diff --git a/zebra-chain/src/transaction/serialize.rs b/zebra-chain/src/transaction/serialize.rs
index 0efbb0a3..85d374f4 100644
--- a/zebra-chain/src/transaction/serialize.rs
+++ b/zebra-chain/src/transaction/serialize.rs
@@ -44,24 +44,22 @@ impl<P: ZkSnarkProof> ZcashSerialize for JoinSplitData<P> {
 
 impl<P: ZkSnarkProof> ZcashDeserialize for Option<JoinSplitData<P>> {
     fn zcash_deserialize<R: io::Read>(mut reader: R) -> Result<Self, SerializationError> {
-        let num_joinsplits = reader.read_compactsize()?;
-        match num_joinsplits {
-            0 => Ok(None),
-            n => {
-                let first = sprout::JoinSplit::zcash_deserialize(&mut reader)?;
-                let mut rest = Vec::with_capacity((n - 1) as usize);
-                for _ in 0..(n - 1) {
-                    rest.push(sprout::JoinSplit::zcash_deserialize(&mut reader)?);
-                }
-                let pub_key = reader.read_32_bytes()?.into();
-                let sig = reader.read_64_bytes()?.into();
-                Ok(Some(JoinSplitData {
-                    first,
-                    rest,
-                    pub_key,
-                    sig,
-                }))
-            }
+        let joinsplits: Vec<sprout::JoinSplit<P>> = Vec::zcash_deserialize(&mut reader)?;
+
+        if joinsplits.is_empty() {
+            Ok(None)
+        } else {
+            let (first, rest) = joinsplits
+                .split_first()
+                .expect("a non-empty Vec must have at least one entry");
+            let pub_key = reader.read_32_bytes()?.into();
+            let sig = reader.read_64_bytes()?.into();
+            Ok(Some(JoinSplitData {
+                first: first.clone(),
+                rest: rest.to_vec(),
+                pub_key,
+                sig,
+            }))
         }
     }
 }