diff --git a/internal/control/control.go b/internal/control/control.go
index 7d82f04..24b2974 100644
--- a/internal/control/control.go
+++ b/internal/control/control.go
@@ -12,13 +12,14 @@ package control
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"encoding/binary"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
+
+	"github.com/openlibrecommunity/olcrtc/internal/framing"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ var (
 	// ErrUnexpectedMessage is returned for unknown or malformed control message types.
 	ErrUnexpectedMessage = errors.New("unexpected control message")
 	// ErrFrameTooLarge is returned when a frame exceeds [MaxMessageSize].
-	ErrFrameTooLarge = errors.New("control frame too large")
+	ErrFrameTooLarge = framing.ErrFrameTooLarge
 )
 
 // Message is one control-stream frame.
@@ -308,36 +309,9 @@ func parseMessage(raw []byte) (Message, error) {
 }
 
 func writeFrame(w io.Writer, msg Message) error {
-	body, err := json.Marshal(msg)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("marshal control message: %w", err)
-	}
-	if len(body) > MaxMessageSize {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%w: %d > %d", ErrFrameTooLarge, len(body), MaxMessageSize)
-	}
-	var hdr [4]byte
-	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(hdr[:], uint32(len(body))) //nolint:gosec // len(body) bounded by MaxMessageSize
-	if _, err := w.Write(hdr[:]); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("write control hdr: %w", err)
-	}
-	if _, err := w.Write(body); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("write control body: %w", err)
-	}
-	return nil
+	return framing.WriteJSON(w, msg, MaxMessageSize)
 }
 
 func readFrame(r io.Reader) ([]byte, error) {
-	var hdr [4]byte
-	if _, err := io.ReadFull(r, hdr[:]); err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("read control hdr: %w", err)
-	}
-	n := binary.BigEndian.Uint32(hdr[:])
-	if n > MaxMessageSize {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %d > %d", ErrFrameTooLarge, n, MaxMessageSize)
-	}
-	buf := make([]byte, n)
-	if _, err := io.ReadFull(r, buf); err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("read control body: %w", err)
-	}
-	return buf, nil
+	return framing.ReadBytes(r, MaxMessageSize)
 }
diff --git a/internal/framing/framing.go b/internal/framing/framing.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b73de24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/framing/framing.go
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+// Package framing implements the length-prefixed JSON message framing used by
+// the olcrtc control and handshake protocols.
+//
+// Wire format: 4-byte big-endian length followed by that many bytes of body.
+// Body interpretation (JSON, protobuf, etc.) is up to the caller; this package
+// only deals with byte-level framing.
+package framing
+
+import (
+	"encoding/binary"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+)
+
+// ErrFrameTooLarge is returned when a frame exceeds the configured max size.
+var ErrFrameTooLarge = errors.New("frame too large")
+
+// WriteJSON marshals msg as JSON and writes it framed.
+func WriteJSON(w io.Writer, msg any, maxSize int) error {
+	body, err := json.Marshal(msg)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("marshal: %w", err)
+	}
+	return WriteBytes(w, body, maxSize)
+}
+
+// WriteBytes writes body as a single length-prefixed frame.
+func WriteBytes(w io.Writer, body []byte, maxSize int) error {
+	if maxSize > 0 && len(body) > maxSize {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%w: %d > %d", ErrFrameTooLarge, len(body), maxSize)
+	}
+	var hdr [4]byte
+	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(hdr[:], uint32(len(body))) //nolint:gosec // size bounded by maxSize check
+	if _, err := w.Write(hdr[:]); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("write hdr: %w", err)
+	}
+	if _, err := w.Write(body); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("write body: %w", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// ReadBytes reads one length-prefixed frame from r.
+func ReadBytes(r io.Reader, maxSize int) ([]byte, error) {
+	var hdr [4]byte
+	if _, err := io.ReadFull(r, hdr[:]); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("read hdr: %w", err)
+	}
+	n := binary.BigEndian.Uint32(hdr[:])
+	if maxSize > 0 && n > uint32(maxSize) { //nolint:gosec // maxSize is non-negative
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %d > %d", ErrFrameTooLarge, n, maxSize)
+	}
+	buf := make([]byte, n)
+	if _, err := io.ReadFull(r, buf); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("read body: %w", err)
+	}
+	return buf, nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/framing/framing_test.go b/internal/framing/framing_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1793bf7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/framing/framing_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+package framing_test
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"errors"
+	"io"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/openlibrecommunity/olcrtc/internal/framing"
+)
+
+func TestRoundTripJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	type msg struct {
+		Type string `json:"type"`
+		N    int    `json:"n"`
+	}
+	in := msg{Type: "ping", N: 7}
+	if err := framing.WriteJSON(&buf, in, 1024); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write: %v", err)
+	}
+	body, err := framing.ReadBytes(&buf, 1024)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("read: %v", err)
+	}
+	want := `{"type":"ping","n":7}`
+	if string(body) != want {
+		t.Fatalf("body=%q want=%q", body, want)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestWriteTooLarge(t *testing.T) {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	err := framing.WriteBytes(&buf, []byte(strings.Repeat("x", 10)), 5)
+	if !errors.Is(err, framing.ErrFrameTooLarge) {
+		t.Fatalf("want ErrFrameTooLarge, got %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestReadTooLarge(t *testing.T) {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	// Manually craft an oversized header.
+	buf.Write([]byte{0x00, 0x00, 0x10, 0x00}) // 4096
+	_, err := framing.ReadBytes(&buf, 1024)
+	if !errors.Is(err, framing.ErrFrameTooLarge) {
+		t.Fatalf("want ErrFrameTooLarge, got %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestReadTruncated(t *testing.T) {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	buf.Write([]byte{0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x04})
+	buf.WriteByte(0x41) // only 1 of 4 body bytes
+	_, err := framing.ReadBytes(&buf, 1024)
+	if err == nil || errors.Is(err, framing.ErrFrameTooLarge) {
+		t.Fatalf("want EOF/unexpected, got %v", err)
+	}
+	if !errors.Is(err, io.ErrUnexpectedEOF) {
+		t.Fatalf("want UnexpectedEOF, got %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestZeroMaxAllowsAnything(t *testing.T) {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	big := bytes.Repeat([]byte{0xAA}, 100_000)
+	if err := framing.WriteBytes(&buf, big, 0); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write: %v", err)
+	}
+	got, err := framing.ReadBytes(&buf, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("read: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !bytes.Equal(got, big) {
+		t.Fatalf("roundtrip mismatch")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/handshake/handshake.go b/internal/handshake/handshake.go
index 5d34f6f..2399c76 100644
--- a/internal/handshake/handshake.go
+++ b/internal/handshake/handshake.go
@@ -20,12 +20,13 @@
 package handshake
 
