diff --git a/p2p/host/basic/basic_host.go b/p2p/host/basic/basic_host.go
index a4518c4f3..3eb6d725b 100644
--- a/p2p/host/basic/basic_host.go
+++ b/p2p/host/basic/basic_host.go
@@ -116,10 +116,10 @@ func (h *BasicHost) newStreamHandler(s inet.Stream) {
 		}
 		return
 	}
+	s.SetProtocol(protocol.ID(protoID))
 
-	logStream := mstream.WrapStream(s, protocol.ID(protoID), h.bwc)
+	logStream := mstream.WrapStream(s, h.bwc)
 
-	s.SetProtocol(protoID)
 	go handle(protoID, logStream)
 }
 
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ func (h *BasicHost) IDService() *identify.IDService {
 func (h *BasicHost) SetStreamHandler(pid protocol.ID, handler inet.StreamHandler) {
 	h.Mux().AddHandler(string(pid), func(p string, rwc io.ReadWriteCloser) error {
 		is := rwc.(inet.Stream)
-		is.SetProtocol(p)
+		is.SetProtocol(protocol.ID(p))
 		handler(is)
 		return nil
 	})
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ func (h *BasicHost) SetStreamHandler(pid protocol.ID, handler inet.StreamHandler
 func (h *BasicHost) SetStreamHandlerMatch(pid protocol.ID, m func(string) bool, handler inet.StreamHandler) {
 	h.Mux().AddHandlerWithFunc(string(pid), m, func(p string, rwc io.ReadWriteCloser) error {
 		is := rwc.(inet.Stream)
-		is.SetProtocol(p)
+		is.SetProtocol(protocol.ID(p))
 		handler(is)
 		return nil
 	})
@@ -187,27 +187,26 @@ func (h *BasicHost) NewStream(ctx context.Context, p peer.ID, pids ...protocol.I
 		return h.newStream(ctx, p, pref)
 	}
 
-	var lastErr error
+	var protoStrs []string
 	for _, pid := range pids {
-		s, err := h.newStream(ctx, p, pid)
-		if err != nil {
-			lastErr = err
-			log.Infof("NewStream to %s for %s failed: %s", p, pid, err)
-			continue
-		}
-
-		_, err = s.Read(nil)
-		if err != nil {
-			lastErr = err
-			log.Infof("NewStream to %s for %s failed (on read): %s", p, pid, err)
-			continue
-		}
-
-		h.setPreferredProtocol(p, pid)
-		return s, nil
+		protoStrs = append(protoStrs, string(pid))
 	}
 
-	return nil, lastErr
+	s, err := h.Network().NewStream(ctx, p)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	selected, err := msmux.SelectOneOf(protoStrs, s)
+	if err != nil {
+		s.Close()
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	selpid := protocol.ID(selected)
+	s.SetProtocol(selpid)
+	h.setPreferredProtocol(p, selpid)
+
+	return mstream.WrapStream(s, h.bwc), nil
 }
 
 func (h *BasicHost) preferredProtocol(p peer.ID, pids []protocol.ID) protocol.ID {
@@ -257,9 +256,9 @@ func (h *BasicHost) newStream(ctx context.Context, p peer.ID, pid protocol.ID) (
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	s.SetProtocol(string(pid))
+	s.SetProtocol(pid)
 
-	logStream := mstream.WrapStream(s, pid, h.bwc)
+	logStream := mstream.WrapStream(s, h.bwc)
 
 	lzcon := msmux.NewMSSelect(logStream, string(pid))
 	return &streamWrapper{
diff --git a/p2p/host/basic/basic_host_test.go b/p2p/host/basic/basic_host_test.go
index 5b56684bd..e52222d97 100644
--- a/p2p/host/basic/basic_host_test.go
+++ b/p2p/host/basic/basic_host_test.go
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func getHostPair(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T) (host.Host, host.Host) {
 	return h1, h2
 }
 
-func assertWait(t *testing.T, c chan string, exp string) {
+func assertWait(t *testing.T, c chan protocol.ID, exp protocol.ID) {
 	select {
 	case proto := <-c:
 		if proto != exp {
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ func TestHostProtoPreference(t *testing.T) {
 	protoNew := protocol.ID("/testing/1.1.0")
 	protoMinor := protocol.ID("/testing/1.2.0")
 
