diff --git a/fairmq/shmem/FairMQMessageSHM.cxx b/fairmq/shmem/FairMQMessageSHM.cxx
index d2dbd649..ab942b7e 100644
--- a/fairmq/shmem/FairMQMessageSHM.cxx
+++ b/fairmq/shmem/FairMQMessageSHM.cxx
@@ -60,6 +60,27 @@ FairMQMessageSHM::FairMQMessageSHM(Manager& manager, const size_t size, FairMQTr
     InitializeChunk(size);
 }
 
+FairMQMessageSHM::FairMQMessageSHM(Manager& manager, MetaHeader* hdr, FairMQTransportFactory* factory)
+    : FairMQMessage{factory}
+    , fManager(manager)
+    , fMessage()
+    , fQueued(false)
+    , fMetaCreated(false)
+    , fRegionId(hdr->fRegionId)
+    , fRegionPtr(nullptr)
+    , fHandle(hdr->fHandle)
+    , fSize(hdr->fSize)
+    , fHint(hdr->fHint)
+    , fLocalPtr(nullptr)
+{
+    if (zmq_msg_init_size(&fMessage, sizeof(MetaHeader)) != 0) {
+        LOG(error) << "failed initializing message, reason: " << zmq_strerror(errno);
+    }
+    // fill the zmq buffer with the delivered meta data
+    memcpy(zmq_msg_data(&fMessage), hdr, sizeof(MetaHeader));
+    fMetaCreated = true;
+}
+
 FairMQMessageSHM::FairMQMessageSHM(Manager& manager, void* data, const size_t size, fairmq_free_fn* ffn, void* hint, FairMQTransportFactory* factory)
     : FairMQMessage{factory}
     , fManager(manager)
diff --git a/fairmq/shmem/FairMQMessageSHM.h b/fairmq/shmem/FairMQMessageSHM.h
index 505fadc6..315d5240 100644
--- a/fairmq/shmem/FairMQMessageSHM.h
+++ b/fairmq/shmem/FairMQMessageSHM.h
@@ -21,6 +21,16 @@
 #include <atomic>
 
 class FairMQSocketSHM;
+namespace fair
+{
+namespace mq
+{
+namespace shmem
+{
+class MetaHeader;
+}
+}
+}
 
 class FairMQMessageSHM final : public FairMQMessage
 {
@@ -32,6 +42,8 @@ class FairMQMessageSHM final : public FairMQMessage
     FairMQMessageSHM(fair::mq::shmem::Manager& manager, void* data, const size_t size, fairmq_free_fn* ffn, void* hint = nullptr, FairMQTransportFactory* factory = nullptr);
     FairMQMessageSHM(fair::mq::shmem::Manager& manager, FairMQUnmanagedRegionPtr& region, void* data, const size_t size, void* hint = 0, FairMQTransportFactory* factory = nullptr);
 
+    FairMQMessageSHM(fair::mq::shmem::Manager& manager, fair::mq::shmem::MetaHeader* hdr, FairMQTransportFactory* factory = nullptr);
+
     FairMQMessageSHM(const FairMQMessageSHM&) = delete;
     FairMQMessageSHM operator=(const FairMQMessageSHM&) = delete;
 
diff --git a/fairmq/shmem/FairMQSocketSHM.cxx b/fairmq/shmem/FairMQSocketSHM.cxx
index b6ce2476..6b9fec75 100644
--- a/fairmq/shmem/FairMQSocketSHM.cxx
+++ b/fairmq/shmem/FairMQSocketSHM.cxx
@@ -213,10 +213,6 @@ int64_t FairMQSocketSHM::Send(vector<FairMQMessagePtr>& msgVec, const int timeou
     const unsigned int vecSize = msgVec.size();
     int elapsed = 0;
 
-    if (vecSize == 1) {
-        return Send(msgVec.back(), timeout);
-    }
-
     // put it into zmq message
     zmq_msg_t zmqMsg;
     zmq_msg_init_size(&zmqMsg, vecSize * sizeof(MetaHeader));
@@ -322,16 +318,8 @@ int64_t FairMQSocketSHM::Receive(vector<FairMQMessagePtr>& msgVec, const int tim
                 MetaHeader* hdr = &hdrVec[m];
 
                 // create new message (part)
-                msgVec.emplace_back(tools::make_unique<FairMQMessageSHM>(fManager, GetTransport()));
+                msgVec.emplace_back(tools::make_unique<FairMQMessageSHM>(fManager, hdr, GetTransport()));
                 FairMQMessageSHM* shmMsg = static_cast<FairMQMessageSHM*>(msgVec.back().get());
-                // fill the zmq buffer with the delivered meta data
-                memcpy(zmq_msg_data(shmMsg->GetMessage()), hdr, sizeof(MetaHeader));
-                // set the message members with the meta data
-                shmMsg->fHandle = hdr->fHandle;
-                shmMsg->fSize = hdr->fSize;
-                shmMsg->fRegionId = hdr->fRegionId;
-                shmMsg->fHint = hdr->fHint;
-
                 totalSize += shmMsg->GetSize();
             }