diff --git a/proto/tendermint/blocksync/message.go b/proto/tendermint/blocksync/message.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1840c4e61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proto/tendermint/blocksync/message.go
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+package blocksync
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/proto"
+)
+
+const (
+	BlockResponseMessagePrefixSize   = 4
+	BlockResponseMessageFieldKeySize = 1
+)
+
+// Wrap implements the p2p Wrapper interface and wraps a blockchain message.
+func (m *Message) Wrap(pb proto.Message) error {
+	switch msg := pb.(type) {
+	case *BlockRequest:
+		m.Sum = &Message_BlockRequest{BlockRequest: msg}
+
+	case *BlockResponse:
+		m.Sum = &Message_BlockResponse{BlockResponse: msg}
+
+	case *NoBlockResponse:
+		m.Sum = &Message_NoBlockResponse{NoBlockResponse: msg}
+
+	case *StatusRequest:
+		m.Sum = &Message_StatusRequest{StatusRequest: msg}
+
+	case *StatusResponse:
+		m.Sum = &Message_StatusResponse{StatusResponse: msg}
+
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("unknown message: %T", msg)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Unwrap implements the p2p Wrapper interface and unwraps a wrapped blockchain
+// message.
+func (m *Message) Unwrap() (proto.Message, error) {
+	switch msg := m.Sum.(type) {
+	case *Message_BlockRequest:
+		return m.GetBlockRequest(), nil
+
+	case *Message_BlockResponse:
+		return m.GetBlockResponse(), nil
+
+	case *Message_NoBlockResponse:
+		return m.GetNoBlockResponse(), nil
+
+	case *Message_StatusRequest:
+		return m.GetStatusRequest(), nil
+
+	case *Message_StatusResponse:
+		return m.GetStatusResponse(), nil
+
+	default:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown message: %T", msg)
+	}
+}
+
+// Validate validates the message returning an error upon failure.
+func (m *Message) Validate() error {
+	if m == nil {
+		return errors.New("message cannot be nil")
+	}
+
+	switch msg := m.Sum.(type) {
+	case *Message_BlockRequest:
+		if m.GetBlockRequest().Height < 0 {
+			return errors.New("negative Height")
+		}
+
+	case *Message_BlockResponse:
+		// validate basic is called later when converting from proto
+		return nil
+
+	case *Message_NoBlockResponse:
+		if m.GetNoBlockResponse().Height < 0 {
+			return errors.New("negative Height")
+		}
+
+	case *Message_StatusResponse:
+		if m.GetStatusResponse().Base < 0 {
+			return errors.New("negative Base")
+		}
+		if m.GetStatusResponse().Height < 0 {
+			return errors.New("negative Height")
+		}
+		if m.GetStatusResponse().Base > m.GetStatusResponse().Height {
+			return fmt.Errorf(
+				"base %v cannot be greater than height %v",
+				m.GetStatusResponse().Base, m.GetStatusResponse().Height,
+			)
+		}
+
+	case *Message_StatusRequest:
+		return nil
+
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("unknown message type: %T", msg)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/proto/tendermint/consensus/message.go b/proto/tendermint/consensus/message.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bcdab629a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proto/tendermint/consensus/message.go
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+package consensus
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/proto"
+)
+
+// Wrap implements the p2p Wrapper interface and wraps a consensus proto message.