-	connectedOn := make(chan string, 16)
+	connectedOn := make(chan protocol.ID, 16)
 
 	handler := func(s inet.Stream) {
 		connectedOn <- s.Protocol()
@@ -113,10 +113,10 @@ func TestHostProtoPreference(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	assertWait(t, connectedOn, string(protoOld))
+	assertWait(t, connectedOn, protoOld)
 	s.Close()
 
-	mfunc, err := host.MultistreamSemverMatcher(string(protoMinor))
+	mfunc, err := host.MultistreamSemverMatcher(protoMinor)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ func TestHostProtoPreference(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	assertWait(t, connectedOn, string(protoOld))
+	assertWait(t, connectedOn, protoOld)
 
 	s2.Close()
 
@@ -144,12 +144,7 @@ func TestHostProtoPreference(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	_, err = s3.Read(nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-
-	assertWait(t, connectedOn, string(protoMinor))
+	assertWait(t, connectedOn, protoMinor)
 	s3.Close()
 }
 
@@ -179,7 +174,7 @@ func TestHostProtoPreknowledge(t *testing.T) {
 	h1 := testutil.GenHostSwarm(t, ctx)
 	h2 := testutil.GenHostSwarm(t, ctx)
 
-	conn := make(chan string, 16)
+	conn := make(chan protocol.ID, 16)
 	handler := func(s inet.Stream) {
 		conn <- s.Protocol()
 		s.Close()
diff --git a/p2p/host/match.go b/p2p/host/match.go
index dfee37e26..571d652c2 100644
--- a/p2p/host/match.go
+++ b/p2p/host/match.go
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 package host
 
 import (
+	"github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/p2p/protocol"
 	"strings"
 
 	semver "github.com/coreos/go-semver/semver"
 )
 
-func MultistreamSemverMatcher(base string) (func(string) bool, error) {
-	parts := strings.Split(base, "/")
+func MultistreamSemverMatcher(base protocol.ID) (func(string) bool, error) {
+	parts := strings.Split(string(base), "/")
 	vers, err := semver.NewVersion(parts[len(parts)-1])
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/p2p/metrics/stream/metered.go b/p2p/metrics/stream/metered.go
index 2c7a4c6b9..14de24c57 100644
--- a/p2p/metrics/stream/metered.go
+++ b/p2p/metrics/stream/metered.go
@@ -19,18 +19,18 @@ type meteredStream struct {
 	mesRecv metrics.StreamMeterCallback
 }
 
-func newMeteredStream(base inet.Stream, pid protocol.ID, p peer.ID, recvCB, sentCB metrics.StreamMeterCallback) inet.Stream {
+func newMeteredStream(base inet.Stream, p peer.ID, recvCB, sentCB metrics.StreamMeterCallback) inet.Stream {
 	return &meteredStream{
 		Stream:   base,
 		mesSent:  sentCB,
 		mesRecv:  recvCB,
-		protoKey: pid,
+		protoKey: base.Protocol(),
 		peerKey:  p,
 	}
 }
 
-func WrapStream(base inet.Stream, pid protocol.ID, bwc metrics.Reporter) inet.Stream {
-	return newMeteredStream(base, pid, base.Conn().RemotePeer(), bwc.LogRecvMessageStream, bwc.LogSentMessageStream)
+func WrapStream(base inet.Stream, bwc metrics.Reporter) inet.Stream {
+	return newMeteredStream(base, base.Conn().RemotePeer(), bwc.LogRecvMessageStream, bwc.LogSentMessageStream)
 }
 
 func (s *meteredStream) Read(b []byte) (int, error) {
diff --git a/p2p/metrics/stream/metered_test.go b/p2p/metrics/stream/metered_test.go
index 5af586ee2..22b3f9370 100644
--- a/p2p/metrics/stream/metered_test.go
+++ b/p2p/metrics/stream/metered_test.go
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ func (fs *FakeStream) Write(b []byte) (int, error) {
 	return len(b), nil
 }
 
+func (fs *FakeStream) Protocol() protocol.ID {
+	return "TEST"
+}
+
 func TestCallbacksWork(t *testing.T) {
 	fake := new(FakeStream)
 
