diff --git a/mfer/deserialize.go b/mfer/deserialize.go
index b9ce966..85ff318 100644
--- a/mfer/deserialize.go
+++ b/mfer/deserialize.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
 )
 
-func (m *manifest) validateProto() error {
+func (m *manifest) validateProtoOuter() error {
 	if m.pbOuter.Version != MFFileOuter_VERSION_ONE {
 		return errors.New("unknown version")
 	}
@@ -38,12 +38,20 @@ func (m *manifest) validateProto() error {
 		log.Debugf("truncated data, got %d expected %d", isize, m.pbOuter.Size)
 		return bork.ErrFileTruncated
 	}
-
+	log.Debugf("inner data size is %d", isize)
 	log.Dump(dat)
 	log.Dump(m.pbOuter.Sha256)
-
 	return nil
+}
 
+func validateMagic(dat []byte) bool {
+	ml := len([]byte(MAGIC))
+	if len(dat) < ml {
+		return false
+	}
+	got := dat[0:ml]
+	expected := []byte(MAGIC)
+	return bytes.Equal(got, expected)
 }
 
 func NewFromProto(input io.Reader) (*manifest, error) {
@@ -52,30 +60,30 @@ func NewFromProto(input io.Reader) (*manifest, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	ml := len([]byte(MAGIC))
-	bb := bytes.NewBuffer(dat)
-	got := dat[0:ml]
-	log.Dump("got:")
-	log.Dump(got)
-	expected := []byte(MAGIC)
-	log.Dump("expected:")
-	log.Dump(expected)
-	if !bytes.Equal(got, expected) {
+	if !validateMagic(dat) {
 		return nil, errors.New("invalid file format")
 	}
-	bb = bytes.NewBuffer(dat[ml:])
+
+	// remove magic bytes prefix:
+	ml := len([]byte(MAGIC))
+	bb := bytes.NewBuffer(dat[ml:])
 	dat = bb.Bytes()
+
 	log.Dump(dat)
 
+	// deserialize:
 	m.pbOuter = new(MFFileOuter)
 	err = proto.Unmarshal(dat, m.pbOuter)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	ve := m.validateProto()
+
+	ve := m.validateProtoOuter()
 	if ve != nil {
 		return nil, ve
 	}
+
+	// FIXME TODO deserialize inner
 	return m, nil
 }
diff --git a/mfer/manifest.go b/mfer/manifest.go
index 9c26a93..d85e5c5 100644
--- a/mfer/manifest.go
+++ b/mfer/manifest.go
@@ -158,7 +158,6 @@ func (m *manifest) addFile(p string, fi fs.FileInfo, sfsIndex int) error {
 
 func (m *manifest) Scan() error {
 	// FIXME scan and whatever function does the hashing should take ctx
-	log.Debug("manifest Scan()")
 	for idx, sfs := range m.sourceFS {
 		if sfs == nil {
 			return errors.New("invalid source fs")
diff --git a/mfer/serialize.go b/mfer/serialize.go
index 82dbff4..00e8a5e 100644
--- a/mfer/serialize.go
+++ b/mfer/serialize.go
@@ -7,12 +7,12 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"time"
 
-	"git.eeqj.de/sneak/mfer/internal/log"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
 )
 
 //go:generate protoc --go_out=. --go_opt=paths=source_relative mf.proto
 
+// rot13("MANIFEST")
 const MAGIC string = "ZNAVSRFG"
 
 func newTimestampFromTime(t time.Time) *Timestamp {
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@ func newTimestampFromTime(t time.Time) *Timestamp {
 }
 
 func (m *manifest) generate() error {
-	log.Debug("generate()")
-
 	if m.pbInner == nil {
 		e := m.generateInner()
 		if e != nil {
@@ -51,7 +49,6 @@ func (m *manifest) generate() error {
 }
 
 func (m *manifest) generateOuter() error {
-	log.Debug("generateOuter()")
 	if m.pbInner == nil {
 		return errors.New("internal error")
 	}
@@ -83,18 +80,15 @@ func (m *manifest) generateOuter() error {
 		CompressionType: MFFileOuter_COMPRESSION_GZIP,
 	}
 	m.pbOuter = o
-	log.Dump(m.pbOuter)
 	return nil
 }
 
 func (m *manifest) generateInner() error {
-	log.Debug("generateInner()")
 	m.pbInner = &MFFile{
 		Version:   MFFile_VERSION_ONE,
 		CreatedAt: newTimestampFromTime(time.Now()),
 		Files:     []*MFFilePath{},
 	}
-
 	for _, f := range m.files {
 		nf := &MFFilePath{
 			Path: f.path,
@@ -102,6 +96,5 @@ func (m *manifest) generateInner() error {
 		}
 		m.pbInner.Files = append(m.pbInner.Files, nf)
 	}
-	log.Dump(m.pbInner)
 	return nil
 }