diff --git a/pkg/consensus/recovery_message.go b/pkg/consensus/recovery_message.go
index 8b248b271..e1dddc27e 100644
--- a/pkg/consensus/recovery_message.go
+++ b/pkg/consensus/recovery_message.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ const uint256size = 32
 
 // DecodeBinary implements io.Serializable interface.
 func (m *recoveryMessage) DecodeBinary(r *io.BinReader) {
-	m.ChangeViewPayloads = r.ReadArray(changeViewCompact{}).([]*changeViewCompact)
+	r.ReadArray(&m.ChangeViewPayloads)
 
 	var hasReq bool
 	r.ReadLE(&hasReq)
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@ func (m *recoveryMessage) DecodeBinary(r *io.BinReader) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	m.PreparationPayloads = r.ReadArray(preparationCompact{}).([]*preparationCompact)
-	m.CommitPayloads = r.ReadArray(commitCompact{}).([]*commitCompact)
+	r.ReadArray(&m.PreparationPayloads)
+	r.ReadArray(&m.CommitPayloads)
 }
 
 // EncodeBinary implements io.Serializable interface.
diff --git a/pkg/core/account_state.go b/pkg/core/account_state.go
index 541381f5b..9404fd7bf 100644
--- a/pkg/core/account_state.go
+++ b/pkg/core/account_state.go
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func (s *AccountState) DecodeBinary(br *io.BinReader) {
 	br.ReadLE(&s.Version)
 	br.ReadLE(&s.ScriptHash)
 	br.ReadLE(&s.IsFrozen)
-	s.Votes = br.ReadArray(keys.PublicKey{}).([]*keys.PublicKey)
+	br.ReadArray(&s.Votes)
 
 	s.Balances = make(map[util.Uint256]util.Fixed8)
 	lenBalances := br.ReadVarUint()
diff --git a/pkg/core/block.go b/pkg/core/block.go
index 90b94a749..45bff104c 100644
--- a/pkg/core/block.go
+++ b/pkg/core/block.go
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ func (b *Block) Trim() ([]byte, error) {
 // Serializable interface.
 func (b *Block) DecodeBinary(br *io.BinReader) {
 	b.BlockBase.DecodeBinary(br)
-	b.Transactions = br.ReadArray(transaction.Transaction{}).([]*transaction.Transaction)
+	br.ReadArray(&b.Transactions)
 }
 
 // EncodeBinary encodes the block to the given BinWriter, implementing
diff --git a/pkg/core/transaction/claim.go b/pkg/core/transaction/claim.go
index ef7eecfae..423a4bc79 100644
--- a/pkg/core/transaction/claim.go
+++ b/pkg/core/transaction/claim.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ type ClaimTX struct {
 
 // DecodeBinary implements Serializable interface.
 func (tx *ClaimTX) DecodeBinary(br *io.BinReader) {
-	tx.Claims = br.ReadArray(Input{}).([]*Input)
+	br.ReadArray(&tx.Claims)
 }
 
 // EncodeBinary implements Serializable interface.
diff --git a/pkg/core/transaction/state.go b/pkg/core/transaction/state.go
index c3c181125..76178a205 100644
--- a/pkg/core/transaction/state.go
+++ b/pkg/core/transaction/state.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ type StateTX struct {
 
 // DecodeBinary implements Serializable interface.
 func (tx *StateTX) DecodeBinary(r *io.BinReader) {
-	tx.Descriptors = r.ReadArray(StateDescriptor{}).([]*StateDescriptor)
+	r.ReadArray(&tx.Descriptors)
 }
 
 // EncodeBinary implements Serializable interface.
diff --git a/pkg/core/transaction/transaction.go b/pkg/core/transaction/transaction.go
index 712d44d78..aefeb8c7b 100644
--- a/pkg/core/transaction/transaction.go
+++ b/pkg/core/transaction/transaction.go
@@ -95,10 +95,10 @@ func (t *Transaction) DecodeBinary(br *io.BinReader) {
 	br.ReadLE(&t.Version)
 	t.decodeData(br)
 
-	t.Attributes = br.ReadArray(Attribute{}).([]*Attribute)
-	t.Inputs = br.ReadArray(Input{}).([]*Input)
-	t.Outputs = br.ReadArray(Output{}).([]*Output)
-	t.Scripts = br.ReadArray(Witness{}).([]*Witness)
+	br.ReadArray(&t.Attributes)
+	br.ReadArray(&t.Inputs)
+	br.ReadArray(&t.Outputs)
+	br.ReadArray(&t.Scripts)
 
 	// Create the hash of the transaction at decode, so we dont need
 	// to do it anymore.
diff --git a/pkg/io/binaryReader.go b/pkg/io/binaryReader.go
index 689a80974..126593480 100644
--- a/pkg/io/binaryReader.go
+++ b/pkg/io/binaryReader.go
@@ -34,29 +34,50 @@ func (r *BinReader) ReadLE(v interface{}) {
 	r.Err = binary.Read(r.r, binary.LittleEndian, v)
 }
 
