diff --git a/pkg/net/credentials/alts/common/utils.go b/pkg/net/credentials/alts/common/utils.go
index e5860e91..262066bf 100644
--- a/pkg/net/credentials/alts/common/utils.go
+++ b/pkg/net/credentials/alts/common/utils.go
@@ -21,6 +21,14 @@ type ExpandKeyFunc func(sharedSecret []byte, protocol string, info []byte) ([]by
 // defaultSendHandshakeMessage sends serialized handshake bytes with its signature over the connection
 // Format: [handshake length][handshake bytes][signature length][signature]
 func defaultSendHandshakeMessage(conn net.Conn, handshakeBytes, signature []byte) error {
+	if handshakeBytes == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("empty handshake")
+	}
+	// Normalise nil → empty slice so len() works and we still send the frame.
+	if signature == nil {
+		signature = []byte{}
+	}
+
 	// Calculate total message size and allocate a single buffer
 	totalSize := MsgLenFieldSize + len(handshakeBytes) + MsgLenFieldSize + len(signature)
 	buf := make([]byte, totalSize)
@@ -55,35 +63,40 @@ func defaultSendHandshakeMessage(conn net.Conn, handshakeBytes, signature []byte
 // Format: [handshake length][handshake bytes][signature length][signature]
 var SendHandshakeMessage SendHandshakeMessageFunc = defaultSendHandshakeMessage
 
+const maxFrameSize = 64 * 1024 // 64 KiB is plenty for a protobuf handshake
+
 // defaultReceiveHandshakeMessage receives handshake bytes and its signature from the connection.
 // Format: [handshake length][handshake bytes][signature length][signature]
 func defaultReceiveHandshakeMessage(conn net.Conn) ([]byte, []byte, error) {
-	// Read handshake length
-	lenBuf := make([]byte, MsgLenFieldSize)
-	if _, err := io.ReadFull(conn, lenBuf); err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read handshake length: %w", err)
+	var lenBuf [MsgLenFieldSize]byte
+
+	if _, err := io.ReadFull(conn, lenBuf[:]); err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("read handshake len: %w", err)
+	}
+	handshakeLen := binary.BigEndian.Uint32(lenBuf[:])
+	if handshakeLen == 0 || handshakeLen > maxFrameSize {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid handshake length %d", handshakeLen)
 	}
-	handshakeLen := binary.BigEndian.Uint32(lenBuf)
 
-	// Read handshake bytes
-	handshakeBytes := make([]byte, handshakeLen)
-	if _, err := io.ReadFull(conn, handshakeBytes); err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read handshake bytes: %w", err)
+	handshake := make([]byte, handshakeLen)
+	if _, err := io.ReadFull(conn, handshake); err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("read handshake: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	// Read signature length
-	if _, err := io.ReadFull(conn, lenBuf); err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read signature length: %w", err)
+	if _, err := io.ReadFull(conn, lenBuf[:]); err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("read signature len: %w", err)
+	}
+	sigLen := binary.BigEndian.Uint32(lenBuf[:])
+	if sigLen == 0 || sigLen > maxFrameSize {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid signature length %d", sigLen)
 	}
-	sigLen := binary.BigEndian.Uint32(lenBuf)
 
-	// Read signature
 	signature := make([]byte, sigLen)
 	if _, err := io.ReadFull(conn, signature); err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read signature: %w", err)
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("read signature: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	return handshakeBytes, signature, nil
+	return handshake, signature, nil
 }
 
 // receiveHandshakeMessage receives handshake bytes and its signature from the connection
@@ -119,23 +132,21 @@ func GetALTSKeySize(protocol string) (int, error) {
 	}
 }
 