@@ -38,7 +42,7 @@ func TestCallbacksWork(t *testing.T) {
 		recv += n
 	}
 
-	ms := newMeteredStream(fake, protocol.ID("TEST"), peer.ID("PEER"), recvCB, sentCB)
+	ms := newMeteredStream(fake, peer.ID("PEER"), recvCB, sentCB)
 
 	toWrite := int64(100000)
 	toRead := int64(100000)
diff --git a/p2p/net/interface.go b/p2p/net/interface.go
index 12826ed8b..8ae607849 100644
--- a/p2p/net/interface.go
+++ b/p2p/net/interface.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	ma "github.com/jbenet/go-multiaddr"
 	"github.com/jbenet/goprocess"
 	conn "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/p2p/net/conn"
+	protocol "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/p2p/protocol"
 	context "golang.org/x/net/context"
 )
 
@@ -26,8 +27,8 @@ type Stream interface {
 	io.Writer
 	io.Closer
 
-	Protocol() string
-	SetProtocol(string)
+	Protocol() protocol.ID
+	SetProtocol(protocol.ID)
 
 	// Conn returns the connection this stream is part of.
 	Conn() Conn
diff --git a/p2p/net/mock/mock_stream.go b/p2p/net/mock/mock_stream.go
index 2de6df2f3..dac95688f 100644
--- a/p2p/net/mock/mock_stream.go
+++ b/p2p/net/mock/mock_stream.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 
 	process "github.com/jbenet/goprocess"
 	inet "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/p2p/net"
+	protocol "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/p2p/protocol"
 )
 
 // stream implements inet.Stream
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@ type stream struct {
 	toDeliver chan *transportObject
 	proc      process.Process
 
-	protocol string
+	protocol protocol.ID
 }
 
 type transportObject struct {
@@ -50,11 +51,11 @@ func (s *stream) Write(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
 	return len(p), nil
 }
 
-func (s *stream) Protocol() string {
+func (s *stream) Protocol() protocol.ID {
 	return s.protocol
 }
 
-func (s *stream) SetProtocol(proto string) {
+func (s *stream) SetProtocol(proto protocol.ID) {
 	s.protocol = proto
 }
 
diff --git a/p2p/net/swarm/swarm_stream.go b/p2p/net/swarm/swarm_stream.go
index 86719819a..dc365e8c0 100644
--- a/p2p/net/swarm/swarm_stream.go
+++ b/p2p/net/swarm/swarm_stream.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package swarm
 
 import (
 	inet "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/p2p/net"
+	protocol "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/p2p/protocol"
 
 	ps "github.com/jbenet/go-peerstream"
 )
@@ -10,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 // our Conn and Swarm (instead of just the ps.Conn and ps.Swarm)
 type Stream struct {
 	stream   *ps.Stream
-	protocol string
+	protocol protocol.ID
 }
 
 // Stream returns the underlying peerstream.Stream
@@ -44,11 +45,11 @@ func (s *Stream) Close() error {
 	return s.stream.Close()
 }
 
-func (s *Stream) Protocol() string {
+func (s *Stream) Protocol() protocol.ID {
 	return s.protocol
 }
 
-func (s *Stream) SetProtocol(p string) {
+func (s *Stream) SetProtocol(p protocol.ID) {
 	s.protocol = p
 }
 
diff --git a/p2p/protocol/identify/id.go b/p2p/protocol/identify/id.go
index cba8b8ecc..b86023298 100644
--- a/p2p/protocol/identify/id.go
+++ b/p2p/protocol/identify/id.go
@@ -86,8 +86,10 @@ func (ids *IDService) IdentifyConn(c inet.Conn) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	s.SetProtocol(ID)
+
 	bwc := ids.Host.GetBandwidthReporter()
-	s = mstream.WrapStream(s, ID, bwc)
+	s = mstream.WrapStream(s, bwc)
 
 	// ok give the response to our handler.
 	if err := msmux.SelectProtoOrFail(ID, s); err != nil {
@@ -115,7 +117,7 @@ func (ids *IDService) RequestHandler(s inet.Stream) {
 	c := s.Conn()
 
 	bwc := ids.Host.GetBandwidthReporter()
-	s = mstream.WrapStream(s, ID, bwc)
+	s = mstream.WrapStream(s, bwc)
 
 	w := ggio.NewDelimitedWriter(s)
 	mes := pb.Identify{}