diff --git a/src/xmpp/connection.c b/src/xmpp/connection.c
index c188498c..e25b8f6f 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/connection.c
+++ b/src/xmpp/connection.c
@@ -514,26 +514,20 @@ connection_free_uuid(char* uuid)
 char*
 connection_create_stanza_id(void)
 {
-    char* uuid = connection_create_uuid();
+    char* rndid = get_random_string(CON_RAND_ID_LEN);
 
-    assert(uuid != NULL);
+    assert(rndid != NULL);
 
-    gchar* hmac = g_compute_hmac_for_string(G_CHECKSUM_SHA256,
+    gchar* hmac = g_compute_hmac_for_string(G_CHECKSUM_SHA1,
                                             (guchar*)prof_identifier, strlen(prof_identifier),
-                                            uuid, strlen(uuid));
+                                            rndid, strlen(rndid));
 
-    GString* signature = g_string_new("");
-    g_string_printf(signature, "%s%s", uuid, hmac);
+    char *ret = g_strdup_printf("%s%s", rndid, hmac);
 
-    free(uuid);
+    free(rndid);
     g_free(hmac);
 
-    char* b64 = g_base64_encode((unsigned char*)signature->str, signature->len);
-    g_string_free(signature, TRUE);
-
-    assert(b64 != NULL);
-
-    return b64;
+    return ret;
 }
 
 char*
@@ -748,18 +742,12 @@ _random_bytes_close(void)
 static void
 _compute_identifier(const char* barejid)
 {
-    gchar* hmac = g_compute_hmac_for_string(G_CHECKSUM_SHA256,
-                                            (guchar*)profanity_instance_id, strlen(profanity_instance_id),
-                                            barejid, strlen(barejid));
-
-    char* b64 = g_base64_encode((guchar*)hmac, XMPP_SHA1_DIGEST_SIZE);
-    assert(b64 != NULL);
-    g_free(hmac);
-
     //in case of reconnect (lost connection)
     free(prof_identifier);
 
-    prof_identifier = b64;
+    prof_identifier = g_compute_hmac_for_string(G_CHECKSUM_SHA256,
+                                            (guchar*)profanity_instance_id, strlen(profanity_instance_id),
+                                            barejid, strlen(barejid));
 }
 
 const char*
diff --git a/src/xmpp/connection.h b/src/xmpp/connection.h
index d638d037..cab579f7 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/connection.h
+++ b/src/xmpp/connection.h
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@
 
 #include "xmpp/xmpp.h"
 
+#define CON_RAND_ID_LEN 15
+
 void connection_init(void);
 void connection_shutdown(void);
 void connection_check_events(void);
diff --git a/src/xmpp/message.c b/src/xmpp/message.c
index 33d58cde..4f093bcf 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/message.c
+++ b/src/xmpp/message.c
@@ -1564,26 +1564,24 @@ message_is_sent_by_us(const ProfMessage* const message, bool checkOID)
         }
 
         if (tmp_id != NULL) {
-            gsize tmp_len;
-            char* tmp = (char*)g_base64_decode(tmp_id, &tmp_len);
+            gsize tmp_len = strlen(tmp_id);
 
-            // our client sents at least 36 (uuid) + identifier
-            if (tmp_len > 36) {
-                char* uuid = g_strndup(tmp, 36);
+            // our client sents at CON_RAND_ID_LEN + identifier
+            if (tmp_len > CON_RAND_ID_LEN) {
+                char* uuid = g_strndup(tmp_id, CON_RAND_ID_LEN);
                 const char* prof_identifier = connection_get_profanity_identifier();
 
-                gchar* hmac = g_compute_hmac_for_string(G_CHECKSUM_SHA256,
+                gchar* hmac = g_compute_hmac_for_string(G_CHECKSUM_SHA1,
                                                         (guchar*)prof_identifier, strlen(prof_identifier),
                                                         uuid, strlen(uuid));
 
-                if (g_strcmp0(&tmp[36], hmac) == 0) {
+                if (g_strcmp0(&tmp_id[CON_RAND_ID_LEN], hmac) == 0) {
                     ret = TRUE;
                 }
 
                 g_free(uuid);
                 g_free(hmac);
             }
-            free(tmp);
         }
     }