diff --git a/libraries/networking/src/Packet.cpp b/libraries/networking/src/Packet.cpp
index ca49100efe..6a02af803b 100644
--- a/libraries/networking/src/Packet.cpp
+++ b/libraries/networking/src/Packet.cpp
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@ std::unique_ptr<Packet> Packet::create(PacketType::Value type, qint64 size) {
     return std::unique_ptr<Packet>(new Packet(type, size));
 }
 
+
+std::unique_ptr<Packet> Packet::createCopy(const std::unique_ptr<Packet>& other) {
+    Q_ASSERT(other);
+    return std::unique_ptr<Packet>(new Packet(*other));
+}
+
 qint64 Packet::totalHeadersSize() const {
     return localHeaderSize();
 }
@@ -74,7 +80,6 @@ Packet& Packet::operator=(const Packet& other) {
     memcpy(_packet.get(), other._packet.get(), _packetSize);
     
     _payloadStart = _packet.get() + (other._payloadStart - other._packet.get());
-    _position = other._position;
     _capacity = other._capacity;
     
     _sizeUsed = other._sizeUsed;
@@ -91,7 +96,6 @@ Packet& Packet::operator=(Packet&& other) {
     _packet = std::move(other._packet);
     
     _payloadStart = other._payloadStart;
-    _position = other._position;
     _capacity = other._capacity;
     
     _sizeUsed = other._sizeUsed;
@@ -132,7 +136,7 @@ void Packet::setPacketTypeAndVersion(PacketType::Value type) {
     auto offset = packArithmeticallyCodedValue(type, _packet.get());
     
     // Pack the packet version
-    auto version { versionForPacketType(type) };
+    auto version = versionForPacketType(type);
     memcpy(_packet.get() + offset, &version, sizeof(version));
 }
 
@@ -144,14 +148,6 @@ void Packet::setSequenceNumber(SequenceNumber seqNum) {
            &seqNum, sizeof(seqNum));
 }
 
-bool Packet::seek(qint64 pos) {
-    bool valid = (pos >= 0) && (pos < size());
-    if (valid) {
-        _position = pos;
-    }
-    return valid;
-}
-
 static const qint64 PACKET_WRITE_ERROR = -1;
 qint64 Packet::writeData(const char* data, qint64 maxSize) {
     // make sure we have the space required to write this block
diff --git a/libraries/networking/src/Packet.h b/libraries/networking/src/Packet.h
index 6177cbd60e..63f6db8fda 100644
--- a/libraries/networking/src/Packet.h
+++ b/libraries/networking/src/Packet.h
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ public:
     using SequenceNumber = uint16_t;
     
     static std::unique_ptr<Packet> create(PacketType::Value type, int64_t size = -1);
+    // Provided for convenience, try to limit use
+    static std::unique_ptr<Packet> createCopy(const std::unique_ptr<Packet>& other);
     
     static qint64 localHeaderSize(PacketType::Value type);
     static qint64 maxPayloadSize(PacketType::Value type);
@@ -30,10 +32,14 @@ public:
     virtual qint64 totalHeadersSize() const; // Cumulated size of all the headers
     virtual qint64 localHeaderSize() const;  // Current level's header size
     
-    // Payload direct access, use responsibly!
+    // Payload direct access to the payload, use responsibly!
     char* getPayload() { return _payloadStart; }
     const char* getPayload() const { return _payloadStart; }
     
+    // Return direct access to the entire packet, use responsibly!
+    char* getData() { return _packet.get(); }
+    const char* getData() const { return _packet.get(); }
+    
     qint64 getSizeWithHeader() const { return localHeaderSize() + getSizeUsed(); }
     qint64 getSizeUsed() const { return _sizeUsed; }
     void setSizeUsed(qint64 sizeUsed) { _sizeUsed = sizeUsed; }
@@ -46,21 +52,12 @@ public:
     
     // QIODevice virtual functions
     // WARNING: Those methods all refer to the payload ONLY and NOT the entire packet
-    virtual bool atEnd() const { return _position == _capacity; }
-    virtual qint64 bytesAvailable() const { return size() - pos(); }
-    virtual bool canReadLine() const { return false; }
     virtual bool isSequential() const  { return false; }
-    virtual qint64 pos() const { return _position; }
-    virtual bool reset() { return seek(0); }
-    virtual bool seek(qint64 pos);
+    virtual bool reset() { setSizeUsed(0); return QIODevice::reset(); }
     virtual qint64 size() const { return _capacity; }
     
 protected:
     Packet(PacketType::Value type, int64_t size);
-    Packet(const Packet& other);
-    Packet& operator=(const Packet& other);
-    Packet(Packet&& other);
-    Packet& operator=(Packet&& other);
 
     // QIODevice virtual functions
     virtual qint64 writeData(const char* data, qint64 maxSize);
@@ -70,16 +67,21 @@ protected:
     void setPacketTypeAndVersion(PacketType::Value type);
     void setSequenceNumber(SequenceNumber seqNum);
     
-    PacketType::Value _type;
+    PacketType::Value _type;       // Packet type
     
     qint64 _packetSize = 0;        // Total size of the allocated memory
     std::unique_ptr<char> _packet; // Allocated memory
     
     char* _payloadStart = nullptr; // Start of the payload
-    qint64 _position = 0;          // Current position in the payload
     qint64 _capacity = 0;          // Total capacity of the payload
     
     qint64 _sizeUsed = 0;          // How much of the payload is actually used
+    
+private:
+    Packet(const Packet& other);
+    Packet& operator=(const Packet& other);
+    Packet(Packet&& other);
+    Packet& operator=(Packet&& other);
 };
 
 #endif // hifi_Packet_h
\ No newline at end of file