diff --git a/zebra-network/src/protocol/external/codec.rs b/zebra-network/src/protocol/external/codec.rs
index 0b665235..10b79dad 100644
--- a/zebra-network/src/protocol/external/codec.rs
+++ b/zebra-network/src/protocol/external/codec.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 //! A Tokio codec mapping byte streams to Bitcoin message streams.
 
+use std::convert::TryInto;
 use std::fmt;
 use std::io::{Cursor, Read, Write};
 
@@ -278,7 +279,7 @@ impl Codec {
                 ref tweak,
                 ref flags,
             } => {
-                filter.zcash_serialize(&mut writer)?;
+                writer.write_all(&filter.0)?;
                 writer.write_u32::<LittleEndian>(*hash_functions_count)?;
                 writer.write_u32::<LittleEndian>(tweak.0)?;
                 writer.write_u8(*flags)?;
@@ -598,9 +599,19 @@ impl Codec {
         Ok(Message::Mempool)
     }
 
-    fn read_filterload<R: Read>(&self, mut reader: R) -> Result<Message, Error> {
+    fn read_filterload(&self, mut reader: Cursor<&BytesMut>) -> Result<Message, Error> {
+        const MAX_FILTER_LENGTH: usize = 36000;
+        const FILTERLOAD_REMAINDER_LENGTH: usize = 4 + 4 + 1;
+
+        let filter_length: usize = (reader.get_ref().len() - FILTERLOAD_REMAINDER_LENGTH)
+            .try_into()
+            .unwrap();
+
+        let mut filter_bytes = vec![0; std::cmp::min(filter_length, MAX_FILTER_LENGTH)];
+        reader.read_exact(&mut filter_bytes)?;
+
         Ok(Message::FilterLoad {
-            filter: Filter::zcash_deserialize(&mut reader)?,
+            filter: Filter(filter_bytes),
             hash_functions_count: reader.read_u32::<LittleEndian>()?,
             tweak: Tweak(reader.read_u32::<LittleEndian>()?),
             flags: reader.read_u8()?,
@@ -679,6 +690,76 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(v, v_parsed);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn filterload_message_round_trip() {
+        let rt = Runtime::new().unwrap();
+
+        let v = Message::FilterLoad {
+            filter: Filter(vec![0; 35999]),
+            hash_functions_count: 0,
+            tweak: Tweak(0),
+            flags: 0,
+        };
+
+        use tokio::codec::{FramedRead, FramedWrite};
+        use tokio::prelude::*;
+        let v_bytes = rt.block_on(async {
+            let mut bytes = Vec::new();
+            {
+                let mut fw = FramedWrite::new(&mut bytes, Codec::builder().finish());
+                fw.send(v.clone())
+                    .await
+                    .expect("message should be serialized");
+            }
+            bytes
+        });
+
+        let v_parsed = rt.block_on(async {
+            let mut fr = FramedRead::new(Cursor::new(&v_bytes), Codec::builder().finish());
+            fr.next()
+                .await
+                .expect("a next message should be available")
+                .expect("that message should deserialize")
+        });
+
+        assert_eq!(v, v_parsed);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn filterload_message_too_large_round_trip() {
+        let rt = Runtime::new().unwrap();
+
+        let v = Message::FilterLoad {
+            filter: Filter(vec![0; 40000]),
+            hash_functions_count: 0,
+            tweak: Tweak(0),
+            flags: 0,
+        };
+
+        use tokio::codec::{FramedRead, FramedWrite};
+        use tokio::prelude::*;
+        let v_bytes = rt.block_on(async {
+            let mut bytes = Vec::new();
+            {
+                let mut fw = FramedWrite::new(&mut bytes, Codec::builder().finish());
+                fw.send(v.clone())
+                    .await
+                    .expect("message should be serialized");
+            }
+            bytes
+        });
+
+        let v_parsed = rt.block_on(async {
+            let mut fr = FramedRead::new(Cursor::new(&v_bytes), Codec::builder().finish());
+            fr.next()
+                .await
+                .expect("a next message should be available")
+                .expect("that message should deserialize")
+        });
+
+        assert_ne!(v, v_parsed);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn decode_state_debug() {
         assert_eq!(format!("{:?}", DecodeState::Head), "DecodeState::Head");