-// ReadArray reads a slice or an array of pointer to t from r and returns.
-func (r *BinReader) ReadArray(t interface{}) interface{} {
-	elemType := reflect.ValueOf(t).Type()
-	method, ok := reflect.PtrTo(elemType).MethodByName("DecodeBinary")
-	if !ok || !isDecodeBinaryMethod(method) {
-		panic(elemType.String() + " does not have DecodeBinary(*io.BinReader)")
+// ReadArray reads array into value which must be
+// a pointer to a slice.
+func (r *BinReader) ReadArray(t interface{}) {
+	value := reflect.ValueOf(t)
+	if value.Kind() != reflect.Ptr || value.Elem().Kind() != reflect.Slice {
+		panic(value.Type().String() + " is not a pointer to a slice")
+	}
+
+	sliceType := value.Elem().Type()
+	elemType := sliceType.Elem()
+	isPtr := elemType.Kind() == reflect.Ptr
+	if isPtr {
+		checkHasDecodeBinary(elemType)
+	} else {
+		checkHasDecodeBinary(reflect.PtrTo(elemType))
 	}
 
-	sliceType := reflect.SliceOf(reflect.PtrTo(elemType))
 	if r.Err != nil {
-		return reflect.Zero(sliceType).Interface()
+		return
 	}
 
 	l := int(r.ReadVarUint())
 	arr := reflect.MakeSlice(sliceType, l, l)
+
 	for i := 0; i < l; i++ {
-		elem := arr.Index(i)
+		var elem reflect.Value
+		if isPtr {
+			elem = reflect.New(elemType.Elem())
+			arr.Index(i).Set(elem)
+		} else {
+			elem = arr.Index(i).Addr()
+		}
 		method := elem.MethodByName("DecodeBinary")
-		elem.Set(reflect.New(elemType))
 		method.Call([]reflect.Value{reflect.ValueOf(r)})
 	}
 
-	return arr.Interface()
+	value.Elem().Set(arr)
+}
+
+func checkHasDecodeBinary(v reflect.Type) {
+	method, ok := v.MethodByName("DecodeBinary")
+	if !ok || !isDecodeBinaryMethod(method) {
+		panic(v.String() + " does not have DecodeBinary(*io.BinReader)")
+	}
 }
 
 func isDecodeBinaryMethod(method reflect.Method) bool {
diff --git a/pkg/io/binaryrw_test.go b/pkg/io/binaryrw_test.go
index 304b6b651..8bc9e1578 100644
--- a/pkg/io/binaryrw_test.go
+++ b/pkg/io/binaryrw_test.go
@@ -253,22 +253,53 @@ func TestBinWriter_WriteArray(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestBinReader_ReadArray(t *testing.T) {
 	data := []byte{3, 0, 0, 1, 0, 2, 0}
-	r := NewBinReaderFromBuf(data)
-	result := r.ReadArray(testSerializable(0))
 	elems := []testSerializable{0, 1, 2}
-	require.Equal(t, []*testSerializable{&elems[0], &elems[1], &elems[2]}, result)
+
+	r := NewBinReaderFromBuf(data)
+	arrPtr := []*testSerializable{}
+	r.ReadArray(&arrPtr)
+	require.Equal(t, []*testSerializable{&elems[0], &elems[1], &elems[2]}, arrPtr)
 
 	r = NewBinReaderFromBuf(data)
-	r.Err = errors.New("error")
-	result = r.ReadArray(testSerializable(0))
-	require.Error(t, r.Err)
-	require.Equal(t, ([]*testSerializable)(nil), result)
-
-	r = NewBinReaderFromBuf([]byte{0})
-	result = r.ReadArray(testSerializable(0))
+	arrVal := []testSerializable{}
+	r.ReadArray(&arrVal)
 	require.NoError(t, r.Err)
-	require.Equal(t, []*testSerializable{}, result)
+	require.Equal(t, elems, arrVal)
 
 	r = NewBinReaderFromBuf([]byte{0})
+	r.ReadArray(&arrVal)
+	require.NoError(t, r.Err)
+	require.Equal(t, []testSerializable{}, arrVal)
+
+	r = NewBinReaderFromBuf([]byte{0})
+	r.Err = errors.New("error")
+	arrVal = ([]testSerializable)(nil)
+	r.ReadArray(&arrVal)
+	require.Error(t, r.Err)
+	require.Equal(t, ([]testSerializable)(nil), arrVal)
+
+	r = NewBinReaderFromBuf([]byte{0})
+	r.Err = errors.New("error")
+	arrPtr = ([]*testSerializable)(nil)
+	r.ReadArray(&arrVal)
+	require.Error(t, r.Err)
+	require.Equal(t, ([]*testSerializable)(nil), arrPtr)
+
+	r = NewBinReaderFromBuf([]byte{0})
+	arrVal = []testSerializable{1, 2}
+	r.ReadArray(&arrVal)
+	require.NoError(t, r.Err)
+	require.Equal(t, []testSerializable{}, arrVal)
+
+	r = NewBinReaderFromBuf([]byte{0})
+	r.Err = errors.New("error")
+	require.Panics(t, func() { r.ReadArray(&[]*int{}) })
+
+	r = NewBinReaderFromBuf([]byte{0})
+	r.Err = errors.New("error")
+	require.Panics(t, func() { r.ReadArray(&[]int{}) })
+
+	r = NewBinReaderFromBuf([]byte{0})
+	r.Err = errors.New("error")
 	require.Panics(t, func() { r.ReadArray(0) })
 }
diff --git a/pkg/network/payload/address.go b/pkg/network/payload/address.go
index 2f7728eb2..0daee4456 100644
--- a/pkg/network/payload/address.go
+++ b/pkg/network/payload/address.go
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ func NewAddressList(n int) *AddressList {
 
 // DecodeBinary implements Serializable interface.
 func (p *AddressList) DecodeBinary(br *io.BinReader) {
-	p.Addrs = br.ReadArray(AddressAndTime{}).([]*AddressAndTime)
+	br.ReadArray(&p.Addrs)
 }
 
 // EncodeBinary implements Serializable interface.