diff --git a/src/stream_engine.cpp b/src/stream_engine.cpp
index 6cac0b08..6bbc72b0 100644
--- a/src/stream_engine.cpp
+++ b/src/stream_engine.cpp
@@ -63,12 +63,10 @@ zmq::stream_engine_t::stream_engine_t (fd_t fd_, const options_t &options_, cons
     endpoint (endpoint_),
     plugged (false),
     terminating (false),
+    read_msg (&stream_engine_t::read_identity),
+    write_msg (&stream_engine_t::write_identity),
     io_error (false),
     congested (false),
-    identity_received (false),
-    identity_sent (false),
-    rx_initialized (false),
-    tx_initialized (false),
     subscription_required (false),
     socket (NULL)
 {
@@ -157,6 +155,9 @@ void zmq::stream_engine_t::plug (io_thread_t *io_thread_,
 
         // disable handshaking for raw socket
         handshaking = false;
+
+        read_msg = &stream_engine_t::pull_msg_from_session;
+        write_msg = &stream_engine_t::push_msg_to_session;
     }
     else {
         //  Send the 'length' and 'flags' fields of the identity message.
@@ -248,7 +249,7 @@ void zmq::stream_engine_t::in_event ()
         insize -= processed;
         if (rc == 0 || rc == -1)
             break;
-        rc = write_msg (decoder->msg ());
+        rc = (this->*write_msg) (decoder->msg ());
         if (rc == -1)
             break;
     }
@@ -286,7 +287,7 @@ void zmq::stream_engine_t::out_event ()
         outsize = encoder->encode (&outpos, 0);
 
         while (outsize < out_batch_size) {
-            if (read_msg (&tx_msg) == -1)
+            if ((this->*read_msg) (&tx_msg) == -1)
                 break;
             encoder->load_msg (&tx_msg);
             unsigned char *bufptr = outpos + outsize;
@@ -355,7 +356,7 @@ void zmq::stream_engine_t::activate_in ()
     zmq_assert (session != NULL);
     zmq_assert (decoder != NULL);
 
-    int rc = write_msg (decoder->msg ());
+    int rc = (this->*write_msg) (decoder->msg ());
     if (rc == -1) {
         if (errno == EAGAIN)
             session->flush ();
@@ -372,7 +373,7 @@ void zmq::stream_engine_t::activate_in ()
         insize -= processed;
         if (rc == 0 || rc == -1)
             break;
-        rc = write_msg (decoder->msg ());
+        rc = (this->*write_msg) (decoder->msg ());
         if (rc == -1)
             break;
     }
@@ -499,60 +500,63 @@ bool zmq::stream_engine_t::handshake ()
     return true;
 }
 
-int zmq::stream_engine_t::read_msg (msg_t *msg_)
+int zmq::stream_engine_t::read_identity (msg_t *msg_)
 {
-    if (likely (tx_initialized || options.raw_sock))
-        return session->pull_msg (msg_);
-
-    if (!identity_sent) {
-        int rc = msg_->init_size (options.identity_size);
-        errno_assert (rc == 0);
+    int rc = msg_->init_size (options.identity_size);
+    errno_assert (rc == 0);
+    if (options.identity_size > 0)
         memcpy (msg_->data (), options.identity, options.identity_size);
-        identity_sent = true;
-        tx_initialized = true;
-        return 0;
-    }
-
-    tx_initialized = true;
+    read_msg = &stream_engine_t::pull_msg_from_session;
     return 0;
 }
 
-int zmq::stream_engine_t::write_msg (msg_t *msg_)
+int zmq::stream_engine_t::write_identity (msg_t *msg_)
 {
-    if (likely (rx_initialized || options.raw_sock))
-        return session->push_msg (msg_);
-
-    if (!identity_received) {
-        if (options.recv_identity) {
-            msg_->set_flags (msg_t::identity);
-            int rc = session->push_msg (msg_);
-            if (rc == -1)
-                return -1;
-        }
-        else {
-            int rc = msg_->close ();
-            errno_assert (rc == 0);
-            rc = msg_->init ();
-            errno_assert (rc == 0);
-        }
-
-        identity_received = true;
+    if (options.recv_identity) {
+        msg_->set_flags (msg_t::identity);
+        int rc = session->push_msg (msg_);
+        errno_assert (rc == 0);
     }
+    else {
+        int rc = msg_->close ();
+        errno_assert (rc == 0);
+        rc = msg_->init ();
+        errno_assert (rc == 0);
+    }
+
+    if (subscription_required)
+        write_msg = &stream_engine_t::write_subscription_msg;
+    else
+        write_msg = &stream_engine_t::push_msg_to_session;
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int zmq::stream_engine_t::pull_msg_from_session (msg_t *msg_)
+{
+    return session->pull_msg (msg_);
+}
+
+int zmq::stream_engine_t::push_msg_to_session (msg_t *msg_)
+{
+    return session->push_msg (msg_);
+}
+
+int zmq::stream_engine_t::write_subscription_msg (msg_t *msg_)
+{
+    msg_t subscription;
 
     //  Inject the subscription message, so that also
     //  ZMQ 2.x peers receive published messages.
-    if (subscription_required) {
-        int rc = msg_->init_size (1);
-        errno_assert (rc == 0);
-        *(unsigned char*) msg_->data () = 1;
-        rc = session->push_msg (msg_);
-        if (rc == -1)
-            return -1;
-        subscription_required = false;
-    }
+    int rc = subscription.init_size (1);
+    errno_assert (rc == 0);
+    *(unsigned char*) subscription.data () = 1;
+    rc = session->push_msg (&subscription);
+    if (rc == -1)
+       return -1;
 
-    rx_initialized = true;
-    return 0;
+    write_msg = &stream_engine_t::push_msg_to_session;
+    return push_msg_to_session (msg_);
 }
 
 void zmq::stream_engine_t::error ()
diff --git a/src/stream_engine.hpp b/src/stream_engine.hpp
index 3829f925..64e2a4a2 100644
--- a/src/stream_engine.hpp
+++ b/src/stream_engine.hpp
@@ -91,9 +91,13 @@ namespace zmq
         //  peer -1 is returned.
         int read (void *data_, size_t size_);
 
-        int read_msg (msg_t *msg_);
+        int read_identity (msg_t *msg_);
+        int write_identity (msg_t *msg_);
 
-        int write_msg (msg_t *msg_);
+        int pull_msg_from_session (msg_t *msg_);
+        int push_msg_to_session (msg_t *msg);
+
+        int write_subscription_msg (msg_t *msg_);
 
         //  Underlying socket.
         fd_t s;
@@ -137,24 +141,16 @@ namespace zmq
         bool plugged;
         bool terminating;
 
+        int (stream_engine_t::*read_msg) (msg_t *msg_);
+
+        int (stream_engine_t::*write_msg) (msg_t *msg_);
+
         bool io_error;
 
         //  True iff the session could not accept more
         //  messages due to flow control.
         bool congested;
 
-        //  True iff the engine has received identity message.
-        bool identity_received;
-
-        //  True iff the engine has sent identity message.
-        bool identity_sent;
-
-        //  True iff the engine has received all ZMTP control messages.
-        bool rx_initialized;
-
-        //  True iff the engine has sent all ZMTP control messages.
-        bool tx_initialized;
-
         //  Indicates whether the engine is to inject a phony
         //  subscription message into the incomming stream.
         //  Needed to support old peers.