 import (
-	"encoding/binary"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"time"
+
+	"github.com/openlibrecommunity/olcrtc/internal/framing"
 )
 
 // ProtoVersion identifies the wire-format version. Bumped only on breaking
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ var (
 	// ErrUnexpectedMessage is returned when a peer sends the wrong message type.
 	ErrUnexpectedMessage = errors.New("unexpected handshake message")
 	// ErrFrameTooLarge is returned when a peer announces a frame above [MaxMessageSize].
-	ErrFrameTooLarge = errors.New("handshake frame too large")
+	ErrFrameTooLarge = framing.ErrFrameTooLarge
 )
 
 // AuthFunc is invoked by [Server] after parsing CLIENT_HELLO.
@@ -191,36 +192,9 @@ func Server(rw io.ReadWriter, auth AuthFunc) (Hello, string, error) {
 }
 
 func writeFrame(w io.Writer, msg any) error {
-	body, err := json.Marshal(msg)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("marshal: %w", err)
-	}
-	if len(body) > MaxMessageSize {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%w: %d > %d", ErrFrameTooLarge, len(body), MaxMessageSize)
-	}
-	var hdr [4]byte
-	binary.BigEndian.PutUint32(hdr[:], uint32(len(body))) //nolint:gosec // len(body) bounded by MaxMessageSize
-	if _, err := w.Write(hdr[:]); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("write hdr: %w", err)
-	}
-	if _, err := w.Write(body); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("write body: %w", err)
-	}
-	return nil
+	return framing.WriteJSON(w, msg, MaxMessageSize)
 }
 
 func readFrame(r io.Reader) ([]byte, error) {
-	var hdr [4]byte
-	if _, err := io.ReadFull(r, hdr[:]); err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("read hdr: %w", err)
-	}
-	n := binary.BigEndian.Uint32(hdr[:])
-	if n > MaxMessageSize {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %d > %d", ErrFrameTooLarge, n, MaxMessageSize)
-	}
-	buf := make([]byte, n)
-	if _, err := io.ReadFull(r, buf); err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("read body: %w", err)
-	}
-	return buf, nil
+	return framing.ReadBytes(r, MaxMessageSize)
 }