diff --git a/nano/node/transport/channel.cpp b/nano/node/transport/channel.cpp
index ea470f2ec..ff80fdb72 100644
--- a/nano/node/transport/channel.cpp
+++ b/nano/node/transport/channel.cpp
@@ -16,8 +16,7 @@ nano::transport::channel::channel (nano::node & node_a) :
 
 bool nano::transport::channel::send (nano::message const & message, nano::transport::traffic_type traffic_type, callback_t callback)
 {
-	auto buffer = message.to_shared_const_buffer ();
-	bool sent = send_buffer (buffer, traffic_type, std::move (callback));
+	bool sent = send_impl (message, traffic_type, std::move (callback));
 	node.stats.inc (sent ? nano::stat::type::message : nano::stat::type::drop, to_stat_detail (message.type ()), nano::stat::dir::out, /* aggregate all */ true);
 	return sent;
 }
diff --git a/nano/node/transport/channel.hpp b/nano/node/transport/channel.hpp
index 5911f1249..cafb830bc 100644
--- a/nano/node/transport/channel.hpp
+++ b/nano/node/transport/channel.hpp
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ public:
 	std::shared_ptr<nano::node> owner () const;
 
 protected:
-	virtual bool send_buffer (nano::shared_const_buffer const &, nano::transport::traffic_type, callback_t) = 0;
+	virtual bool send_impl (nano::message const &, nano::transport::traffic_type, callback_t) = 0;
 
 protected:
 	nano::node & node;
diff --git a/nano/node/transport/fake.cpp b/nano/node/transport/fake.cpp
index 81d3fec7a..2da2b6e29 100644
--- a/nano/node/transport/fake.cpp
+++ b/nano/node/transport/fake.cpp
@@ -14,8 +14,9 @@ nano::transport::fake::channel::channel (nano::node & node) :
 /**
  * The send function behaves like a null device, it throws the data away and returns success.
  */
-bool nano::transport::fake::channel::send_buffer (nano::shared_const_buffer const & buffer, nano::transport::traffic_type traffic_type, nano::transport::channel::callback_t callback)
+bool nano::transport::fake::channel::send_impl (nano::message const & message, nano::transport::traffic_type traffic_type, nano::transport::channel::callback_t callback)
 {
+	auto buffer = message.to_shared_const_buffer ();
 	auto size = buffer.size ();
 	if (callback)
 	{
diff --git a/nano/node/transport/fake.hpp b/nano/node/transport/fake.hpp
index f503b2bd5..2ddec4a90 100644
--- a/nano/node/transport/fake.hpp
+++ b/nano/node/transport/fake.hpp
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ namespace transport
 			}
 
 		protected:
-			bool send_buffer (nano::shared_const_buffer const &, nano::transport::traffic_type, nano::transport::channel::callback_t) override;
+			bool send_impl (nano::message const &, nano::transport::traffic_type, nano::transport::channel::callback_t) override;
 
 		private:
 			nano::endpoint endpoint;
diff --git a/nano/node/transport/inproc.cpp b/nano/node/transport/inproc.cpp
index 78a4be990..5858dc16e 100644
--- a/nano/node/transport/inproc.cpp
+++ b/nano/node/transport/inproc.cpp
@@ -18,8 +18,10 @@ nano::transport::inproc::channel::channel (nano::node & node, nano::node & desti
  * Send the buffer to the peer and call the callback function when done. The call never fails.
  * Note that the inbound message visitor will be called before the callback because it is called directly whereas the callback is spawned in the background.
  */
-bool nano::transport::inproc::channel::send_buffer (nano::shared_const_buffer const & buffer, nano::transport::traffic_type traffic_type, nano::transport::channel::callback_t callback)
+bool nano::transport::inproc::channel::send_impl (nano::message const & message, nano::transport::traffic_type traffic_type, nano::transport::channel::callback_t callback)
 {
+	auto buffer = message.to_shared_const_buffer ();
+
 	std::size_t offset{ 0 };
 	auto const buffer_read_fn = [&offset, buffer_v = buffer.to_bytes ()] (std::shared_ptr<std::vector<uint8_t>> const & data_a, std::size_t size_a, std::function<void (boost::system::error_code const &, std::size_t)> callback_a) {
 		debug_assert (buffer_v.size () >= (offset + size_a));
diff --git a/nano/node/transport/inproc.hpp b/nano/node/transport/inproc.hpp
index dfe932e77..37b3c4495 100644
--- a/nano/node/transport/inproc.hpp
+++ b/nano/node/transport/inproc.hpp
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ namespace transport
 			}
 
 		protected:
-			bool send_buffer (nano::shared_const_buffer const &, nano::transport::traffic_type, nano::transport::channel::callback_t) override;
+			bool send_impl (nano::message const &, nano::transport::traffic_type, nano::transport::channel::callback_t) override;
 
 		private:
 			nano::node & destination;
diff --git a/nano/node/transport/tcp_channel.cpp b/nano/node/transport/tcp_channel.cpp
index 47ed452fe..ca69f8d80 100644
--- a/nano/node/transport/tcp_channel.cpp
+++ b/nano/node/transport/tcp_channel.cpp
@@ -76,20 +76,27 @@ bool nano::transport::tcp_channel::max (nano::transport::traffic_type traffic_ty
 	return queue.max (traffic_type);
 }
 
-bool nano::transport::tcp_channel::send_buffer (nano::shared_const_buffer const & buffer, nano::transport::traffic_type type, nano::transport::channel::callback_t callback)
+bool nano::transport::tcp_channel::send_impl (nano::message const & message, nano::transport::traffic_type type, nano::transport::channel::callback_t callback)
 {
+	auto buffer = message.to_shared_const_buffer ();
+
 	nano::unique_lock<nano::mutex> lock{ mutex };
 	if (!queue.full (type))
 	{
 		queue.push (type, { buffer, callback });
 		lock.unlock ();
+
 		node.stats.inc (nano::stat::type::tcp_channel, nano::stat::detail::queued, nano::stat::dir::out);
 		node.stats.inc (nano::stat::type::tcp_channel_queued, to_stat_detail (type), nano::stat::dir::out);
-		sending_task.notify ();
+
+		sending_task.notify (); // Wake up the sending task
+
 		return true;
 	}
 	else
 	{
+		lock.unlock ();
+
 		node.stats.inc (nano::stat::type::tcp_channel, nano::stat::detail::drop, nano::stat::dir::out);
 		node.stats.inc (nano::stat::type::tcp_channel_drop, to_stat_detail (type), nano::stat::dir::out);
 	}
diff --git a/nano/node/transport/tcp_channel.hpp b/nano/node/transport/tcp_channel.hpp
index fc64ed902..c48d079b6 100644
--- a/nano/node/transport/tcp_channel.hpp
+++ b/nano/node/transport/tcp_channel.hpp
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public:
 	std::string to_string () const override;
 
 protected:
-	bool send_buffer (nano::shared_const_buffer const &, nano::transport::traffic_type, nano::transport::channel::callback_t) override;
+	bool send_impl (nano::message const &, nano::transport::traffic_type, nano::transport::channel::callback_t) override;
 
 private:
 	void start ();