diff --git a/src/privsep-root.c b/src/privsep-root.c
index 28dfcc4d..5f9b9401 100644
--- a/src/privsep-root.c
+++ b/src/privsep-root.c
@@ -71,21 +71,20 @@ struct psr_ctx {
 	struct psr_error psr_error;
 	size_t psr_datalen;
 	void *psr_data;
-	size_t psr_mdatalen;
-	void *psr_mdata;
-	bool psr_usemdata;
+	bool psr_mallocdata;
 };
 
 static ssize_t
-ps_root_readerrorcb(struct psr_ctx *psr_ctx)
+ps_root_readerrorcb(struct psr_ctx *pc)
 {
-	struct dhcpcd_ctx *ctx = psr_ctx->psr_ctx;
+	struct dhcpcd_ctx *ctx = pc->psr_ctx;
 	int fd = PS_ROOT_FD(ctx);
-	struct psr_error *psr_error = &psr_ctx->psr_error;
+	struct psr_error *psr_error = &pc->psr_error;
 	struct iovec iov[] = {
 		{ .iov_base = psr_error, .iov_len = sizeof(*psr_error) },
-		{ .iov_base = NULL, .iov_len = 0 },
+		{ .iov_base = pc->psr_data, .iov_len = pc->psr_datalen },
 	};
+	struct msghdr msg = { .msg_iov = iov, .msg_iovlen = __arraycount(iov) };
 	ssize_t len;
 
 #define PSR_ERROR(e)				\
@@ -98,81 +97,84 @@ ps_root_readerrorcb(struct psr_ctx *psr_ctx)
 	if (eloop_waitfd(fd) == -1)
 		PSR_ERROR(errno);
 
-	len = recv(fd, psr_error, sizeof(*psr_error), MSG_PEEK);
+	if (!pc->psr_mallocdata)
+		goto recv;
+
+	/* We peek at the psr_error structure to tell us how much of a buffer
+	 * we need to read the whole packet. */
+	msg.msg_iovlen--;
+	len = recvmsg(fd, &msg, MSG_PEEK | MSG_WAITALL);
 	if (len == -1)
 		PSR_ERROR(errno);
-	else if ((size_t)len < sizeof(*psr_error))
-		PSR_ERROR(EINVAL);
 
-	if (psr_error->psr_datalen > SSIZE_MAX)
-		PSR_ERROR(ENOBUFS);
-	if (psr_ctx->psr_usemdata &&
-	    psr_error->psr_datalen > psr_ctx->psr_mdatalen)
-	{
-		void *d = realloc(psr_ctx->psr_mdata, psr_error->psr_datalen);
-		if (d == NULL)
-			PSR_ERROR(errno);
-		psr_ctx->psr_mdata = d;
-		psr_ctx->psr_mdatalen = psr_error->psr_datalen;
+	/* After this point, we MUST do another recvmsg even on a failure
+	 * to remove the message after peeking. */
+	if ((size_t)len < sizeof(*psr_error)) {
+		/* We can't use the header to work out buffers, so
+		 * remove the message and bail. */
+		(void)recvmsg(fd, &msg, MSG_WAITALL);
+		PSR_ERROR(EINVAL);
 	}
-	if (psr_error->psr_datalen != 0) {
-		if (psr_ctx->psr_usemdata)
-			iov[1].iov_base = psr_ctx->psr_mdata;
-		else {
-			if (psr_error->psr_datalen > psr_ctx->psr_datalen)
-				PSR_ERROR(ENOBUFS);
-			iov[1].iov_base = psr_ctx->psr_data;
-		}
+
+	/* No data to read? Unlikely but ... */
+	if (psr_error->psr_datalen == 0)
+		goto recv;
+
+	pc->psr_data = malloc(psr_error->psr_datalen);
+	if (pc->psr_data != NULL) {
+		iov[1].iov_base = pc->psr_data;
 		iov[1].iov_len = psr_error->psr_datalen;
+		msg.msg_iovlen++;
 	}
 
-	len = readv(fd, iov, __arraycount(iov));
+recv:
+	len = recvmsg(fd, &msg, MSG_WAITALL);
 	if (len == -1)
 		PSR_ERROR(errno);
-	else if ((size_t)len != sizeof(*psr_error) + psr_error->psr_datalen)
+	else if ((size_t)len < sizeof(*psr_error))
 		PSR_ERROR(EINVAL);
+	else if (msg.msg_flags & MSG_TRUNC)
+		PSR_ERROR(ENOBUFS);
+	else if ((size_t)len != sizeof(*psr_error) + psr_error->psr_datalen) {
+		logerrx("%s: recvmsg returned %zd, expecting %zu", __func__,
+		    len, sizeof(*psr_error) + psr_error->psr_datalen);
+		PSR_ERROR(EBADMSG);
+	}
 	return len;
 }
 
 ssize_t
 ps_root_readerror(struct dhcpcd_ctx *ctx, void *data, size_t len)
 {
-	struct psr_ctx *pc = ctx->ps_root->psp_data;
+	struct psr_ctx pc = {
+		.psr_ctx = ctx,
+		.psr_data = data,
+		.psr_datalen = len,
+		.psr_mallocdata = false
+	};
 
-	pc->psr_data = data;
-	pc->psr_datalen = len;
-	pc->psr_usemdata = false;
-	ps_root_readerrorcb(pc);
+	ps_root_readerrorcb(&pc);
 
