diff --git a/storagenode/piecestore/endpoint.go b/storagenode/piecestore/endpoint.go
index a38ade86f..63e3ed429 100644
--- a/storagenode/piecestore/endpoint.go
+++ b/storagenode/piecestore/endpoint.go
@@ -244,18 +244,18 @@ func (endpoint *Endpoint) Upload(stream pb.Piecestore_UploadServer) (err error)
 		if message == nil {
 			return ErrProtocol.New("expected a message") // TODO: report grpc status bad message
 		}
+		if message.Order == nil && message.Chunk == nil && message.Done == nil {
+			return ErrProtocol.New("expected a message") // TODO: report grpc status bad message
+		}
 
-		switch {
-		default:
-			return ErrProtocol.New("message didn't contain any of order, chunk or done") // TODO: report grpc status bad message
-
-		case message.Order != nil:
+		if message.Order != nil {
 			if err := endpoint.VerifyOrder(ctx, peer, limit, message.Order, largestOrder.Amount); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 			largestOrder = *message.Order
+		}
 
-		case message.Chunk != nil:
+		if message.Chunk != nil {
 			if message.Chunk.Offset != pieceWriter.Size() {
 				return ErrProtocol.New("chunk out of order") // TODO: report grpc status bad message
 			}
@@ -278,8 +278,9 @@ func (endpoint *Endpoint) Upload(stream pb.Piecestore_UploadServer) (err error)
 			if _, err := pieceWriter.Write(message.Chunk.Data); err != nil {
 				return ErrInternal.Wrap(err) // TODO: report grpc status internal server error
 			}
+		}
 
-		case message.Done != nil:
+		if message.Done != nil {
 			expectedHash := pieceWriter.Hash()
 			if err := endpoint.VerifyPieceHash(ctx, peer, limit, message.Done, expectedHash); err != nil {
 				return err // TODO: report grpc status internal server error
diff --git a/uplink/piecestore/upload.go b/uplink/piecestore/upload.go
index 92af8ac8a..f0952ec6f 100644
--- a/uplink/piecestore/upload.go
+++ b/uplink/piecestore/upload.go
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func (client *Upload) Write(data []byte) (written int, err error) {
 	}
 	// if we already encountered an error, keep returning it
 	if client.sendError != nil {
-		return 0, ErrProtocol.Wrap(client.sendError)
+		return 0, client.sendError
 	}
 
 	fullData := data
@@ -126,25 +126,18 @@ func (client *Upload) Write(data []byte) (written int, err error) {
 			return written, ErrInternal.Wrap(err)
 		}
 
-		// send signed order so that storagenode will accept data
+		// send signed order + data
 		err = client.stream.Send(&pb.PieceUploadRequest{
 			Order: order,
-		})
-		if err != nil {
-			client.sendError = err
-			return written, ErrProtocol.Wrap(client.sendError)
-		}
-
-		// send data as the next message
-		err = client.stream.Send(&pb.PieceUploadRequest{
 			Chunk: &pb.PieceUploadRequest_Chunk{
 				Offset: client.offset,
 				Data:   sendData,
 			},
 		})
 		if err != nil {
+			err = ErrProtocol.Wrap(err)
 			client.sendError = err
-			return written, ErrProtocol.Wrap(client.sendError)
+			return written, err
 		}
 
 		// update our offset