diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index e221f0223..1fb422452 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Package: nanonext
 Type: Package
 Title: NNG (Nanomsg Next Gen) Lightweight Messaging Library
-Version: 1.1.0.9002
+Version: 1.1.0.9003
 Description: R binding for NNG (Nanomsg Next Gen), a successor to ZeroMQ. NNG is
     a socket library implementing 'Scalability Protocols', a reliable,
     high-performance standard for common communications patterns including
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index acbcf4e65..99740166e 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# nanonext 1.1.0.9002 (development)
+# nanonext 1.1.0.9003 (development)
 
 #### New Features
 
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 * `request()` specifying argument 'cv' other than NULL or a 'conditionVariable' will cause the pipe connection to be dropped when the reply is (asynchronously) completed. 
 * Removes deprecated functions `strcat()`, `recv_aio_signal()` and `request_signal()`.
 * Removes `base64enc()` and `base64dec()` in favour of those in the {secretbase} package.
+* `later` is now a 'suggests' dependency (only required if using promises).
 
 # nanonext 1.1.0
 
diff --git a/src/aio.c b/src/aio.c
index 49cc07ca6..3f659a2f3 100644
--- a/src/aio.c
+++ b/src/aio.c
@@ -558,7 +558,7 @@ SEXP rnng_aio_call(SEXP x) {
   case VECSXP: ;
     const R_xlen_t xlen = Rf_xlength(x);
     for (R_xlen_t i = 0; i < xlen; i++) {
-      rnng_aio_call(VECTOR_ELT(x, i));
+      rnng_aio_call(R_VECTOR(x)[i]);
     }
     break;
   }
@@ -581,7 +581,7 @@ static SEXP rnng_aio_collect_impl(SEXP x, SEXP (*const func)(SEXP)) {
     const R_xlen_t xlen = Rf_xlength(x);
     PROTECT(out = Rf_allocVector(VECSXP, xlen));
     for (R_xlen_t i = 0; i < xlen; i++) {
-      env = func(VECTOR_ELT(x, i));
+      env = func(R_VECTOR(x)[i]);
       if (TYPEOF(env) != ENVSXP) goto exit;
       env = Rf_findVarInFrame(env, nano_ValueSymbol);
       if (env == R_UnboundValue) goto exit;
@@ -624,7 +624,7 @@ SEXP rnng_aio_stop(SEXP x) {
   case VECSXP: ;
     const R_xlen_t xlen = Rf_xlength(x);
     for (R_xlen_t i = 0; i < xlen; i++) {
-      rnng_aio_stop(VECTOR_ELT(x, i));
+      rnng_aio_stop(R_VECTOR(x)[i]);
     }
     break;
   }
@@ -678,7 +678,7 @@ SEXP rnng_unresolved(SEXP x) {
   case VECSXP: ;
     const R_xlen_t xlen = Rf_xlength(x);
     for (R_xlen_t i = 0; i < xlen; i++) {
-      if (rnng_unresolved_impl(VECTOR_ELT(x, i)))
+      if (rnng_unresolved_impl(R_VECTOR(x)[i]))
         return Rf_ScalarLogical(1);
     }
   }
@@ -710,7 +710,7 @@ SEXP rnng_unresolved2(SEXP x) {
     int xc = 0;
     const R_xlen_t xlen = Rf_xlength(x);
     for (R_xlen_t i = 0; i < xlen; i++) {
-      xc += rnng_unresolved2_impl(VECTOR_ELT(x, i));
+      xc += rnng_unresolved2_impl(R_VECTOR(x)[i]);
     }
     return Rf_ScalarInteger(xc);
   }
diff --git a/src/core.c b/src/core.c
index b4b7737cf..cac0762f1 100644
--- a/src/core.c
+++ b/src/core.c
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ static SEXP nano_inHook(SEXP x, SEXP fun) {
   PROTECT(newlist = Rf_allocVector(VECSXP, xlen + 1));
   PROTECT(newnames = Rf_allocVector(STRSXP, xlen + 1));
   for (R_xlen_t i = 0; i < xlen; i++) {
-    SET_VECTOR_ELT(newlist, i, VECTOR_ELT(list, i));
+    SET_VECTOR_ELT(newlist, i, R_VECTOR(list)[i]);
     SET_STRING_ELT(newnames, i, STRING_ELT(names, i));
   }
   SET_VECTOR_ELT(newlist, xlen, x);
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ static SEXP nano_inHook(SEXP x, SEXP fun) {
 static SEXP nano_outHook(SEXP x, SEXP fun) {
 
   const long i = atol(CHAR(*(SEXP *) DATAPTR_RO(x))) - 1;
-  return VECTOR_ELT(fun, i);
+  return R_VECTOR(fun)[i];
 