+func (m *Message) Wrap(pb proto.Message) error {
+	switch msg := pb.(type) {
+	case *NewRoundStep:
+		m.Sum = &Message_NewRoundStep{NewRoundStep: msg}
+
+	case *NewValidBlock:
+		m.Sum = &Message_NewValidBlock{NewValidBlock: msg}
+
+	case *Proposal:
+		m.Sum = &Message_Proposal{Proposal: msg}
+
+	case *ProposalPOL:
+		m.Sum = &Message_ProposalPol{ProposalPol: msg}
+
+	case *BlockPart:
+		m.Sum = &Message_BlockPart{BlockPart: msg}
+
+	case *Vote:
+		m.Sum = &Message_Vote{Vote: msg}
+
+	case *HasVote:
+		m.Sum = &Message_HasVote{HasVote: msg}
+
+	case *VoteSetMaj23:
+		m.Sum = &Message_VoteSetMaj23{VoteSetMaj23: msg}
+
+	case *VoteSetBits:
+		m.Sum = &Message_VoteSetBits{VoteSetBits: msg}
+
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("unknown message: %T", msg)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Unwrap implements the p2p Wrapper interface and unwraps a wrapped consensus
+// proto message.
+func (m *Message) Unwrap() (proto.Message, error) {
+	switch msg := m.Sum.(type) {
+	case *Message_NewRoundStep:
+		return m.GetNewRoundStep(), nil
+
+	case *Message_NewValidBlock:
+		return m.GetNewValidBlock(), nil
+
+	case *Message_Proposal:
+		return m.GetProposal(), nil
+
+	case *Message_ProposalPol:
+		return m.GetProposalPol(), nil
+
+	case *Message_BlockPart:
+		return m.GetBlockPart(), nil
+
+	case *Message_Vote:
+		return m.GetVote(), nil
+
+	case *Message_HasVote:
+		return m.GetHasVote(), nil
+
+	case *Message_VoteSetMaj23:
+		return m.GetVoteSetMaj23(), nil
+
+	case *Message_VoteSetBits:
+		return m.GetVoteSetBits(), nil
+
+	default:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown message: %T", msg)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/proto/tendermint/mempool/message.go b/proto/tendermint/mempool/message.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a3e249f99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proto/tendermint/mempool/message.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package mempool
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/proto"
+)
+
+// Wrap implements the p2p Wrapper interface and wraps a mempool message.
+func (m *Message) Wrap(pb proto.Message) error {
+	switch msg := pb.(type) {
+	case *Txs:
+		m.Sum = &Message_Txs{Txs: msg}
+
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("unknown message: %T", msg)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Unwrap implements the p2p Wrapper interface and unwraps a wrapped mempool
+// message.
+func (m *Message) Unwrap() (proto.Message, error) {
+	switch msg := m.Sum.(type) {
+	case *Message_Txs:
+		return m.GetTxs(), nil
+
+	default:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown message: %T", msg)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/proto/tendermint/p2p/pex.go b/proto/tendermint/p2p/pex.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..61036142f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proto/tendermint/p2p/pex.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+package p2p
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/proto"
+)
+
+// Wrap implements the p2p Wrapper interface and wraps a PEX message.
+func (m *PexMessage) Wrap(pb proto.Message) error {
+	switch msg := pb.(type) {
+	case *PexRequest:
+		m.Sum = &PexMessage_PexRequest{PexRequest: msg}
+	case *PexResponse:
+		m.Sum = &PexMessage_PexResponse{PexResponse: msg}
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("unknown pex message: %T", msg)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Unwrap implements the p2p Wrapper interface and unwraps a wrapped PEX
+// message.
+func (m *PexMessage) Unwrap() (proto.Message, error) {
+	switch msg := m.Sum.(type) {
+	case *PexMessage_PexRequest:
+		return msg.PexRequest, nil
+	case *PexMessage_PexResponse:
+		return msg.PexResponse, nil
+	default:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown pex message: %T", msg)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/proto/tendermint/statesync/message.go b/proto/tendermint/statesync/message.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..92d3764fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proto/tendermint/statesync/message.go
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+package statesync
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/gogo/protobuf/proto"
+)
+
+// Wrap implements the p2p Wrapper interface and wraps a state sync proto message.