+// defaultExpandKey always runs HKDF–SHA-256 so the key material is
+// uniformly random even when the raw ECDH secret is longer than needed.
 func defaultExpandKey(sharedSecret []byte, protocol string, info []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 	keySize, err := GetALTSKeySize(protocol)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to get key size: %w", err)
-	}
-	if keySize <= len(sharedSecret) {
-		return sharedSecret[:keySize], nil
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	// Use HKDF with SHA-256
-	hkdf := hkdf.New(sha256.New, sharedSecret, nil, info)
+	// HKDF with empty salt (ok for ECDH) & caller-provided info.
+	h := hkdf.New(sha256.New, sharedSecret, nil, info)
 
 	key := make([]byte, keySize)
-	if _, err := io.ReadFull(hkdf, key); err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to expand key: %w", err)
+	if _, err := io.ReadFull(h, key); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("expand key: %w", err)
 	}
-
 	return key, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/net/credentials/alts/conn/record.go b/pkg/net/credentials/alts/conn/record.go
index 85bebaa1..d513f5e6 100644
--- a/pkg/net/credentials/alts/conn/record.go
+++ b/pkg/net/credentials/alts/conn/record.go
@@ -3,11 +3,14 @@
 package conn
 
 import (
+	"crypto/aes"
+	"crypto/cipher"
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"fmt"
 	"math"
 	"net"
 
+	"github.com/LumeraProtocol/supernode/pkg/net/credentials/alts/common"
 	. "github.com/LumeraProtocol/supernode/pkg/net/credentials/alts/common"
 )
 
@@ -61,29 +64,93 @@ type Conn struct {
 	overhead int
 }
 
-// NewConn creates a new secure channel instance given the other party role and
-// handshaking result.
-var NewConn = func (c net.Conn, side Side, recordProtocol string, key, protected []byte) (net.Conn, error) {
-	newCrypto := protocols[recordProtocol]
-	if newCrypto == nil {
+func init() {
+	registerFactory(common.RecordProtocolAESGCM, newAESGCM)
+	registerFactory(common.RecordProtocolAESGCMReKey, newAESGCMRekey)
+}
+
+type aesGCMRecord struct {
+	aead     cipher.AEAD
+	overhead int
+}
+
+func newAESGCM(s common.Side, key []byte) (common.ALTSRecordCrypto, error) {
+	if len(key) != common.KeySizeAESGCM {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("aesgcm: need %d-byte key, got %d", common.KeySizeAESGCM, len(key))
+	}
+	block, err := aes.NewCipher(key)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	aead, err := cipher.NewGCM(block)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return &aesGCMRecord{aead: aead, overhead: aead.Overhead()}, nil
+}
+
+// newAESGCMRekey expects the 44-byte bundle: 32-byte key || 12-byte counter mask.
+// We ignore the counter-mask here (your existing frame layer may XOR it with the
+// sequence number; if you haven’t implemented re-keying yet just drop it).
+func newAESGCMRekey(s common.Side, keyData []byte) (common.ALTSRecordCrypto, error) {
+	if len(keyData) != common.KeySizeAESGCMReKey {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("aesgcm-rekey: need %d-byte keyData, got %d",
+			common.KeySizeAESGCMReKey, len(keyData))
+	}
+	return newAESGCM(s, keyData[:common.KeySizeAESGCM])
+}
+
+func (r *aesGCMRecord) EncryptionOverhead() int { return r.overhead }
+
+func (r *aesGCMRecord) Encrypt(dst, plain []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+	nonce := make([]byte, r.aead.NonceSize())
+	return r.aead.Seal(dst, nonce, plain, nil), nil
+}
+
+func (r *aesGCMRecord) Decrypt(dst, cipherTxt []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+	nonce := make([]byte, r.aead.NonceSize())
+	plain, err := r.aead.Open(dst, nonce, cipherTxt, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("aesgcm decrypt: %w", err)
+	}
+	return plain, nil
+}
+
+// NewConn creates a new ALTS secure channel after the handshake.
+//
+// Params
+//
+//	c              – the raw TCP connection returned by net.Dial / Accept
+//	side           – common.ClientSide or common.ServerSide
+//	recordProtocol – string negotiated during the handshake
+//	key            – expanded key material for the record protocol
+//	protected      – any bytes already read from the socket that belong to
+//	                 the first encrypted frame (nil in the usual path)
+//
+// It returns a *Conn that transparently Encrypts/Decrypts every frame.
+var NewConn = func(
+	c net.Conn,
+	side Side,
+	recordProtocol string,
+	key, protected []byte,
+) (net.Conn, error) {
+
+	factory, ok := lookupFactory(recordProtocol)
+	if !ok {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("negotiated unknown next_protocol %q", recordProtocol)
 	}
-	crypto, err := newCrypto(side, key)
+	crypto, err := factory(side, key)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("protocol %q: %v", recordProtocol, err)
 	}
+
 	overhead := MsgLenFieldSize + msgTypeFieldSize + crypto.EncryptionOverhead()
 	payloadLengthLimit := altsRecordDefaultLength - overhead
+
+	// If the caller already peeked bytes from the socket (rare) copy them
 	var protectedBuf []byte
 	if protected == nil {
-		// We pre-allocate protected to be of size
-		// 2*altsRecordDefaultLength-1 during initialization. We only
-		// read from the network into protected when protected does not
-		// contain a complete frame, which is at most
-		// altsRecordDefaultLength-1 (bytes). And we read at most
-		// altsRecordDefaultLength (bytes) data into protected at one
-		// time. Therefore, 2*altsRecordDefaultLength-1 is large enough
-		// to buffer data read from the network.
+		// 2*altsRecordDefaultLength-1 is enough to hold one full frame
 		protectedBuf = make([]byte, 0, 2*altsRecordDefaultLength-1)
 	} else {
 		protectedBuf = make([]byte, len(protected))
@@ -95,8 +162,8 @@ var NewConn = func (c net.Conn, side Side, recordProtocol string, key, protected
 		crypto:             crypto,
 		payloadLengthLimit: payloadLengthLimit,
 		protected:          protectedBuf,
-		writeBuf:           make([]byte, altsWriteBufferInitialSize),
 		nextFrame:          protectedBuf,
+		writeBuf:           make([]byte, altsWriteBufferInitialSize),
 		overhead:           overhead,
 	}
 	return altsConn, nil
diff --git a/pkg/net/credentials/alts/conn/register.go b/pkg/net/credentials/alts/conn/register.go
index 24bae62e..824396a0 100644
--- a/pkg/net/credentials/alts/conn/register.go
+++ b/pkg/net/credentials/alts/conn/register.go
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 package conn
 
