diff --git a/defaults.go b/defaults.go
index 430ae286..1f5b3956 100644
--- a/defaults.go
+++ b/defaults.go
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@ const hexDigit = "0123456789abcdef"
 
 // SetReply creates a reply packet from a request message.
 func (dns *Msg) SetReply(request *Msg) *Msg {
-	dns.MsgHdr.Id = request.MsgHdr.Id
-	dns.MsgHdr.RecursionDesired = request.MsgHdr.RecursionDesired // Copy rd bit
-	dns.MsgHdr.Response = true
-	dns.MsgHdr.Opcode = OpcodeQuery
-	dns.MsgHdr.Rcode = RcodeSuccess
+	dns.Id = request.Id
+	dns.RecursionDesired = request.RecursionDesired // Copy rd bit
+	dns.Response = true
+	dns.Opcode = OpcodeQuery
+	dns.Rcode = RcodeSuccess
 	if len(request.Question) > 0 {
 		dns.Question = make([]Question, 1)
 		dns.Question[0] = request.Question[0]
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ func (dns *Msg) SetReply(request *Msg) *Msg {
 
 // SetQuestion creates a question packet.
 func (dns *Msg) SetQuestion(z string, t uint16) *Msg {
-	dns.MsgHdr.Id = Id()
-	dns.MsgHdr.RecursionDesired = true
+	dns.Id = Id()
+	dns.RecursionDesired = true
 	dns.Question = make([]Question, 1)
 	dns.Question[0] = Question{z, t, ClassINET}
 	return dns
@@ -36,9 +36,9 @@ func (dns *Msg) SetQuestion(z string, t uint16) *Msg {
 
 // SetNotify creates a notify packet.
 func (dns *Msg) SetNotify(z string) *Msg {
-	dns.MsgHdr.Opcode = OpcodeNotify
-	dns.MsgHdr.Authoritative = true
-	dns.MsgHdr.Id = Id()
+	dns.Opcode = OpcodeNotify
+	dns.Authoritative = true
+	dns.Id = Id()
 	dns.Question = make([]Question, 1)
 	dns.Question[0] = Question{z, TypeSOA, ClassINET}
 	return dns
@@ -46,10 +46,10 @@ func (dns *Msg) SetNotify(z string) *Msg {
 
 // SetRcode creates an error packet suitable for the request.
 func (dns *Msg) SetRcode(request *Msg, rcode int) *Msg {
-	dns.MsgHdr.Rcode = rcode
-	dns.MsgHdr.Opcode = OpcodeQuery
-	dns.MsgHdr.Response = true
-	dns.MsgHdr.Id = request.MsgHdr.Id
+	dns.Rcode = rcode
+	dns.Opcode = OpcodeQuery
+	dns.Response = true
+	dns.Id = request.Id
 	// Note that this is actually a FORMERR
 	if len(request.Question) > 0 {
 		dns.Question = make([]Question, 1)
@@ -60,20 +60,20 @@ func (dns *Msg) SetRcode(request *Msg, rcode int) *Msg {
 
 // SetRcodeFormatError creates a packet with FormError set.
 func (dns *Msg) SetRcodeFormatError(request *Msg) *Msg {
-	dns.MsgHdr.Rcode = RcodeFormatError
-	dns.MsgHdr.Opcode = OpcodeQuery
-	dns.MsgHdr.Response = true
-	dns.MsgHdr.Authoritative = false
-	dns.MsgHdr.Id = request.MsgHdr.Id
+	dns.Rcode = RcodeFormatError
+	dns.Opcode = OpcodeQuery
+	dns.Response = true
+	dns.Authoritative = false
+	dns.Id = request.Id
 	return dns
 }
 
 // SetUpdate makes the message a dynamic update packet. It
 // sets the ZONE section to: z, TypeSOA, ClassINET.
 func (dns *Msg) SetUpdate(z string) *Msg {
-	dns.MsgHdr.Id = Id()
-	dns.MsgHdr.Response = false
-	dns.MsgHdr.Opcode = OpcodeUpdate
+	dns.Id = Id()
+	dns.Response = false
+	dns.Opcode = OpcodeUpdate
 	dns.Compress = false // BIND9 cannot handle compression
 	dns.Question = make([]Question, 1)
 	dns.Question[0] = Question{z, TypeSOA, ClassINET}
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func (dns *Msg) SetUpdate(z string) *Msg {
 
