diff --git a/lnwire/extra_bytes.go b/lnwire/extra_bytes.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..22fd20bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lnwire/extra_bytes.go
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+package lnwire
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
+
+	"github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/tlv"
+)
+
+// ExtraOpaqueData is the set of data that was appended to this message, some
+// of which we may not actually know how to iterate or parse. By holding onto
+// this data, we ensure that we're able to properly validate the set of
+// signatures that cover these new fields, and ensure we're able to make
+// upgrades to the network in a forwards compatible manner.
+type ExtraOpaqueData []byte
+
+// Encode attempts to encode the raw extra bytes into the passed io.Writer.
+func (e *ExtraOpaqueData) Encode(w io.Writer) error {
+	eBytes := []byte((*e)[:])
+	if err := WriteElements(w, eBytes); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Decode attempts to unpack the raw bytes encoded in the passed io.Reader as a
+// set of extra opaque data.
+func (e *ExtraOpaqueData) Decode(r io.Reader) error {
+	// First, we'll attempt to read a set of bytes contained within the
+	// passed io.Reader (if any exist).
+	rawBytes, err := ioutil.ReadAll(r)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// If we _do_ have some bytes, then we'll swap out our backing pointer.
+	// This ensures that any struct that embeds this type will properly
+	// store the bytes once this method exits.
+	if len(rawBytes) > 0 {
+		*e = ExtraOpaqueData(rawBytes)
+	} else {
+		*e = make([]byte, 0)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// PackRecords attempts to encode the set of tlv records into the target
+// ExtraOpaqueData instance. The records will be encoded as a raw TLV stream
+// and stored within the backing slice pointer.
+func (e *ExtraOpaqueData) PackRecords(records ...tlv.Record) error {
+	tlvStream, err := tlv.NewStream(records...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	var extraBytesWriter bytes.Buffer
+	if err := tlvStream.Encode(&extraBytesWriter); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	*e = ExtraOpaqueData(extraBytesWriter.Bytes())
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// ExtractRecords attempts to decode any types in the internal raw bytes as if
+// it were a tlv stream. The set of raw parsed types is returned, and any
+// passed records (if found in the stream) will be parsed into the proper
+// tlv.Record.
+func (e *ExtraOpaqueData) ExtractRecords(records ...tlv.Record) (
+	tlv.TypeMap, error) {
+
+	extraBytesReader := bytes.NewReader(*e)
+
+	tlvStream, err := tlv.NewStream(records...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return tlvStream.DecodeWithParsedTypes(extraBytesReader)
+}
diff --git a/lnwire/extra_bytes_test.go b/lnwire/extra_bytes_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..39271d6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lnwire/extra_bytes_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+package lnwire
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"math/rand"
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+	"testing/quick"
+
+	"github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/tlv"
+)
+
+// TestExtraOpaqueDataEncodeDecode tests that we're able to encode/decode
+// arbitrary payloads.
+func TestExtraOpaqueDataEncodeDecode(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	type testCase struct {
+		// emptyBytes indicates if we should try to encode empty bytes
+		// or not.
+		emptyBytes bool
+
+		// inputBytes if emptyBytes is false, then we'll read in this
+		// set of bytes instead.
+		inputBytes []byte
+	}
+
+	// We should be able to read in an arbitrary set of bytes as an
+	// ExtraOpaqueData, then encode those new bytes into a new instance.
+	// The final two instances should be identical.
+	scenario := func(test testCase) bool {
+		var (
+			extraData ExtraOpaqueData
+			b         bytes.Buffer
+		)
+
+		copy(extraData[:], test.inputBytes)
+
+		if err := extraData.Encode(&b); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unable to encode extra data: %v", err)
+			return false
+		}
+
+		var newBytes ExtraOpaqueData
+		if err := newBytes.Decode(&b); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("unable to decode extra bytes: %v", err)
+			return false
+		}
+
+		if !bytes.Equal(extraData[:], newBytes[:]) {
+			t.Fatalf("expected %x, got %x", extraData,
+				newBytes)
+			return false
+		}
+
+		return true
+	}
+
+	// We'll make a function to generate random test data. Half of the
+	// time, we'll actually feed in blank bytes.