 }
 
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ void nano_serialize_next(nano_buf *buf, const SEXP object) {
       buf->cur += sizeof(R_xlen_t);
 
       for (R_xlen_t i = 0; i < llen; i++) {
-        PROTECT(call = Rf_lcons(func, Rf_cons(VECTOR_ELT(refList, i), R_NilValue)));
+        PROTECT(call = Rf_lcons(func, Rf_cons(R_VECTOR(refList)[i], R_NilValue)));
         PROTECT(out = R_UnwindProtect(eval_safe, call, rl_reset, NULL, NULL));
         if (TYPEOF(out) == RAWSXP) {
           R_xlen_t xlen = XLENGTH(out);
@@ -1571,8 +1571,8 @@ SEXP rnng_next_config(SEXP refhook, SEXP klass, SEXP list, SEXP mark) {
   case VECSXP:
     if (Rf_xlength(refhook) != 2)
       return nano_refHook;
-    typ1 = TYPEOF(VECTOR_ELT(refhook, 0));
-    typ2 = TYPEOF(VECTOR_ELT(refhook, 1));
+    typ1 = TYPEOF(R_VECTOR(refhook)[0]);
+    typ2 = TYPEOF(R_VECTOR(refhook)[1]);
     plist = 0;
     break;
   case NILSXP:
@@ -1586,8 +1586,8 @@ SEXP rnng_next_config(SEXP refhook, SEXP klass, SEXP list, SEXP mark) {
   if ((typ1 == CLOSXP || typ1 == SPECIALSXP || typ1 == BUILTINSXP) &&
       (typ2 == CLOSXP || typ2 == SPECIALSXP || typ2 == BUILTINSXP)) {
 
-    SETCAR(nano_refHook, plist ? CAR(refhook) : VECTOR_ELT(refhook, 0));
-    SETCADR(nano_refHook, plist ? CADR(refhook) : VECTOR_ELT(refhook, 1));
+    SETCAR(nano_refHook, plist ? CAR(refhook) : R_VECTOR(refhook)[0]);
+    SETCADR(nano_refHook, plist ? CADR(refhook) : R_VECTOR(refhook)[1]);
     SETCAR(nano_klassString, STRING_ELT(klass, 0));
 
     registered = *NANO_INTEGER(list) ? 1 : 2;
diff --git a/src/nanonext.h b/src/nanonext.h
index 1ef89b089..4a012495d 100644
--- a/src/nanonext.h
+++ b/src/nanonext.h
@@ -154,6 +154,8 @@ typedef struct nano_cv_s {
 #include <Rversion.h>
 #include <R_ext/Visibility.h>
 
+#define R_VECTOR(x) ((const SEXP *) DATAPTR_RO(x))
+
 #define ERROR_OUT(xc) Rf_error("%d | %s", xc, nng_strerror(xc))
 #define ERROR_RET(xc) { Rf_warning("%d | %s", xc, nng_strerror(xc)); return mk_error(xc); }
 #define NANONEXT_INIT_BUFSIZE 8192
diff --git a/src/thread.c b/src/thread.c
index 51a6dfb46..51bbda59e 100644
--- a/src/thread.c
+++ b/src/thread.c
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ SEXP rnng_wait_thread_create(SEXP x) {
 
     const R_xlen_t xlen = Rf_xlength(x);
     for (R_xlen_t i = 0; i < xlen; i++) {
-      rnng_wait_thread_create(VECTOR_ELT(x, i));
+      rnng_wait_thread_create(R_VECTOR(x)[i]);
     }
 
   }