */
 class CNode {
     friend class CConnman;
 
 public:
     std::unique_ptr<TransportDeserializer> m_deserializer;
+    std::unique_ptr<TransportSerializer> m_serializer;
 
     // socket
     std::atomic<ServiceFlags> nServices{NODE_NONE};
diff --git a/src/net.cpp b/src/net.cpp
--- a/src/net.cpp
+++ b/src/net.cpp
@@ -750,6 +750,22 @@
     return msg;
 }
 
+void V1TransportSerializer::prepareForTransport(const Config &config,
+                                                CSerializedNetMsg &msg,
+                                                std::vector<uint8_t> &header) {
+    // create dbl-sha256 checksum
+    uint256 hash = Hash(msg.data.begin(), msg.data.end());
+
+    // create header
+    CMessageHeader hdr(config.GetChainParams().NetMagic(), msg.command.c_str(),
+                       msg.data.size());
+    memcpy(hdr.pchChecksum, hash.begin(), CMessageHeader::CHECKSUM_SIZE);
+
+    // serialize header
+    header.reserve(CMessageHeader::HEADER_SIZE);
+    CVectorWriter{SER_NETWORK, INIT_PROTO_VERSION, header, 0, hdr};
+}
+
 size_t CConnman::SocketSendData(CNode *pnode) const
     EXCLUSIVE_LOCKS_REQUIRED(pnode->cs_vSend) {
     size_t nSentSize = 0;
@@ -2932,6 +2948,8 @@
     m_deserializer = std::make_unique<V1TransportDeserializer>(
         V1TransportDeserializer(GetConfig().GetChainParams().NetMagic(),
                                 SER_NETWORK, INIT_PROTO_VERSION));
+    m_serializer =
+        std::make_unique<V1TransportSerializer>(V1TransportSerializer());
 }
 
 CNode::~CNode() {
@@ -2944,18 +2962,13 @@
 
 void CConnman::PushMessage(CNode *pnode, CSerializedNetMsg &&msg) {
     size_t nMessageSize = msg.data.size();
-    size_t nTotalSize = nMessageSize + CMessageHeader::HEADER_SIZE;
     LogPrint(BCLog::NET, "sending %s (%d bytes) peer=%d\n",
              SanitizeString(msg.command), nMessageSize, pnode->GetId());
 
+    // make sure we use the appropriate network transport format
     std::vector<uint8_t> serializedHeader;
-    serializedHeader.reserve(CMessageHeader::HEADER_SIZE);
-    uint256 hash = Hash(msg.data.data(), msg.data.data() + nMessageSize);
-    CMessageHeader hdr(config->GetChainParams().NetMagic(), msg.command.c_str(),
-                       nMessageSize);
-    memcpy(hdr.pchChecksum, hash.begin(), CMessageHeader::CHECKSUM_SIZE);
-
-    CVectorWriter{SER_NETWORK, INIT_PROTO_VERSION, serializedHeader, 0, hdr};
+    pnode->m_serializer->prepareForTransport(*config, msg, serializedHeader);
+    size_t nTotalSize = nMessageSize + serializedHeader.size();
 
     size_t nBytesSent = 0;
     {