diff --git a/protocol/src/lib.rs b/protocol/src/lib.rs
index f420042..d22a52a 100644
--- a/protocol/src/lib.rs
+++ b/protocol/src/lib.rs
@@ -768,7 +768,7 @@ impl<'a> Handshake<'a> {
         packet_buffer: &mut [u8],
     ) -> Result<(), Error> {
         // Find the end of the garbage.
-        let (garbage, message) = split_garbage_and_message(
+        let (garbage, message) = split_garbage(
             buffer,
             self.remote_garbage_terminator
                 .ok_or(Error::HandshakeOutOfOrder)?,
@@ -871,24 +871,23 @@ impl<'a> Handshake<'a> {
     }
 }
 
-/// Split a message on the garbage terminator returning the garbage itself
-/// and the remaing message. The message is expected to be the version packet,
-/// but could be decoy packets.
+/// Split off garbage in the buffer on the garbage terminator.
+///
+/// # Returns
+///
+/// A `Result` containing the garbage and the remaining ciphertext not including the terminator.
 ///
 /// # Error
 ///
 /// * `CiphertextTooSmall`    - Buffer did not contain a garbage terminator.
 /// * `MaxGarbageLength`      - Buffer did not contain the garbage terminator and contains too much garbage, should not be retried.
-fn split_garbage_and_message(
-    message: &[u8],
-    garbage_term: [u8; 16],
-) -> Result<(&[u8], &[u8]), Error> {
-    if let Some(index) = message
+fn split_garbage(buffer: &[u8], garbage_term: [u8; 16]) -> Result<(&[u8], &[u8]), Error> {
+    if let Some(index) = buffer
         .windows(garbage_term.len())
         .position(|window| window == garbage_term)
     {
-        Ok((&message[..index], &message[(index + garbage_term.len())..]))
-    } else if message.len() >= (MAX_NUM_GARBAGE_BYTES + NUM_GARBAGE_TERMINTOR_BYTES) {
+        Ok((&buffer[..index], &buffer[(index + garbage_term.len())..]))
+    } else if buffer.len() >= (MAX_NUM_GARBAGE_BYTES + NUM_GARBAGE_TERMINTOR_BYTES) {
         Err(Error::MaxGarbageLength)
     } else {
         // Terminator not found, the message needs more information.
@@ -1013,7 +1012,7 @@ mod tests {
     fn test_max_garbage() {
         let too_much_garbage = vec![0; 4111];
         let garbage_terminator = [1; 16];
-        let result = split_garbage_and_message(&too_much_garbage, garbage_terminator);
+        let result = split_garbage(&too_much_garbage, garbage_terminator);
         assert!(matches!(result, Err(Error::MaxGarbageLength)));
     }