diff --git a/src/network/networkpacket.cpp b/src/network/networkpacket.cpp
index c99b987cf..5b7b51391 100644
--- a/src/network/networkpacket.cpp
+++ b/src/network/networkpacket.cpp
@@ -23,27 +23,10 @@ with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 #include "util/serialize.h"
 #include "networkprotocol.h"
 
-NetworkPacket::NetworkPacket(u16 command, u32 datasize, session_t peer_id):
-m_datasize(datasize), m_command(command), m_peer_id(peer_id)
-{
-	m_data.resize(m_datasize);
-}
-
-NetworkPacket::NetworkPacket(u16 command, u32 datasize):
-m_datasize(datasize), m_command(command)
-{
-	m_data.resize(m_datasize);
-}
-
-NetworkPacket::~NetworkPacket()
-{
-	m_data.clear();
-}
-
-void NetworkPacket::checkReadOffset(u32 from_offset, u32 field_size)
+void NetworkPacket::checkReadOffset(u32 from_offset, u32 field_size) const
 {
 	if (from_offset + field_size > m_datasize) {
-		std::stringstream ss;
+		std::ostringstream ss;
 		ss << "Reading outside packet (offset: " <<
 				from_offset << ", packet size: " << getSize() << ")";
 		throw PacketError(ss.str());
@@ -56,6 +39,7 @@ void NetworkPacket::putRawPacket(const u8 *data, u32 datasize, session_t peer_id
 	// This is not permitted
 	assert(m_command == 0);
 
+	assert(datasize >= 2);
 	m_datasize = datasize - 2;
 	m_peer_id = peer_id;
 
@@ -76,7 +60,7 @@ void NetworkPacket::clear()
 	m_peer_id = 0;
 }
 
-const char* NetworkPacket::getString(u32 from_offset)
+const char* NetworkPacket::getString(u32 from_offset) const
 {
 	checkReadOffset(from_offset, 0);
 
@@ -85,10 +69,7 @@ const char* NetworkPacket::getString(u32 from_offset)
 
 void NetworkPacket::putRawString(const char* src, u32 len)
 {
-	if (m_read_offset + len > m_datasize) {
-		m_datasize = m_read_offset + len;
-		m_data.resize(m_datasize);
-	}
+	checkDataSize(len);
 
 	if (len == 0)
 		return;
@@ -279,7 +260,7 @@ NetworkPacket& NetworkPacket::operator<<(bool src)
 {
 	checkDataSize(1);
 
-	writeU8(&m_data[m_read_offset], src);
+	writeU8(&m_data[m_read_offset], src ? 1 : 0);
 
 	m_read_offset += 1;
 	return *this;
@@ -329,7 +310,7 @@ NetworkPacket& NetworkPacket::operator>>(bool& dst)
 {
 	checkReadOffset(m_read_offset, 1);
 
-	dst = readU8(&m_data[m_read_offset]);
+	dst = readU8(&m_data[m_read_offset]) != 0;
 
 	m_read_offset += 1;
 	return *this;
@@ -360,7 +341,7 @@ u8* NetworkPacket::getU8Ptr(u32 from_offset)
 
 	checkReadOffset(from_offset, 1);
 
-	return (u8*)&m_data[from_offset];
+	return &m_data[from_offset];
 }
 
 NetworkPacket& NetworkPacket::operator>>(u16& dst)
diff --git a/src/network/networkpacket.h b/src/network/networkpacket.h
index b9c39f332..5f768f51a 100644
--- a/src/network/networkpacket.h
+++ b/src/network/networkpacket.h
@@ -20,19 +20,25 @@ with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 #pragma once
 
 #include "util/pointer.h"
-#include "util/numeric.h"
 #include "networkprotocol.h"
 #include <SColor.h>
 
 class NetworkPacket
 {
-
 public:
-	NetworkPacket(u16 command, u32 datasize, session_t peer_id);
-	NetworkPacket(u16 command, u32 datasize);
+	NetworkPacket(u16 command, u32 preallocate, session_t peer_id) :
+		m_command(command), m_peer_id(peer_id)
+	{
+		m_data.reserve(preallocate);
+	}
+	NetworkPacket(u16 command, u32 preallocate) :
+		m_command(command)
+	{
+		m_data.reserve(preallocate);
+	}
 	NetworkPacket() = default;
 
-	~NetworkPacket();
+	~NetworkPacket() = default;
 
 	void putRawPacket(const u8 *data, u32 datasize, session_t peer_id);
 	void clear();
@@ -40,13 +46,13 @@ public:
 	// Getters
 	u32 getSize() const { return m_datasize; }
 	session_t getPeerId() const { return m_peer_id; }
-	u16 getCommand() { return m_command; }
+	u16 getCommand() const { return m_command; }
 	u32 getRemainingBytes() const { return m_datasize - m_read_offset; }
 	const char *getRemainingString() { return getString(m_read_offset); }
 
 	// Returns a c-string without copying.
 	// A better name for this would be getRawString()
-	const char *getString(u32 from_offset);
+	const char *getString(u32 from_offset) const;
 	// major difference to putCString(): doesn't write len into the buffer
 	void putRawString(const char *src, u32 len);
 	void putRawString(const std::string &src)
@@ -115,11 +121,11 @@ public:
 	NetworkPacket &operator<<(video::SColor src);
 
 	// Temp, we remove SharedBuffer when migration finished
-	// ^ this comment has been here for 4 years
+	// ^ this comment has been here for 7 years
 	Buffer<u8> oldForgePacket();
 
 private:
-	void checkReadOffset(u32 from_offset, u32 field_size);
+	void checkReadOffset(u32 from_offset, u32 field_size) const;
 
 	inline void checkDataSize(u32 field_size)
 	{