diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index b4250a5..c7067a5 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/google/jsonschema-go v0.4.3
 	github.com/gorilla/websocket v1.5.3
 	github.com/jwetzell/artnet-go v0.2.2
-	github.com/jwetzell/free-d-go v0.1.1
+	github.com/jwetzell/free-d-go v0.2.0
 	github.com/jwetzell/osc-go v0.3.0
 	github.com/jwetzell/psn-go v0.3.0
 	github.com/nats-io/nats-server/v2 v2.14.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 342f76c..1a1f90c 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ github.com/icholy/digest v1.1.0 h1:HfGg9Irj7i+IX1o1QAmPfIBNu/Q5A5Tu3n/MED9k9H4=
 github.com/icholy/digest v1.1.0/go.mod h1:QNrsSGQ5v7v9cReDI0+eyjsXGUoRSUZQHeQ5C4XLa0Y=
 github.com/jwetzell/artnet-go v0.2.2 h1:vaXSmRrSlEdETPZ/gvw6aAmVqzQm0i+gfAwyIQkVsB0=
 github.com/jwetzell/artnet-go v0.2.2/go.mod h1:gli97Z32a0kMkZ6taoTiK7/lqHcF/dhiGjGJdx/PxqA=
-github.com/jwetzell/free-d-go v0.1.1 h1:pzY2c4qRxKFBZ2jO3z512ysvUI0BUmgd4mSlWPiFVRM=
-github.com/jwetzell/free-d-go v0.1.1/go.mod h1:KmrkooRARRaxJTBSPvwt/6IMAIaHH1R8bSA8cwbbELw=
+github.com/jwetzell/free-d-go v0.2.0 h1:8WQW4du8Sf3d18aUzk9n5jZtHE6WdDQHDFjkFffvycc=
+github.com/jwetzell/free-d-go v0.2.0/go.mod h1:yHuRy51NeDfN26eJ6wzZgys8qyQiS7hkYILw8yF+UJ4=
 github.com/jwetzell/osc-go v0.3.0 h1:z75TxuQSEmdcmZ56OAepkDa3m88SdZh//3m4nBb/XZI=
 github.com/jwetzell/osc-go v0.3.0/go.mod h1:kCs329JxY6Qjga08tRQ/Gl0PqhgQzLIMpOhm6uszvIc=
 github.com/jwetzell/psn-go v0.3.0 h1:WVpCEmExYE8a+I5hQak5jNJJp2x35VdGX/VuMUKPmhY=
diff --git a/internal/common/common.go b/internal/common/common.go
index a1f4e7e..efd068e 100644
--- a/internal/common/common.go
+++ b/internal/common/common.go
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ func GetAnyAsByteSlice(value any) ([]byte, bool) {
 
 	// check for a slice
 	v := reflect.ValueOf(value)
-	if v.Kind() != reflect.Slice {
+	if v.Kind() != reflect.Slice && v.Kind() != reflect.Array {
 		return nil, false
 	}
 
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ func GetAnyAsByteSlice(value any) ([]byte, bool) {
 
 func GetAnyAsIntSlice(value any) ([]int, bool) {
 
-	// already a []byte
+	// already a []int
 	intSlice, ok := value.([]int)
 	if ok {
 		return intSlice, true
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ func GetAnyAsIntSlice(value any) ([]int, bool) {
 
 	// check for a slice
 	v := reflect.ValueOf(value)
-	if v.Kind() != reflect.Slice {
+	if v.Kind() != reflect.Slice && v.Kind() != reflect.Array {
 		return nil, false
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/processor/free-d-decode.go b/internal/processor/free-d-decode.go
index be23147..18f8464 100644
--- a/internal/processor/free-d-decode.go
+++ b/internal/processor/free-d-decode.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ func init() {
 
 type FreeDDecode struct {
 	config config.ProcessorConfig
+	buf [29]byte
 }
 	
 func (fd *FreeDDecode) Process(ctx context.Context, wrappedPayload common.WrappedPayload) (common.WrappedPayload, error) {
@@ -32,7 +33,14 @@ func (fd *FreeDDecode) Process(ctx context.Context, wrappedPayload common.Wrappe
 		return wrappedPayload, errors.New("freed.decode processor only accepts a []byte")
 	}
 
-	payloadMessage, err := freeD.Decode(payloadBytes)
+	if len(payloadBytes) != 29 {
+		wrappedPayload.End = true
+		return wrappedPayload, errors.New("freeD packet must be exactly 29 bytes")
+	}
+
+	copy(fd.buf[:], payloadBytes)
+
+	payloadMessage, err := freeD.Decode(fd.buf)
 	if err != nil {
 		wrappedPayload.End = true
 		return wrappedPayload, err
diff --git a/internal/processor/test/free-d-decode_test.go b/internal/processor/test/free-d-decode_test.go
index 717a344..e9e6797 100644
--- a/internal/processor/test/free-d-decode_test.go
+++ b/internal/processor/test/free-d-decode_test.go
@@ -34,12 +34,12 @@ func TestGoodFreeDDecode(t *testing.T) {
 
 	tests := []struct {
 		name     string
-		payload  []byte
+		payload  [29]byte
 		expected any
 	}{
 		{
 			name: "basic freed",
-			payload: []byte{0xd1, 0x01, 0x5a, 0x00, 0x00, 0x2d, 0x00, 0x00, 0xa6, 0x00, 0x00, 0x7f, 0xff, 0x40, 0x7f, 0xff, 0x80, 0x7f, 0xff,
+			payload: [29]byte{0xd1, 0x01, 0x5a, 0x00, 0x00, 0x2d, 0x00, 0x00, 0xa6, 0x00, 0x00, 0x7f, 0xff, 0x40, 0x7f, 0xff, 0x80, 0x7f, 0xff,
 				0xc0, 0x01, 0x02, 0x03, 0x04, 0x05, 0x06, 0x00, 0x00, 50,
 			},
 			expected: freeD.FreeDPosition{
diff --git a/internal/processor/test/free-d-encode_test.go b/internal/processor/test/free-d-encode_test.go
index bd12b3f..7c861c5 100644
--- a/internal/processor/test/free-d-encode_test.go
+++ b/internal/processor/test/free-d-encode_test.go
@@ -34,12 +34,12 @@ func TestGoodFreeDEncode(t *testing.T) {
 
 	tests := []struct {
 		name     string
-		expected []byte
+		expected [29]byte
 		payload  any
 	}{
 		{
 			name: "basic freed",
-			expected: []byte{0xd1, 0x01, 0x5a, 0x00, 0x00, 0x2d, 0x00, 0x00, 0xa6, 0x00, 0x00, 0x7f, 0xff, 0x40, 0x7f, 0xff, 0x80, 0x7f, 0xff,
+			expected: [29]byte{0xd1, 0x01, 0x5a, 0x00, 0x00, 0x2d, 0x00, 0x00, 0xa6, 0x00, 0x00, 0x7f, 0xff, 0x40, 0x7f, 0xff, 0x80, 0x7f, 0xff,
 				0xc0, 0x01, 0x02, 0x03, 0x04, 0x05, 0x06, 0x00, 0x00, 50,
 			},
 			payload: freeD.FreeDPosition{