+	quickCfg := &quick.Config{
+		Values: func(v []reflect.Value, r *rand.Rand) {
+
+			var newTestCase testCase
+			if r.Int31()%2 == 0 {
+				newTestCase.emptyBytes = true
+			}
+
+			if !newTestCase.emptyBytes {
+				numBytes := r.Int31n(1000)
+				newTestCase.inputBytes = make([]byte, numBytes)
+
+				_, err := r.Read(newTestCase.inputBytes)
+				if err != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("unable to gen random bytes: %v", err)
+					return
+				}
+			}
+
+			v[0] = reflect.ValueOf(newTestCase)
+		},
+	}
+
+	if err := quick.Check(scenario, quickCfg); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("encode+decode test failed: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestExtraOpaqueDataPackUnpackRecords tests that we're able to pack a set of
+// tlv.Records into a stream, and unpack them on the other side to obtain the
+// same set of records.
+func TestExtraOpaqueDataPackUnpackRecords(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	var (
+		type1 tlv.Type = 1
+		type2 tlv.Type = 2
+
+		channelType1 uint8 = 2
+		channelType2 uint8
+
+		hop1 uint32 = 99
+		hop2 uint32
+	)
+	testRecords := []tlv.Record{
+		tlv.MakePrimitiveRecord(type1, &channelType1),
+		tlv.MakePrimitiveRecord(type2, &hop1),
+	}
+
+	// Now that we have our set of sample records and types, we'll encode
+	// them into the passed ExtraOpaqueData instance.
+	var extraBytes ExtraOpaqueData
+	if err := extraBytes.PackRecords(testRecords...); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unable to pack records: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// We'll now simulate decoding these types _back_ into records on the
+	// other side.
+	newRecords := []tlv.Record{
+		tlv.MakePrimitiveRecord(type1, &channelType2),
+		tlv.MakePrimitiveRecord(type2, &hop2),
+	}
+	typeMap, err := extraBytes.ExtractRecords(newRecords...)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unable to extract record: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// We should find that the new backing values have been populated with
+	// the proper value.
+	switch {
+	case channelType1 != channelType2:
+		t.Fatalf("wrong record for channel type: expected %v, got %v",
+			channelType1, channelType2)
+
+	case hop1 != hop2:
+		t.Fatalf("wrong record for hop: expected %v, got %v", hop1,
+			hop2)
+	}
+
+	// Both types we created above should be found in the type map.
+	if _, ok := typeMap[type1]; !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("type1 not found in typeMap")
+	}
+	if _, ok := typeMap[type2]; !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("type2 not found in typeMap")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/lnwire/lnwire.go b/lnwire/lnwire.go
index ca0e449e..c180cad3 100644
--- a/lnwire/lnwire.go
+++ b/lnwire/lnwire.go
@@ -18,9 +18,16 @@ import (
 	"github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/tor"
 )
 
-// MaxSliceLength is the maximum allowed length for any opaque byte slices in
-// the wire protocol.
-const MaxSliceLength = 65535
+const (
+	// MaxSliceLength is the maximum allowed length for any opaque byte
+	// slices in the wire protocol.
+	MaxSliceLength = 65535
+
+	// MaxMsgBody is the largest payload any message is allowed to provide.
+	// This is two less than the MaxSliceLength as each message has a 2
+	// byte type that precedes the message body.
+	MaxMsgBody = 65533
+)
 
 // PkScript is simple type definition which represents a raw serialized public
 // key script.
@@ -418,6 +425,10 @@ func WriteElement(w io.Writer, element interface{}) error {
 		if _, err := w.Write(b[:]); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+
+	case ExtraOpaqueData:
+		return e.Encode(w)
+
 	default:
 		return fmt.Errorf("unknown type in WriteElement: %T", e)
 	}
@@ -824,6 +835,10 @@ func ReadElement(r io.Reader, element interface{}) error {
 			return err
 		}
 		*e = addrBytes[:length]
+
+	case *ExtraOpaqueData:
+		return e.Decode(r)
+
 	default:
 		return fmt.Errorf("unknown type in ReadElement: %T", e)
 	}