+func (m *Message) Wrap(pb proto.Message) error {
+	switch msg := pb.(type) {
+	case *ChunkRequest:
+		m.Sum = &Message_ChunkRequest{ChunkRequest: msg}
+
+	case *ChunkResponse:
+		m.Sum = &Message_ChunkResponse{ChunkResponse: msg}
+
+	case *SnapshotsRequest:
+		m.Sum = &Message_SnapshotsRequest{SnapshotsRequest: msg}
+
+	case *SnapshotsResponse:
+		m.Sum = &Message_SnapshotsResponse{SnapshotsResponse: msg}
+
+	case *LightBlockRequest:
+		m.Sum = &Message_LightBlockRequest{LightBlockRequest: msg}
+
+	case *LightBlockResponse:
+		m.Sum = &Message_LightBlockResponse{LightBlockResponse: msg}
+
+	case *ParamsRequest:
+		m.Sum = &Message_ParamsRequest{ParamsRequest: msg}
+
+	case *ParamsResponse:
+		m.Sum = &Message_ParamsResponse{ParamsResponse: msg}
+
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("unknown message: %T", msg)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Unwrap implements the p2p Wrapper interface and unwraps a wrapped state sync
+// proto message.
+func (m *Message) Unwrap() (proto.Message, error) {
+	switch msg := m.Sum.(type) {
+	case *Message_ChunkRequest:
+		return m.GetChunkRequest(), nil
+
+	case *Message_ChunkResponse:
+		return m.GetChunkResponse(), nil
+
+	case *Message_SnapshotsRequest:
+		return m.GetSnapshotsRequest(), nil
+
+	case *Message_SnapshotsResponse:
+		return m.GetSnapshotsResponse(), nil
+
+	case *Message_LightBlockRequest:
+		return m.GetLightBlockRequest(), nil
+
+	case *Message_LightBlockResponse:
+		return m.GetLightBlockResponse(), nil
+
+	case *Message_ParamsRequest:
+		return m.GetParamsRequest(), nil
+
+	case *Message_ParamsResponse:
+		return m.GetParamsResponse(), nil
+
+	default:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown message: %T", msg)
+	}
+}
+
+// Validate validates the message returning an error upon failure.
+func (m *Message) Validate() error {
+	if m == nil {
+		return errors.New("message cannot be nil")
+	}
+
+	switch msg := m.Sum.(type) {
+	case *Message_ChunkRequest:
+		if m.GetChunkRequest().Height == 0 {
+			return errors.New("height cannot be 0")
+		}
+
+	case *Message_ChunkResponse:
+		if m.GetChunkResponse().Height == 0 {
+			return errors.New("height cannot be 0")
+		}
+		if m.GetChunkResponse().Missing && len(m.GetChunkResponse().Chunk) > 0 {
+			return errors.New("missing chunk cannot have contents")
+		}
+		if !m.GetChunkResponse().Missing && m.GetChunkResponse().Chunk == nil {
+			return errors.New("chunk cannot be nil")
+		}
+
+	case *Message_SnapshotsRequest:
+
+	case *Message_SnapshotsResponse:
+		if m.GetSnapshotsResponse().Height == 0 {
+			return errors.New("height cannot be 0")
+		}
+		if len(m.GetSnapshotsResponse().Hash) == 0 {
+			return errors.New("snapshot has no hash")
+		}
+		if m.GetSnapshotsResponse().Chunks == 0 {
+			return errors.New("snapshot has no chunks")
+		}
+
+	case *Message_LightBlockRequest:
+		if m.GetLightBlockRequest().Height == 0 {
+			return errors.New("height cannot be 0")
+		}
+
+	// light block validation handled by the backfill process
+	case *Message_LightBlockResponse:
+
+	case *Message_ParamsRequest:
+		if m.GetParamsRequest().Height == 0 {
+			return errors.New("height cannot be 0")
+		}
+
+	case *Message_ParamsResponse:
+		resp := m.GetParamsResponse()
+		if resp.Height == 0 {
+			return errors.New("height cannot be 0")
+		}
+
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("unknown message type: %T", msg)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}