diff --git a/packages/rosenet-node/lib/createRoseNetNode.ts b/packages/rosenet-node/lib/createRoseNetNode.ts
index 54db759..ba832ca 100644
--- a/packages/rosenet-node/lib/createRoseNetNode.ts
+++ b/packages/rosenet-node/lib/createRoseNetNode.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import { PeerId } from '@libp2p/interface';
 import { pubsubPeerDiscovery } from '@libp2p/pubsub-peer-discovery';
 import { tcp } from '@libp2p/tcp';
 
-import { pipe } from 'it-pipe';
 import { createLibp2p } from 'libp2p';
 
 import {
@@ -17,28 +16,26 @@ import {
   privateKeyToPeerId,
 } from '@rosen-bridge/rosenet-utils';
 
+import {
+  handleIncomingMessageFactory,
+  sendMessageFactory,
+} from './rosenet-direct';
+
 import RoseNetNodeContext from './context/RoseNetNodeContext';
 
 import restartRelayDiscovery from './libp2p/restart-relay-discovery';
 
 import addressService from './address/address-service';
 
-import { decode } from './utils/codec';
 import sample from './utils/sample';
 
 import RoseNetNodeError from './errors/RoseNetNodeError';
 
-import {
-  ACK_BYTE,
-  DEFAULT_NODE_PORT,
-  RELAYS_COUNT_TO_CONNECT,
-  ROSENET_DIRECT_PROTOCOL_V1,
-} from './constants';
+import { DEFAULT_NODE_PORT, RELAYS_COUNT_TO_CONNECT } from './constants';
 
 import packageJson from '../package.json' with { type: 'json' };
 
 import { RoseNetNodeConfig } from './types';
-import sendMessageFactory from './rosenet-direct/sendMessage';
 
 const textEncoder = new TextEncoder();
 const textDecoder = new TextDecoder();
@@ -145,43 +142,7 @@ const createRoseNetNode = async ({
   return {
     start: async () => node.start(),
     sendMessage: sendMessageFactory(node),
-    handleIncomingMessage: (
-      handler: (from: string, message?: string) => void,
-    ) => {
-      node.handle(
-        ROSENET_DIRECT_PROTOCOL_V1,
-        async ({ connection, stream }) => {
-          RoseNetNodeContext.logger.debug(
-            `incoming connection stream with protocol ${ROSENET_DIRECT_PROTOCOL_V1}`,
-            {
-              remoteAddress: connection.remoteAddr.toString(),
-              transient: connection.transient,
-            },
-          );
-          pipe(
-            stream,
-            decode,
-            async function* (source) {
-              for await (const message of source) {
-                RoseNetNodeContext.logger.debug(
-                  'message received, calling handler and sending ack',
-                  {
-                    message,
-                  },
-                );
-                handler(connection.remotePeer.toString(), message);
-                yield Uint8Array.of(ACK_BYTE);
-              }
-            },
-            stream,
-          );
-        },
-        { runOnTransientConnection: true },
-      );
-      RoseNetNodeContext.logger.debug(
-        `handler for ${ROSENET_DIRECT_PROTOCOL_V1} protocol set`,
-      );
-    },
+    handleIncomingMessage: handleIncomingMessageFactory(node),
     publish: async (topic: string, message: string) => {
       node.services.pubsub.publish(topic, textEncoder.encode(message));
     },
diff --git a/packages/rosenet-node/lib/rosenet-direct/handleIncomingMessage.ts b/packages/rosenet-node/lib/rosenet-direct/handleIncomingMessage.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e756e7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/rosenet-node/lib/rosenet-direct/handleIncomingMessage.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import { pipe } from 'it-pipe';
+
+import { Libp2p } from '@libp2p/interface';
+
+import RoseNetNodeContext from '../context/RoseNetNodeContext';
+
+import { decode } from '../utils/codec';
+
+import { ACK_BYTE, ROSENET_DIRECT_PROTOCOL_V1 } from '../constants';
+
+/**
+ * protocol handler for RoseNet direct
+ */
+const handleIncomingMessageFactory =
+  (node: Libp2p) => (handler: (from: string, message?: string) => void) => {
+    node.handle(
+      ROSENET_DIRECT_PROTOCOL_V1,
+      async ({ connection, stream }) => {
+        RoseNetNodeContext.logger.debug(
+          `incoming connection stream with protocol ${ROSENET_DIRECT_PROTOCOL_V1}`,
+          {
+            remoteAddress: connection.remoteAddr.toString(),
+            transient: connection.transient,
+          },
+        );
+        pipe(
+          stream,
+          decode,
+          async function* (source) {
+            for await (const message of source) {
+              RoseNetNodeContext.logger.debug(
+                'message received, calling handler and sending ack',
+                {
+                  message,
+                },
+              );
+              handler(connection.remotePeer.toString(), message);
+              yield Uint8Array.of(ACK_BYTE);
+            }
+          },
+          stream,
+        );
+      },
+      { runOnTransientConnection: true },
+    );
+    RoseNetNodeContext.logger.debug(
+      `handler for ${ROSENET_DIRECT_PROTOCOL_V1} protocol set`,
+    );
+  };
+
+export default handleIncomingMessageFactory;
diff --git a/packages/rosenet-node/lib/rosenet-direct/index.ts b/packages/rosenet-node/lib/rosenet-direct/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2880318
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/rosenet-node/lib/rosenet-direct/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+export { default as handleIncomingMessageFactory } from './handleIncomingMessage';
+export { default as sendMessageFactory } from './sendMessage';