diff --git a/common/JackRequest.h b/common/JackRequest.h
index 87906484..c91bfac6 100644
--- a/common/JackRequest.h
+++ b/common/JackRequest.h
@@ -119,22 +119,32 @@ struct JackRequest
     virtual ~JackRequest()
     {}
 
-    virtual int Read(detail::JackChannelTransactionInterface* trans)
-    {
-        return trans->Read(&fType, sizeof(RequestType));
-    }
+    virtual int Read(detail::JackChannelTransactionInterface* trans) = 0;
 
-    virtual int Write(detail::JackChannelTransactionInterface* trans) { return -1; }
+    virtual int Write(detail::JackChannelTransactionInterface* trans) = 0;
 
-    virtual int Write(detail::JackChannelTransactionInterface* trans, int size)
+    virtual int Size() const = 0;
+
+    int Write(detail::JackChannelTransactionInterface* trans, int size)
     {
         fSize = size;
         CheckRes(trans->Write(&fType, sizeof(RequestType)));
         return trans->Write(&fSize, sizeof(int));
     }
 
-    virtual int Size() const { return 0; }
+};
+
+struct JackRequestHeader
+{
+    JackRequest::RequestType fType;
+
+    JackRequestHeader(): fType((JackRequest::RequestType)0)
+    {}
 
+    int Read(detail::JackChannelTransactionInterface* trans)
+    {
+        return trans->Read(&fType, sizeof(JackRequest::RequestType));
+    }
 };
 
 /*!
diff --git a/common/JackRequestDecoder.cpp b/common/JackRequestDecoder.cpp
index 2bed809c..9f231107 100644
--- a/common/JackRequestDecoder.cpp
+++ b/common/JackRequestDecoder.cpp
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ int JackRequestDecoder::HandleRequest(detail::JackChannelTransactionInterface* s
             CheckWriteName("JackRequest::ClientCheck", socket);
             // Atomic ClientCheck followed by ClientOpen on same socket
             if (req.fOpen) {
-                JackRequest header;
+                JackRequestHeader header;
                 header.Read(socket);
                 return HandleRequest(socket, header.fType);
             }
diff --git a/posix/JackSocketServerChannel.cpp b/posix/JackSocketServerChannel.cpp
index aba7bf23..13c99c7f 100644
--- a/posix/JackSocketServerChannel.cpp
+++ b/posix/JackSocketServerChannel.cpp
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ bool JackSocketServerChannel::Execute()
                 } else if (fPollTable[i].revents & POLLIN) {
                     JackClientSocket* socket = fSocketTable[fd].second;
                     // Decode header
-                    JackRequest header;
+                    JackRequestHeader header;
                     if (header.Read(socket) < 0) {
                         jack_log("JackSocketServerChannel::Execute : cannot decode header");
                         ClientKill(fd);
diff --git a/windows/JackWinNamedPipeServerChannel.cpp b/windows/JackWinNamedPipeServerChannel.cpp
index 954fae2a..09d94aa9 100644
--- a/windows/JackWinNamedPipeServerChannel.cpp
+++ b/windows/JackWinNamedPipeServerChannel.cpp
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ bool JackClientPipeThread::Execute()
     try {
 
         jack_log("JackClientPipeThread::Execute %x", this);
-        JackRequest header;
+        JackRequestHeader header;
         int res = header.Read(fPipe);
         bool ret = true;