diff --git a/pkg/network/message.go b/pkg/network/message.go
index a4eeea882..12674698a 100644
--- a/pkg/network/message.go
+++ b/pkg/network/message.go
@@ -106,7 +106,12 @@ func (m *Message) Decode(br *io.BinReader) error {
 	// check the length first in order not to allocate memory
 	// for an empty compressed payload
 	if l == 0 {
-		m.Payload = payload.NewNullPayload()
+		switch m.Command {
+		case CMDFilterClear, CMDGetAddr, CMDMempool:
+			m.Payload = payload.NewNullPayload()
+		default:
+			return errors.New("unexpected empty payload")
+		}
 		return nil
 	}
 	if l > PayloadMaxSize {
diff --git a/pkg/network/payload/payload.go b/pkg/network/payload/payload.go
index 0c295b5d1..a761de2e2 100644
--- a/pkg/network/payload/payload.go
+++ b/pkg/network/payload/payload.go
@@ -12,12 +12,12 @@ type NullPayload struct {
 }
 
 // NewNullPayload returns zero-sized stub payload.
-func NewNullPayload() *NullPayload {
-	return &NullPayload{}
+func NewNullPayload() NullPayload {
+	return NullPayload{}
 }
 
 // DecodeBinary implements Serializable interface.
-func (p *NullPayload) DecodeBinary(r *io.BinReader) {}
+func (p NullPayload) DecodeBinary(r *io.BinReader) {}
 
 // EncodeBinary implements Serializable interface.
-func (p *NullPayload) EncodeBinary(w *io.BinWriter) {}
+func (p NullPayload) EncodeBinary(w *io.BinWriter) {}