diff --git a/common/message/factory.hpp b/common/message/factory.hpp
index df72f8ab..163509e7 100644
--- a/common/message/factory.hpp
+++ b/common/message/factory.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /***
     This file is part of snapcast
-    Copyright (C) 2014-2020  Johannes Pohl
+    Copyright (C) 2014-2021  Johannes Pohl
 
     This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
     it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -68,21 +68,21 @@ static std::unique_ptr<BaseMessage> createMessage(const BaseMessage& base_messag
     std::unique_ptr<BaseMessage> result;
     switch (base_message.type)
     {
-        case kCodecHeader:
+        case message_type::kCodecHeader:
             return createMessage<CodecHeader>(base_message, buffer);
-        case kHello:
+        case message_type::kHello:
             return createMessage<Hello>(base_message, buffer);
-        case kServerSettings:
+        case message_type::kServerSettings:
             return createMessage<ServerSettings>(base_message, buffer);
-        case kStreamTags:
+        case message_type::kStreamTags:
             return createMessage<StreamTags>(base_message, buffer);
-        case kTime:
+        case message_type::kTime:
             return createMessage<Time>(base_message, buffer);
-        case kWireChunk:
+        case message_type::kWireChunk:
             // this is kind of cheated to safe the convertion from WireChunk to PcmChunk
             // the user of the factory must be aware that a PcmChunk will be created
             return createMessage<PcmChunk>(base_message, buffer);
-        case kClientInfo:
+        case message_type::kClientInfo:
             return createMessage<ClientInfo>(base_message, buffer);
         default:
             return nullptr;
diff --git a/common/message/message.hpp b/common/message/message.hpp
index 5c1693d4..371b8389 100644
--- a/common/message/message.hpp
+++ b/common/message/message.hpp
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@
 #ifndef WINDOWS
 #include <sys/time.h>
 #endif
-#include <vector>
 #include <memory>
+#include <vector>
 
 /*
 template<typename CharT, typename TraitsT = std::char_traits<CharT> >
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ struct membuf : public std::basic_streambuf<char>
 };
 
 
-enum message_type
+enum class message_type : uint16_t
 {
     kBase = 0,
     kCodecHeader = 1,
@@ -67,6 +67,39 @@ enum message_type
     kLast = kClientInfo
 };
 
+static std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const message_type& msg_type)
+{
+    switch (msg_type)
+    {
+        case message_type::kBase:
+            os << "Base";
+            break;
+        case message_type::kCodecHeader:
+            os << "CodecHeader";
+            break;
+        case message_type::kWireChunk:
+            os << "WireChunk";
+            break;
+        case message_type::kServerSettings:
+            os << "ServerSettings";
+            break;
+        case message_type::kTime:
+            os << "Time";
+            break;
+        case message_type::kHello:
+            os << "Hello";
+            break;
+        case message_type::kStreamTags:
+            os << "StreamTags";
+            break;
+        case message_type::kClientInfo:
+            os << "ClientInfo";
+            break;
+        default:
+            os << "Unknown";
+    }
+    return os;
+}
 
 struct tv
 {
@@ -121,11 +154,11 @@ using message_ptr = std::shared_ptr<msg::BaseMessage>;
 
 struct BaseMessage
 {
-    BaseMessage() : type(kBase), id(0), refersTo(0)
+    BaseMessage() : type(message_type::kBase), id(0), refersTo(0)
     {
     }
 
-    BaseMessage(message_type type_) : type(static_cast<uint16_t>(type_)), id(0), refersTo(0)
+    BaseMessage(message_type type_) : type(type_), id(0), refersTo(0)
     {
     }
 
@@ -182,7 +215,7 @@ struct BaseMessage
         return 3 * sizeof(uint16_t) + 2 * sizeof(tv) + sizeof(uint32_t);
     };
 
-    uint16_t type;
+    message_type type;
     mutable uint16_t id;
     uint16_t refersTo;
     tv received;
@@ -207,6 +240,12 @@ protected:
         stream.write(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(&v), sizeof(uint16_t));
     }
 
+    void writeVal(std::ostream& stream, const message_type& val) const
+    {
+        uint16_t v = static_cast<uint16_t>(SWAP_16(val));
+        stream.write(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(&v), sizeof(uint16_t));
+    }
+
     void writeVal(std::ostream& stream, const int16_t& val) const
     {
         uint16_t v = SWAP_16(val);
@@ -257,6 +296,12 @@ protected:
         val = SWAP_16(val);
     }
 
+    void readVal(std::istream& stream, message_type& val) const
+    {
+        stream.read(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&val), sizeof(uint16_t));
+        val = static_cast<message_type>(SWAP_16(val));
+    }
+
     void readVal(std::istream& stream, int16_t& val) const
     {
         stream.read(reinterpret_cast<char*>(&val), sizeof(int16_t));
diff --git a/server/stream_session.hpp b/server/stream_session.hpp
index f45e1668..cb1a1aaa 100644
--- a/server/stream_session.hpp
+++ b/server/stream_session.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /***
     This file is part of snapcast
-    Copyright (C) 2014-2020  Johannes Pohl
+    Copyright (C) 2014-2021  Johannes Pohl
 
     This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
     it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ class shared_const_buffer
     {
         std::vector<char> data;
         bool is_pcm_chunk;
-        uint16_t type;
+        message_type type;
         chronos::time_point_clk rec_time;
     };