diff --git a/app/scripts/background.js b/app/scripts/background.js
index a4f80d7f6..f3dd8cbb6 100644
--- a/app/scripts/background.js
+++ b/app/scripts/background.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 const Dnode = require('dnode')
-const Multiplex = require('multiplex')
+const ObjectMultiplex = require('./lib/obj-multiplex')
 const eos = require('end-of-stream')
 const combineStreams = require('pumpify')
 const extend = require('xtend')
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ function onRpcRequest(remoteStream, payload){
 
 function handleInternalCommunication(portStream){
   // setup multiplexing
-  var mx = Multiplex()
+  var mx = ObjectMultiplex()
   portStream.pipe(mx).pipe(portStream)
   mx.on('error', function(err) {
     console.error(err)
@@ -99,15 +99,8 @@ function handleInternalCommunication(portStream){
     console.error(err)
     mx.destroy()
   })
-  var dnodeStream = mx.createSharedStream('dnode')
-  var providerStream = combineStreams.obj(
-    jsonStringifyStream(),
-    mx.createSharedStream('provider'),
-    jsonParseStream()
-  )
-
-  linkDnode(dnodeStream)
-  handleEthRpcRequestStream(providerStream)
+  linkDnode(mx.createStream('dnode'))
+  handleEthRpcRequestStream(mx.createStream('provider'))
 }
 
 function linkDnode(stream){
diff --git a/app/scripts/lib/obj-multiplex.js b/app/scripts/lib/obj-multiplex.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..333b6061f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/scripts/lib/obj-multiplex.js
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+const through = require('through2')
+
+module.exports = ObjectMultiplex
+
+
+function ObjectMultiplex(opts){
+  opts = opts || {}
+  // create multiplexer
+  var mx = through.obj(function(chunk, enc, cb) {
+    var name = chunk.name
+    var data = chunk.data
+    var substream = mx.streams[name]
+    if (!substream) {
+      console.warn("orphaned data for stream " + name)
+    } else {
+      substream.push(data)
+    }
+    return cb()
+  })
+  mx.streams = {}
+  // create substreams
+  mx.createStream = function(name) {
+    var substream = mx.streams[name] = through.obj(function(chunk, enc, cb) {
+      mx.push({
+        name: name,
+        data: chunk,
+      })
+      return cb()
+    })
+    mx.on('end', function() {
+      return substream.emit('end')
+    })
+    if (opts.error) {
+      mx.on('error', function() {
+        return substream.emit('error')
+      })
+    }
+    return substream
+  }
+  return mx
+}
diff --git a/app/scripts/popup.js b/app/scripts/popup.js
index 523ecbd8f..3049ff2c3 100644
--- a/app/scripts/popup.js
+++ b/app/scripts/popup.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 const url = require('url')
 const EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter
 const async = require('async')
-const Multiplex = require('multiplex')
+const ObjectMultiplex = require('./lib/obj-multiplex')
 const Dnode = require('dnode')
 const Web3 = require('web3')
 const MetaMaskUi = require('../../ui')
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ const MetaMaskUiCss = require('../../ui/css')
 const injectCss = require('inject-css')
 const PortStream = require('./lib/port-stream.js')
 const StreamProvider = require('./lib/stream-provider.js')
-const jsonParseStream = require('./lib/stream-utils.js').jsonParseStream
-const jsonStringifyStream = require('./lib/stream-utils.js').jsonStringifyStream
 
 // setup app
 var css = MetaMaskUiCss()
@@ -26,7 +24,7 @@ function connectToAccountManager(cb){
   var pluginPort = chrome.runtime.connect({name: 'popup'})
   var portStream = new PortStream(pluginPort)
   // setup multiplexing
-  var mx = Multiplex()
+  var mx = ObjectMultiplex()
   portStream.pipe(mx).pipe(portStream)
   mx.on('error', function(err) {
     console.error(err)
@@ -36,19 +34,13 @@ function connectToAccountManager(cb){
     console.error(err)
     mx.destroy()
   })
-  var dnodeStream = mx.createSharedStream('dnode')
-  var providerStream = mx.createSharedStream('provider')
-  linkDnode(dnodeStream, cb)
-  linkWeb3(providerStream)
+  linkDnode(mx.createStream('dnode'), cb)
+  linkWeb3(mx.createStream('provider'))
 }
 
 function linkWeb3(stream){
   var remoteProvider = new StreamProvider()
-  remoteProvider
-  .pipe(jsonStringifyStream())
-  .pipe(stream)
-  .pipe(jsonParseStream())
-  .pipe(remoteProvider)
+  remoteProvider.pipe(stream).pipe(remoteProvider)
   stream.on('error', console.error.bind(console))
   remoteProvider.on('error', console.error.bind(console))
   global.web3 = new Web3(remoteProvider)