 import (
+	"sync"
+
+	"github.com/LumeraProtocol/supernode/pkg/net/credentials/alts/common"
 	. "github.com/LumeraProtocol/supernode/pkg/net/credentials/alts/common"
 )
 
@@ -32,4 +35,24 @@ func RegisterALTSRecordProtocols() {
 
 func UnregisterALTSRecordProtocols() {
 	ALTSRecordProtocols = make([]string, 0)
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+var (
+	recMu sync.RWMutex
+	facts = make(map[string]common.ALTSRecordFunc)
+)
+
+// registerFactory is called from init() blocks.
+func registerFactory(proto string, f common.ALTSRecordFunc) {
+	recMu.Lock()
+	facts[proto] = f
+	recMu.Unlock()
+}
+
+// lookupFactory is used by NewConn.
+func lookupFactory(proto string) (common.ALTSRecordFunc, bool) {
+	recMu.RLock()
+	f, ok := facts[proto]
+	recMu.RUnlock()
+	return f, ok
+}
diff --git a/pkg/net/credentials/alts/handshake/handshake.go b/pkg/net/credentials/alts/handshake/handshake.go
index 89f3f379..e513c03c 100644
--- a/pkg/net/credentials/alts/handshake/handshake.go
+++ b/pkg/net/credentials/alts/handshake/handshake.go
@@ -88,12 +88,12 @@ func newHandshaker(keyExchange securekeyx.KeyExchanger, conn net.Conn, remoteAdd
 	side Side, timeout time.Duration, opts interface{}) *secureHandshaker {
 
 	hs := &secureHandshaker{
-		conn:        conn,
+		conn:         conn,
 		keyExchanger: keyExchange,
-		remoteAddr:  remoteAddr,
-		side:        side,
-		protocol:    RecordProtocolXChaCha20Poly1305ReKey, // Default to XChaCha20-Poly1305
-		timeout:     timeout,
+		remoteAddr:   remoteAddr,
+		side:         side,
+		protocol:     RecordProtocolAESGCMReKey,
+		timeout:      timeout,
 	}
 
 	if side == ClientSide {
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ func (h *secureHandshaker) ServerHandshake(ctx context.Context) (net.Conn, crede
 	// Create ALTS connection
 	altsConn, err := NewConn(h.conn, h.side, h.protocol, expandedKey, nil)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create ALTS connection: %w", err)
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create ALTS connection on Server: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	// Clear expanded key
@@ -314,54 +314,61 @@ func (h *secureHandshaker) ServerHandshake(ctx context.Context) (net.Conn, crede
 	return altsConn, clientAuthInfo, nil
 }
 
