diff --git a/src/packet.c b/src/packet.c
index 8455636..a29a21f 100644
--- a/src/packet.c
+++ b/src/packet.c
@@ -113,23 +113,30 @@ inline psycList psyc_newList(psycString *elems, size_t num_elems, psycListFlag f
 
 inline psycPacketFlag psyc_checkPacketLength(psycPacket *p)
 {
-	psycPacketFlag flag;
-
 	if (p->data.length == 1 && p->data.ptr[0] == C_GLYPH_PACKET_DELIMITER)
-		flag = PSYC_PACKET_NEED_LENGTH;
-	else if (p->data.length > PSYC_CONTENT_SIZE_THRESHOLD)
-		flag = PSYC_PACKET_NEED_LENGTH;
-	else if (memmem(p->data.ptr, p->data.length, PSYC_C2ARG(PSYC_PACKET_DELIMITER)))
-		flag = PSYC_PACKET_NEED_LENGTH;
-	else
-		flag = PSYC_PACKET_NO_LENGTH;
+		return PSYC_PACKET_NEED_LENGTH;
 
-	return flag;
+	if (p->data.length > PSYC_CONTENT_SIZE_THRESHOLD)
+		return PSYC_PACKET_NEED_LENGTH;
+
+	int i;
+	// if any entity modifiers need length it is possible they contain
+	// a packet terminator, thus the content should have a length as well
+	for (i = 0; i < p->entity.lines; i++)
+		if (p->entity.modifiers[i].flag == PSYC_MODIFIER_NEED_LENGTH)
+			return PSYC_PACKET_NEED_LENGTH;
+
+	if (memmem(p->data.ptr, p->data.length, PSYC_C2ARG(PSYC_PACKET_DELIMITER)))
+		return PSYC_PACKET_NEED_LENGTH;
+
+	return PSYC_PACKET_NO_LENGTH;
 }
 
 inline size_t psyc_setPacketLength(psycPacket *p)
 {
 	size_t i;
+	p->routingLength = 0;
+	p->contentLength = 0;
 
 	// add routing header length
 	for (i = 0; i < p->routing.lines; i++)
@@ -145,14 +152,14 @@ inline size_t psyc_setPacketLength(psycPacket *p)
 	if (p->data.length)
 		p->contentLength += p->data.length + 1; // data\n
 
-	// set total length: routing-header \n content |\n
-	p->length = p->routingLength + p->contentLength + sizeof(PSYC_PACKET_DELIMITER) - 2;
+	// set total length: routing-header content |\n
+	p->length = p->routingLength + p->contentLength + 2;
+
 	if (p->contentLength > 0)
 	{
-		p->contentLength--; // subtract the \n from the delimiter, as that doesn't belong to the content part
 		p->length++; // add \n at the start of the content part
 		if (p->flag == PSYC_PACKET_NEED_LENGTH) // add length of length if needed
-			p->length += log10((double)p->data.length) + 1;
+			p->length += log10((double)p->contentLength) + 1;
 	}
 
 	return p->length;
diff --git a/src/parser.c b/src/parser.c
index ffebd44..7db0b74 100644
--- a/src/parser.c
+++ b/src/parser.c
@@ -416,10 +416,9 @@ psycParseRC psyc_parse(psycParseState* state, char* oper, psycString* name, psyc
 				if (state->cursor >= state->buffer.length)
 					return PSYC_PARSE_BODY;
 
-				if (state->buffer.ptr[state->cursor] != '\n')
+				if (state->buffer.ptr[state->cursor] != '|')
 					return PSYC_PARSE_ERROR_BODY;
 
-				state->cursor++;
 				state->part = PSYC_PART_END;
 				return PSYC_PARSE_BODY;
 			}
diff --git a/src/render.c b/src/render.c
index e7b5793..b7a6773 100644
--- a/src/render.c
+++ b/src/render.c
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ inline size_t psyc_renderModifier(psycModifier *mod, char *buffer)
 	if (mod->flag == PSYC_MODIFIER_NEED_LENGTH)
 	{
 		buffer[cur++] = ' ';
-		//cur += sprintf(buffer + cur, "%ld", mod->value.length);
 		cur += itoa(mod->value.length, buffer + cur, 10);
 	}
 
@@ -71,10 +70,8 @@ psycRenderRC psyc_render(psycPacket *packet, char *buffer, size_t buflen)
 		cur += psyc_renderModifier(&packet->routing.modifiers[i], buffer + cur);
 
 	// add length if needed
-	if (packet->flag == PSYC_PACKET_NEED_LENGTH) {
-		//cur += sprintf(buffer + cur, "%ld", packet->contentLength);
+	if (packet->flag == PSYC_PACKET_NEED_LENGTH)
 		cur += itoa(packet->contentLength, buffer + cur, 10);
-	}
 
 	if (packet->entity.lines || packet->method.length || packet->data.length)
 		buffer[cur++] = '\n'; // start of content part if there's content
diff --git a/test/packets/full-1-length b/test/packets/full-1-length
index d4334de..fddf47a 100644
--- a/test/packets/full-1-length
+++ b/test/packets/full-1-length
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 :_source	psyc://foo/~bar
 :_target	psyc://bar/~baz
 :_tag	sch1828hu3r2cm
-85
+86
 :_foo	bar baz
 :_abc_def 11	foo bar
 baz
diff --git a/test/testRender.c b/test/testRender.c
index 7d2ac5d..4a274f8 100644
--- a/test/testRender.c
+++ b/test/testRender.c
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ _notice_presence\n\
 	if (testList("\
 :_source	psyc://10.100.1000/~ludwig\n\
 :_context	psyc://10.100.1000/~ludwig\n\
-\n\
+85\n\
 :_list_text	|foo|bar|baz\n\
 :_list_binary 21	3 foo|3 b|r|7 baz\n\
 qux\n\