diff --git a/payjoin/src/hpke.rs b/payjoin/src/hpke.rs
index 09cb5808..e6d74472 100644
--- a/payjoin/src/hpke.rs
+++ b/payjoin/src/hpke.rs
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@ pub const PADDED_MESSAGE_BYTES: usize = 7168;
 pub const HPKE_OVERHEAD_BYTES: usize = ELLSWIFT_ENCODING_SIZE + POLY1305_TAG_SIZE;
 pub const MAX_PLAINTEXT_LENGTH: usize =
     PADDED_MESSAGE_BYTES - (HPKE_OVERHEAD_BYTES + MAX_TLV_OVERHEAD);
-pub const PADDED_PLAINTEXT_A_LENGTH: usize = MAX_PLAINTEXT_LENGTH - UNCOMPRESSED_PUBLIC_KEY_SIZE;
-pub const PADDED_PLAINTEXT_B_LENGTH: usize = MAX_PLAINTEXT_LENGTH;
 pub const POLY1305_TAG_SIZE: usize = 16; // FIXME there is a U16 defined for poly1305, should bitcoin hpke re-export it?
 pub const MAX_TLV_OVERHEAD: usize = 4;
+const TLV_TYPE: u8 = 0;
+const TLV_U16_TAG: u8 = 0xfd;
 pub const INFO_A: &[u8; 8] = b"PjV2MsgA";
 pub const INFO_B: &[u8; 8] = b"PjV2MsgB";
 
@@ -164,13 +164,13 @@ pub fn encrypt_message_a(
             &mut OsRng,
         )?;
 
-    let mut plaintext = [0x00u8; PADDED_MESSAGE_BYTES - HPKE_OVERHEAD_BYTES];
+    let mut plaintext = [0u8; PADDED_MESSAGE_BYTES - HPKE_OVERHEAD_BYTES];
     let mut c = prepare_tlv(&mut plaintext, body.len(), UNCOMPRESSED_PUBLIC_KEY_SIZE)?;
     c.write(&reply_pk.to_bytes()).expect("length checked by prepare_tlv");
     c.write(&body).expect("length checked by prepare_tlv");
 
     let mut message_a = [0u8; PADDED_MESSAGE_BYTES];
-    let mut c = Cursor::new(&mut message_a[..]);
+    let mut c = &mut message_a[..];
     c.write(&ellswift_bytes_from_encapped_key(&encapsulated_key)?)
         .expect("length checked by prepare_tlv");
     c.write(&encryption_context.seal(&plaintext, &[])?).expect("length checked by prepare_tlv");
@@ -227,12 +227,12 @@ pub fn encrypt_message_b(
             &mut OsRng,
         )?;
 
-    let mut plaintext = [0x00u8; PADDED_MESSAGE_BYTES - HPKE_OVERHEAD_BYTES];
+    let mut plaintext = [0u8; PADDED_MESSAGE_BYTES - HPKE_OVERHEAD_BYTES];
     let mut c = prepare_tlv(&mut plaintext, body.len(), 0)?;
     c.write(body).expect("length checked by prepare_tlv");
 
     let mut message_b = [0u8; PADDED_MESSAGE_BYTES];
-    c = Cursor::new(&mut message_b);
+    let mut c = &mut message_b[..];
     c.write(&ellswift_bytes_from_encapped_key(&encapsulated_key)?)
         .expect("length checked by prepare_tlv");
     c.write(&encryption_context.seal(&plaintext, &[])?).expect("length checked by prepare_tlv");
@@ -264,18 +264,20 @@ fn prepare_tlv<'a>(
     buf: &'a mut [u8; PADDED_MESSAGE_BYTES - HPKE_OVERHEAD_BYTES],
     body_length: usize,
     overhead: usize,
-) -> Result<Cursor<&'a mut [u8]>, HpkeError> {
+) -> Result<&'a mut [u8], HpkeError> {
     let length = body_length + overhead;
-    if length < 0xfd {
+
+    buf[0] = TLV_TYPE;
+    if length < TLV_U16_TAG as usize {
         buf[1] = length.try_into().expect("length checked in conditional");
-        Ok(Cursor::new(&mut buf[2..MAX_PLAINTEXT_LENGTH - 2]))
+        Ok(&mut buf[2..MAX_PLAINTEXT_LENGTH - 2])
     } else if length <= MAX_PLAINTEXT_LENGTH {
-        buf[1] = 0xfd;
+        buf[1] = TLV_U16_TAG;
         NetworkEndian::write_u16(
             &mut buf[2..4],
             length.try_into().expect("length checked in conditional"),
         );
-        Ok(Cursor::new(&mut buf[4..]))
+        Ok(&mut buf[4..])
     } else {
         Err(HpkeError::PayloadTooLarge {
             actual: body_length,
@@ -285,14 +287,14 @@ fn prepare_tlv<'a>(
 }
 
 fn extract_tlv_value(plaintext: &[u8]) -> Result<&[u8], HpkeError> {
-    if plaintext[0] != 0x00 {
+    if plaintext[0] != TLV_TYPE {
         return Err(HpkeError::InvalidPlaintext);
     }
 
-    let (plaintext, length): (&[u8], usize) = if plaintext[1] < 0xfd {
-        (&plaintext[2..], plaintext[1].into())
-    } else if plaintext[1] == 0xfd {
-        (&plaintext[4..], NetworkEndian::read_u16(&plaintext[2..4]).into())
+    let (plaintext, length): (&[u8], usize) = if plaintext[1] < TLV_U16_TAG {
+        (&plaintext[2..], plaintext[1] as usize)
+    } else if plaintext[1] == TLV_U16_TAG {
+        (&plaintext[4..], NetworkEndian::read_u16(&plaintext[2..4]) as usize)
     } else {
         return Err(HpkeError::InvalidPlaintext);
     };
@@ -356,6 +358,8 @@ impl error::Error for HpkeError {
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
+    const PADDED_PLAINTEXT_A_LENGTH: usize = MAX_PLAINTEXT_LENGTH - UNCOMPRESSED_PUBLIC_KEY_SIZE;
+    const PADDED_PLAINTEXT_B_LENGTH: usize = MAX_PLAINTEXT_LENGTH;
     use super::*;
 
     #[test]