-func (h *secureHandshaker) defaultReadRequestWithTimeout(ctx context.Context) ([]byte, []byte, error) {
-	readChan := make(chan handshakeData, 1)
-
-	go func() {
-		reqBytes, reqSig, err := ReceiveHandshakeMessage(h.conn)
-		readChan <- handshakeData{reqBytes, reqSig, err}
-	}()
+// defaultReadRequestWithTimeout blocks in-place (no goroutine) and relies
+// on conn deadlines to honour ctx cancellation.
+func (h *secureHandshaker) defaultReadRequestWithTimeout(
+	ctx context.Context,
+) ([]byte, []byte, error) {
 
-	select {
-	case <-ctx.Done():
-		return nil, nil, ctx.Err()
-	case result := <-readChan:
-		if result.err != nil {
-			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to receive handshake request: %w", result.err)
-		}
-		if len(result.bytes) == 0 {
+	if deadline, ok := ctx.Deadline(); ok {
+		_ = h.conn.SetReadDeadline(deadline)
+	}
+	bytes, sig, err := ReceiveHandshakeMessage(h.conn)
+	if err != nil {
+		// Map timeout to our public errors
+		if ne, ok := err.(net.Error); ok && ne.Timeout() {
 			return nil, nil, ErrPeerNotResponding
 		}
-		return result.bytes, result.signature, nil
+		if errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) || errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+			return nil, nil, ctx.Err()
+		}
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("receive handshake request: %w", err)
+	}
+	if len(bytes) == 0 {
+		return nil, nil, ErrPeerNotResponding
 	}
+	// Clear deadline for future I/O
+	_ = h.conn.SetReadDeadline(time.Time{})
+	return bytes, sig, nil
 }
 
-func (h *secureHandshaker) defaultReadResponseWithTimeout(ctx context.Context, lastWrite time.Time) ([]byte, []byte, error) {
-	readChan := make(chan handshakeData, 1)
-	readStartTime := time.Now()
+// defaultReadResponseWithTimeout behaves like the request version but also
+// checks the elapsed time since last write to decide “peer not responding”.
+func (h *secureHandshaker) defaultReadResponseWithTimeout(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	lastWrite time.Time,
+) ([]byte, []byte, error) {
 
-	go func() {
-		respBytes, respSig, err := ReceiveHandshakeMessage(h.conn)
-		readChan <- handshakeData{respBytes, respSig, err}
-	}()
-
-	select {
-	case <-ctx.Done():
-		// If we've been reading for long enough and got no response, treat as unresponsive
-		if time.Since(readStartTime) >= h.timeout {
+	if deadline, ok := ctx.Deadline(); ok {
+		_ = h.conn.SetReadDeadline(deadline)
+	}
+	bytes, sig, err := ReceiveHandshakeMessage(h.conn)
+	if err != nil {
+		if ne, ok := err.(net.Error); ok && ne.Timeout() {
 			return nil, nil, ErrPeerNotResponding
 		}
-		return nil, nil, ctx.Err()
-	case result := <-readChan:
-		if result.err != nil {
-			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to receive handshake response: %w", result.err)
+		if errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) || errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+			return nil, nil, ctx.Err()
 		}
-		// If nothing was written and nothing was read, peer is not responding
-		if len(result.bytes) == 0 && time.Since(lastWrite) > h.timeout {
-			return nil, nil, ErrPeerNotResponding
-		}
-		return result.bytes, result.signature, nil
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("receive handshake response: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Detect silent peer
+	if len(bytes) == 0 && time.Since(lastWrite) >= h.timeout {
+		return nil, nil, ErrPeerNotResponding
 	}
+	_ = h.conn.SetReadDeadline(time.Time{})
+	return bytes, sig, nil
 }
 
 func (h *secureHandshaker) readResponseWithTimeout(ctx context.Context, lastWrite time.Time) ([]byte, []byte, error) {