-	errno = pc->psr_error.psr_errno;
-	return pc->psr_error.psr_result;
+	errno = pc.psr_error.psr_errno;
+	return pc.psr_error.psr_result;
 }
 
 ssize_t
 ps_root_mreaderror(struct dhcpcd_ctx *ctx, void **data, size_t *len)
 {
-	struct psr_ctx *pc = ctx->ps_root->psp_data;
-	void *d;
+	struct psr_ctx pc = {
+		.psr_ctx = ctx,
+		.psr_data = NULL,
+		.psr_datalen = 0,
+		.psr_mallocdata = true
+	};
 
-	pc->psr_usemdata = true;
-	ps_root_readerrorcb(pc);
+	ps_root_readerrorcb(&pc);
 
-	if (pc->psr_error.psr_datalen != 0) {
-		if (pc->psr_error.psr_datalen > pc->psr_mdatalen) {
-			errno = EINVAL;
-			return -1;
-		}
-		d = malloc(pc->psr_error.psr_datalen);
-		if (d == NULL)
-			return -1;
-		memcpy(d, pc->psr_mdata, pc->psr_error.psr_datalen);
-	} else
-		d = NULL;
-
-	errno = pc->psr_error.psr_errno;
-	*data = d;
-	*len = pc->psr_error.psr_datalen;
-	return pc->psr_error.psr_result;
+	errno = pc.psr_error.psr_errno;
+	*data = pc.psr_data;
+	*len = pc.psr_error.psr_datalen;
+	return pc.psr_error.psr_result;
 }
 
 static ssize_t
@@ -196,6 +198,8 @@ ps_root_writeerror(struct dhcpcd_ctx *ctx, ssize_t result,
 	logdebugx("%s: result %zd errno %d", __func__, result, errno);
 #endif
 
+	if (len == 0)
+		msg.msg_iovlen = 1;
 	err = sendmsg(fd, &msg, MSG_EOR);
 
 	/* Error sending the message? Try sending the error of sending. */
@@ -204,8 +208,8 @@ ps_root_writeerror(struct dhcpcd_ctx *ctx, ssize_t result,
 		    __func__, result, data, len);
 		psr.psr_result = err;
 		psr.psr_errno = errno;
-		iov[1].iov_base = NULL;
-		iov[1].iov_len = 0;
+		psr.psr_datalen = 0;
+		msg.msg_iovlen = 1;
 		err = sendmsg(fd, &msg, MSG_EOR);
 	}
 
@@ -602,7 +606,7 @@ ps_root_recvmsgcb(void *arg, struct ps_msghdr *psm, struct msghdr *msg)
 		break;
 	}
 
-	err = ps_root_writeerror(ctx, err, rlen != 0 ? rdata : 0, rlen);
+	err = ps_root_writeerror(ctx, err, rdata, rlen);
 	if (free_rdata)
 		free(rdata);
 	return err;
@@ -843,17 +847,6 @@ ps_root_log(void *arg, unsigned short events)
 		logerr(__func__);
 }
 
-static void
-ps_root_freepsdata(void *arg)
-{
-	struct psr_ctx *pc = arg;
-
-	if (pc == NULL)
-		return;
-	free(pc->psr_mdata);
-	free(pc);
-}
-
 pid_t
 ps_root_start(struct dhcpcd_ctx *ctx)
 {
@@ -864,7 +857,6 @@ ps_root_start(struct dhcpcd_ctx *ctx)
 	struct ps_process *psp;
 	int logfd[2] = { -1, -1}, datafd[2] = { -1, -1};
 	pid_t pid;
-	struct psr_ctx *pc;
 
 	if (xsocketpair(AF_UNIX, SOCK_SEQPACKET | SOCK_CXNB, 0, logfd) == -1)
 		return -1;
@@ -883,27 +875,15 @@ ps_root_start(struct dhcpcd_ctx *ctx)
 		return -1;
 #endif
 
-	pc = calloc(1, sizeof(*pc));
-	if (pc == NULL)
-		return -1;
-	pc->psr_ctx = ctx;
-
 	psp = ctx->ps_root = ps_newprocess(ctx, &id);
 	if (psp == NULL)
-	{
-		free(pc);
 		return -1;
-	}
-	psp->psp_freedata = ps_root_freepsdata;
+
 	strlcpy(psp->psp_name, "privileged proxy", sizeof(psp->psp_name));
 	pid = ps_startprocess(psp, ps_root_recvmsg, NULL,
 	    ps_root_startcb, PSF_ELOOP);
-	if (pid == -1) {
-		free(pc);
+	if (pid == -1)
 		return -1;
-	}
-
-	psp->psp_data = pc;
 
 	if (pid == 0) {
 		ctx->ps_log_fd = logfd[0]; /* Keep open to pass to processes */
diff --git a/src/privsep.c b/src/privsep.c
index 7a81c196..1cb2dd77 100644
--- a/src/privsep.c
+++ b/src/privsep.c
@@ -761,11 +761,6 @@ ps_freeprocess(struct ps_process *psp)
 
 	TAILQ_REMOVE(&ctx->ps_processes, psp, next);
 
-	if (psp->psp_freedata != NULL)
-		psp->psp_freedata(psp->psp_data);
-	else
-		free(psp->psp_data);
-
 	if (psp->psp_fd != -1) {
 		eloop_event_delete(ctx->eloop, psp->psp_fd);
 		close(psp->psp_fd);
diff --git a/src/privsep.h b/src/privsep.h
index 37380d4c..496c9cd5 100644
--- a/src/privsep.h
+++ b/src/privsep.h
@@ -184,8 +184,6 @@ struct ps_process {
 	char psp_name[PSP_NAMESIZE];
 	uint16_t psp_proto;
 	const char *psp_protostr;
-	void *psp_data;
-	void (*psp_freedata)(void *);
 	bool psp_started;
 
 #ifdef INET