diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.cpp
index d794495c29..55837e4107 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.cpp
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ Assignment::Assignment(Assignment::Command command, Assignment::Type type, Assig
     _location(location),
     _attachedPublicSocket(NULL),
     _attachedLocalSocket(NULL),
-    _numberOfInstances(1)
+    _numberOfInstances(1),
+    _payload(NULL),
+    _numPayloadBytes(0)
 {
     // set the create time on this assignment
     gettimeofday(&_time, NULL);
@@ -37,7 +39,9 @@ Assignment::Assignment(const unsigned char* dataBuffer, int numBytes) :
     _location(GlobalLocation),
     _attachedPublicSocket(NULL),
     _attachedLocalSocket(NULL),
-    _numberOfInstances(1)
+    _numberOfInstances(1),
+    _payload(NULL),
+    _numPayloadBytes(0)
 {
     // set the create time on this assignment
     gettimeofday(&_time, NULL);
@@ -65,23 +69,31 @@ Assignment::Assignment(const unsigned char* dataBuffer, int numBytes) :
     
     if (numBytes > numBytesRead) {
         
-        sockaddr* newSocket = NULL;
-        
-        if (dataBuffer[numBytesRead++] == IPv4_ADDRESS_DESIGNATOR) {
-            // IPv4 address
-            newSocket = (sockaddr*) new sockaddr_in;
-            unpackSocket(dataBuffer + numBytesRead, newSocket);
-        } else {
-            // IPv6 address, or bad designator
-            qDebug("Received a socket that cannot be unpacked!\n");
+        if (_command != Assignment::RequestCommand) {
+            sockaddr* newSocket = NULL;
+            
+            if (dataBuffer[numBytesRead++] == IPv4_ADDRESS_DESIGNATOR) {
+                // IPv4 address
+                newSocket = (sockaddr*) new sockaddr_in;
+                numBytesRead += unpackSocket(dataBuffer + numBytesRead, newSocket);
+                
+                if (_command == Assignment::CreateCommand) {
+                    delete _attachedLocalSocket;
+                    _attachedLocalSocket = newSocket;
+                } else {
+                    delete _attachedPublicSocket;
+                    _attachedPublicSocket = newSocket;
+                }
+            } else {
+                // IPv6 address, or bad designator
+                qDebug("Received a socket that cannot be unpacked!\n");
+            }
         }
         
-        if (_command == Assignment::CreateCommand) {
-            delete _attachedLocalSocket;
-            _attachedLocalSocket = newSocket;
-        } else {
-            delete _attachedPublicSocket;
-            _attachedPublicSocket = newSocket;
+        _numPayloadBytes = numBytes - numBytesRead;
+        
+        if (_numPayloadBytes > 0) {
+            memcpy(_payload, dataBuffer + numBytesRead, numBytes - numBytesRead);
         }
     }
 }
@@ -89,6 +101,25 @@ Assignment::Assignment(const unsigned char* dataBuffer, int numBytes) :
 Assignment::~Assignment() {
     delete _attachedPublicSocket;
     delete _attachedLocalSocket;
+    delete _payload;
+    _numPayloadBytes = 0;
+}
+
+const int MAX_PAYLOAD_BYTES = 1024;
+
+void Assignment::setPayload(uchar* payload, int numBytes) {
+    _payload = payload;
+    
+    if (numBytes > MAX_PAYLOAD_BYTES) {
+        qDebug("Set payload called with number of bytes greater than maximum (%d). Will only transfer %d bytes.\n",
+               MAX_PAYLOAD_BYTES,
+               MAX_PAYLOAD_BYTES);
+        
+        _numPayloadBytes = 1024;
+    } else {
+        _numPayloadBytes = numBytes;
+    }
+    
 }
 
 QString Assignment::getUUIDStringWithoutCurlyBraces() const {
@@ -141,6 +172,11 @@ int Assignment::packToBuffer(unsigned char* buffer) {
         numPackedBytes += packSocket(buffer + numPackedBytes, socketToPack);
     }
     
+    if (_numPayloadBytes) {
+        memcpy(buffer + numPackedBytes, _payload, _numPayloadBytes);
+        numPackedBytes += _numPayloadBytes;
+    }
+    
     return numPackedBytes;
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.h b/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.h
index 59e2c45db7..4f46ea9e7e 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.h
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/Assignment.h
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ public:
     Assignment::Location getLocation() const { return _location; }
     const timeval& getTime() const { return _time; }
     
+    uchar* getPayload() { return _payload; }
+    void setPayload(uchar *payload, int numBytes);
+    
     int getNumberOfInstances() const { return _numberOfInstances; }
     void setNumberOfInstances(int numberOfInstances) { _numberOfInstances = numberOfInstances; }
     void decrementNumberOfInstances() { --_numberOfInstances; }
@@ -83,6 +86,8 @@ private:
     sockaddr* _attachedLocalSocket; /// pointer to a local socket that relates to assignment, depends on direction
     timeval _time; /// time the assignment was created (set in constructor)
     int _numberOfInstances; /// the number of instances of this assignment
+    uchar *_payload; /// an optional payload attached to this assignment, a maximum for 1024 bytes will be packed
+    int _numPayloadBytes; /// number of bytes in the payload, up to a maximum of 1024
 };
 
 QDebug operator<<(QDebug debug, const Assignment &assignment);