diff --git a/daemon/face/internal-transport.cpp b/daemon/face/internal-transport.cpp
index 3e9552c..5b3fcac 100644
--- a/daemon/face/internal-transport.cpp
+++ b/daemon/face/internal-transport.cpp
@@ -46,21 +46,21 @@
 }
 
 void
-InternalForwarderTransport::receiveFromLink(const Block& packet)
+InternalForwarderTransport::receivePacket(Block&& packet)
 {
-  NFD_LOG_FACE_TRACE(__func__);
-
-  Packet p;
-  p.packet = packet;
-  this->receive(std::move(p));
+  getGlobalIoService().post([this, pkt = std::move(packet)] () mutable {
+    NFD_LOG_FACE_TRACE("Received: " << pkt.size() << " bytes");
+    receive(Packet{std::move(pkt)});
+  });
 }
 
 void
 InternalForwarderTransport::doSend(Packet&& packet)
 {
-  NFD_LOG_FACE_TRACE(__func__);
+  NFD_LOG_FACE_TRACE("Sending to " << m_peer);
 
-  this->emitSignal(afterSend, packet.packet);
+  if (m_peer)
+    m_peer->receivePacket(std::move(packet.packet));
 }
 
 void
@@ -68,50 +68,59 @@
 {
   NFD_LOG_FACE_TRACE(__func__);
 
-  this->setState(TransportState::CLOSED);
+  setState(TransportState::CLOSED);
 }
 
-static void
-asyncReceive(InternalTransportBase* recipient, const Block& packet)
+InternalClientTransport::~InternalClientTransport()
 {
-  getGlobalIoService().post([packet, recipient] {
-    recipient->receiveFromLink(packet);
-  });
+  if (m_forwarder != nullptr) {
+    m_forwarder->setPeer(nullptr);
+  }
 }
 
 void
-InternalClientTransport::connectToForwarder(InternalForwarderTransport* forwarderTransport)
+InternalClientTransport::connectToForwarder(InternalForwarderTransport* forwarder)
 {
-  NFD_LOG_DEBUG(__func__ << " " << forwarderTransport);
+  NFD_LOG_DEBUG(__func__ << " " << forwarder);
 
-  m_fwToClientTransmitConn.disconnect();
-  m_clientToFwTransmitConn.disconnect();
-  m_fwTransportStateConn.disconnect();
+  if (m_forwarder != nullptr) {
+    // disconnect from the old forwarder transport
+    m_forwarder->setPeer(nullptr);
+    m_fwTransportStateConn.disconnect();
+  }
 
-  if (forwarderTransport != nullptr) {
-    m_fwToClientTransmitConn = forwarderTransport->afterSend.connect(bind(&asyncReceive, this, _1));
-    m_clientToFwTransmitConn = this->afterSend.connect(bind(&asyncReceive, forwarderTransport, _1));
-    m_fwTransportStateConn = forwarderTransport->afterStateChange.connect(
+  m_forwarder = forwarder;
+
+  if (m_forwarder != nullptr) {
+    // connect to the new forwarder transport
+    m_forwarder->setPeer(this);
+    m_fwTransportStateConn = m_forwarder->afterStateChange.connect(
       [this] (TransportState oldState, TransportState newState) {
         if (newState == TransportState::CLOSED) {
-          this->connectToForwarder(nullptr);
+          connectToForwarder(nullptr);
         }
       });
   }
 }
 
 void
-InternalClientTransport::receiveFromLink(const Block& packet)
+InternalClientTransport::receivePacket(Block&& packet)
 {
-  if (m_receiveCallback) {
-    m_receiveCallback(packet);
-  }
+  getGlobalIoService().post([this, pkt = std::move(packet)] {
+    NFD_LOG_TRACE("Received: " << pkt.size() << " bytes");
+    if (m_receiveCallback) {
+      m_receiveCallback(pkt);
+    }
+  });
 }
 
 void
 InternalClientTransport::send(const Block& wire)
 {
-  this->emitSignal(afterSend, wire);
+  NFD_LOG_TRACE("Sending to " << m_forwarder);
+
+  if (m_forwarder)
+    m_forwarder->receivePacket(Block{wire});
 }
 
 void
@@ -121,7 +130,7 @@
   encoder.appendByteArray(header.wire(), header.size());
   encoder.appendByteArray(payload.wire(), payload.size());
 
-  this->send(encoder.block());
+  send(encoder.block());
 }
 
 } // namespace face