diff --git a/lib/persistent.js b/lib/persistent.js
index d2e001f9..528fb703 100644
--- a/lib/persistent.js
+++ b/lib/persistent.js
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ const sodium = require('sodium-universal')
 const RecordCache = require('record-cache')
 const Cache = require('xache')
 const b4a = require('b4a')
+const unslab = require('unslab')
+
 const m = require('./messages')
 const { NS, ERROR } = require('./constants')
 
@@ -122,7 +124,7 @@ module.exports = class Persistent {
 
     const k = b4a.toString(req.target, 'hex')
     const announceSelf = b4a.equals(TMP, req.target)
-    const record = c.encode(m.peer, peer)
+    const record = unslab(c.encode(m.peer, peer))
 
     if (announceSelf) {
       this.dht._router.set(k, {
@@ -194,7 +196,8 @@ module.exports = class Persistent {
       }
     }
 
-    this.mutables.set(k, c.encode(m.mutableGetResponse, { seq, value, signature }))
+    const entry = c.encode(m.mutableGetResponse, { seq, value, signature })
+    this.mutables.set(k, unslab(entry))
     req.reply(null)
   }
 
@@ -215,7 +218,7 @@ module.exports = class Persistent {
     if (!b4a.equals(hash, req.target)) return
 
     const k = b4a.toString(hash, 'hex')
-    this.immutables.set(k, req.value)
+    this.immutables.set(k, unslab(req.value))
 
     req.reply(null)
   }