diff --git a/crates/core/src/rlp/structs.rs b/crates/core/src/rlp/structs.rs
index fbf93ef3e..7340b9602 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/rlp/structs.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/rlp/structs.rs
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ impl<'a> Decoder<'a> {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Finishes encoding the struct and returns the remaining bytes after the item.
+    /// If the item's payload is not empty, returns an error.
     pub fn finish(self) -> Result<&'a [u8], RLPDecodeError> {
         if self.payload.is_empty() {
             Ok(self.remaining)
@@ -87,6 +89,12 @@ impl<'a> Decoder<'a> {
             Err(RLPDecodeError::MalformedData)
         }
     }
+
+    /// Same as [`finish`](Self::finish), but discards the item's remaining payload
+    /// instead of failing.
+    pub fn finish_unchecked(self) -> &'a [u8] {
+        self.remaining
+    }
 }
 
 fn field_decode_error<T>(field_name: &str, err: RLPDecodeError) -> RLPDecodeError {
diff --git a/crates/net/src/discv4.rs b/crates/net/src/discv4.rs
index bd9af3ba3..0b50a053d 100644
--- a/crates/net/src/discv4.rs
+++ b/crates/net/src/discv4.rs
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@ use k256::ecdsa::{signature::Signer, SigningKey};
 use std::net::IpAddr;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
-// TODO: remove when all variants are used
 // NOTE: All messages could have more fields than specified by the spec.
 // Those additional fields should be ignored, and the message must be accepted.
+// TODO: remove when all variants are used
 #[allow(dead_code)]
 pub(crate) enum Message {
     /// A ping message. Should be responded to with a Pong message.
@@ -29,13 +29,8 @@ impl Message {
         let signature_size = 65_usize;
         let mut data: Vec<u8> = Vec::with_capacity(signature_size.next_power_of_two());
         data.resize(signature_size, 0);
-        data.push(self.packet_type());
-        match self {
-            Message::Ping(msg) => msg.encode(&mut data),
-            Message::Pong(msg) => msg.encode(&mut data),
-            Message::FindNode(msg) => msg.encode(&mut data),
-            _ => todo!(),
-        }
+
+        self.encode_with_type(&mut data);
 
         let digest = keccak_hash::keccak_buffer(&mut &data[signature_size..]).unwrap();
 
@@ -50,35 +45,56 @@ impl Message {
         buf.put_slice(&data[..]);
     }
 
-    fn packet_type(&self) -> u8 {
+    fn encode_with_type(&self, buf: &mut dyn BufMut) {
+        buf.put_u8(self.packet_type());
         match self {
-            Message::Ping(_) => 0x01,
-            Message::Pong(_) => 0x02,
-            Message::FindNode(_) => 0x03,
-            Message::Neighbors(_) => 0x04,
-            Message::ENRRequest(_) => 0x05,
-            Message::ENRResponse(_) => 0x06,
+            Message::Ping(msg) => msg.encode(buf),
+            Message::Pong(msg) => msg.encode(buf),
+            Message::FindNode(msg) => msg.encode(buf),
+            _ => todo!(),
         }
     }
-    #[allow(unused)]
+
     pub fn decode_with_header(encoded_msg: &[u8]) -> Result<Message, RLPDecodeError> {
-        let signature_len = 65;
         let hash_len = 32;
-        let packet_index = signature_len + hash_len;
+        let signature_len = 65;
+        let packet_index = hash_len + signature_len;
+
+        // TODO: verify hash and signature
+        let _hash = &encoded_msg[..hash_len];
+        let _signature = &encoded_msg[hash_len..packet_index];
+
         let packet_type = encoded_msg[packet_index];
-        let msg = &encoded_msg[packet_index + 1..];
+
+        Self::decode_with_type(packet_type, &encoded_msg[packet_index + 1..])
+    }
+
+    fn decode_with_type(packet_type: u8, msg: &[u8]) -> Result<Message, RLPDecodeError> {
+        // NOTE: extra elements inside the message should be ignored, along with extra data
+        // after the message.
         match packet_type {
             0x01 => {
-                let ping = PingMessage::decode(msg)?;
+                let (ping, _rest) = PingMessage::decode_unfinished(msg)?;
                 Ok(Message::Ping(ping))
             }
             0x02 => {
-                let pong = PongMessage::decode(msg)?;
+                let (pong, _rest) = PongMessage::decode_unfinished(msg)?;
                 Ok(Message::Pong(pong))
             }
             _ => todo!(),
         }
     }
+
+    fn packet_type(&self) -> u8 {
+        match self {
+            Message::Ping(_) => 0x01,
+            Message::Pong(_) => 0x02,
+            Message::FindNode(_) => 0x03,
+            Message::Neighbors(_) => 0x04,
+            Message::ENRRequest(_) => 0x05,
+            Message::ENRResponse(_) => 0x06,
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
@@ -203,8 +219,8 @@ impl RLPDecode for PingMessage {
             expiration,
             enr_seq,
         };
-
-        let remaining = decoder.finish()?;
+        // NOTE: as per the spec, any additional elements should be ignored.
+        let remaining = decoder.finish_unchecked();
         Ok((ping, remaining))
     }
 }
@@ -268,8 +284,8 @@ impl RLPDecode for PongMessage {
             expiration,
             enr_seq,
         };
-        let remaining = decoder.finish()?;
-
+        // NOTE: as per the spec, any additional elements should be ignored.
+        let remaining = decoder.finish_unchecked();
         Ok((pong, remaining))
     }
 }
diff --git a/justfile b/justfile
index 0e05f3081..be1780784 100644
--- a/justfile
+++ b/justfile
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ lint:
 test-all:
     cargo test --workspace
 
-test crate:
-    cargo test -p {{crate}}
+test crate='*':
+    cargo test -p '{{crate}}'
 
 clean:
     cargo clean