 // SetIxfr creates dns msg suitable for requesting an ixfr.
 func (dns *Msg) SetIxfr(z string, serial uint32) *Msg {
-	dns.MsgHdr.Id = Id()
+	dns.Id = Id()
 	dns.Question = make([]Question, 1)
 	dns.Ns = make([]RR, 1)
 	s := new(RR_SOA)
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func (dns *Msg) SetIxfr(z string, serial uint32) *Msg {
 
 // SetAxfr creates dns msg suitable for requesting an axfr.
 func (dns *Msg) SetAxfr(z string) *Msg {
-	dns.MsgHdr.Id = Id()
+	dns.Id = Id()
 	dns.Question = make([]Question, 1)
 	dns.Question[0] = Question{z, TypeAXFR, ClassINET}
 	return dns
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func (dns *Msg) SetTsig(z, algo string, fudge, timesigned int64) *Msg {
 	t.Algorithm = algo
 	t.Fudge = 300
 	t.TimeSigned = uint64(timesigned)
-	t.OrigId = dns.MsgHdr.Id
+	t.OrigId = dns.Id
 	dns.Extra = append(dns.Extra, t)
 	return dns
 }
diff --git a/dns.go b/dns.go
index 413a2e9b..e09b99a7 100644
--- a/dns.go
+++ b/dns.go
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@
 // The following is slightly more verbose, but more flexible:
 //
 //      m1 := new(dns.Msg)
-//      m1.MsgHdr.Id = Id()
-//      m1.MsgHdr.RecursionDesired = true
+//      m1.Id = Id()
+//      m1.RecursionDesired = true
 //      m1.Question = make([]Question, 1)
 //      m1.Question[0] = dns.Question{"miek.nl.", dns.TypeMX, dns.ClassINET}
 //
diff --git a/nsecx.go b/nsecx.go
index 8446aed5..6e748650 100644
--- a/nsecx.go
+++ b/nsecx.go
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ func (m *Msg) Nsec3Verify(q Question) (int, error) {
 			}
 		}
 		if !ncdenied {
-			if m.MsgHdr.Rcode == RcodeNameError {
+			if m.Rcode == RcodeNameError {
 				// For NXDOMAIN this is a problem
 				return 0, ErrDenialNc // add next closer name here
 			}
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ func (m *Msg) Nsec3Verify(q Question) (int, error) {
 			return 0, ErrDenialSo
 		}
 		// The message headers claims something different!
-		if m.MsgHdr.Rcode != RcodeNameError {
+		if m.Rcode != RcodeNameError {
 			return 0, ErrDenialHdr
 		}
 
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ NoData:
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	if m.MsgHdr.Rcode == RcodeNameError {
+	if m.Rcode == RcodeNameError {
 		return 0, ErrDenialHdr
 	}
 	return _NSEC3_NODATA, nil
diff --git a/tsig.go b/tsig.go
index 48a916d5..92dc8565 100644
--- a/tsig.go
+++ b/tsig.go
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ func TsigGenerate(m *Msg, secret, requestMAC string, timersOnly bool) ([]byte, s
 	t.Fudge = rr.Fudge
 	t.TimeSigned = rr.TimeSigned
 	t.Algorithm = rr.Algorithm
-	t.OrigId = m.MsgHdr.Id
+	t.OrigId = m.Id
 
 	tbuf := make([]byte, t.Len())
 	if off, ok := PackRR(t, tbuf, 0, nil, false); ok {
diff --git a/xfr.go b/xfr.go
index 929ad873..c861ebc2 100644
--- a/xfr.go
+++ b/xfr.go
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ func XfrSend(w ResponseWriter, q *Msg, c chan *XfrToken, e *error) error {
 func axfrSend(w ResponseWriter, req *Msg, c chan *XfrToken, e *error) {
 	rep := new(Msg)
 	rep.SetReply(req)
-	rep.MsgHdr.Authoritative = true
+	rep.Authoritative = true
 
 	for x := range c {
 		// assume it fits