diff --git a/net/adc_netmsg.h b/net/adc_netmsg.h
index 79f6d39..9184778 100644
--- a/net/adc_netmsg.h
+++ b/net/adc_netmsg.h
@@ -127,7 +127,8 @@ public:
         }
 
         bool emp = true;
-        for (const auto& el : _bytes) {
+        for (size_t i = _reservedNum; i < _bytes.size(); ++i) {
+            const auto& el = _bytes[i];
             if (std::ranges::distance(el.begin(), el.end())) {
                 emp = false;
                 break;
@@ -143,7 +144,7 @@ public:
     {
         R r;
 
-        for (size_t i = 0; i < _bytes.size(); ++i) {
+        for (size_t i = _reservedNum; i < _bytes.size(); ++i) {
             std::ranges::for_each(storageViewByIndex(i),
                                   [&r](const auto& el) { std::ranges::copy(el, std::back_inserter(r)); });
         }
@@ -152,7 +153,7 @@ public:
     }
 
 
-    virtual ByteStorageT bytes() const
+    ByteStorageT bytes() const
     {
         //
         return bytes<ByteStorageT>();
@@ -165,7 +166,7 @@ public:
         R r;
 
 
-        for (size_t i = 0; i < _bytes.size(); ++i) {
+        for (size_t i = _reservedNum; i < _bytes.size(); ++i) {
             std::ranges::for_each(storageViewByIndex(i),
                                   [&r](const auto& el) { r.emplace_back(el.begin(), el.end()); });
         }
@@ -181,9 +182,14 @@ public:
 
 protected:
     std::vector<ByteStorageT> _bytes;
+    size_t _reservedNum;
 
 
-    AdcNetMessageSeqInterface() = default;
+    AdcNetMessageSeqInterface(size_t reserved = 0) : _reservedNum(reserved), _bytes()
+    {
+        // reserve the "_reservedNum" first elements
+        _bytes.resize(_reservedNum);
+    }
 
     // return a sequence of storage element view and possible additional
     // byte views (e.g. elements delimiter)
@@ -272,7 +278,7 @@ public:
     AdcTokenNetMessage() = default;
 
     template <typename T, typename... Ts>
-    AdcTokenNetMessage(const T& v, const Ts&... vs) : AdcTokenNetMessage()
+    AdcTokenNetMessage(const T& v, const Ts&... vs) : AdcTokenNetMessage()  // _reservedNum = 0
     {
         setTokens(v, vs...);
     }
@@ -289,7 +295,8 @@ public:
             return r;
         }
 
-        std::ranges::copy(this->_bytes | std::views::drop(start) | std::views::take(N), std::back_inserter(r));
+        std::ranges::copy(this->_bytes | std::views::drop(start + this->_reservedNum) | std::views::take(N),
+                          std::back_inserter(r));
 
         return r;
     }
@@ -306,11 +313,12 @@ public:
     {
         R r;
 
-        if (empty() || (start >= this->_bytes.size()) || !N) {
+        if (empty() || (start >= _tokenNumber) || !N) {
             return r;
         }
 
-        utils::AdcJoinRange(this->_bytes | std::views::drop(start) | std::views::take(N), tokenDelimiter, r);
+        utils::AdcJoinRange(this->_bytes | std::views::drop(start + this->_reservedNum) | std::views::take(N),
+                            tokenDelimiter, r);
 
         return r;
     }
@@ -345,13 +353,16 @@ public:
         if constexpr (sizeof...(Ts)) {
             appendTokens(vs...);
         }
+
+        _tokenNumber = this->_bytes.size() - this->_reservedNum;
     }
 
 
     template <typename T, typename... Ts>
     void setTokens(const T& v, const Ts&... vs)
     {
-        this->_bytes.clear();
+        this->_bytes.resize(this->_reservedNum);
+        _tokenNumber = 0;
 
         appendTokens(v, vs...);
     }
@@ -366,6 +377,8 @@ public:
         do {
             it = std::search(start_it, end, tokenDelimiter.begin(), tokenDelimiter.end());
             std::copy(start_it, it, std::back_inserter(this->_bytes.emplace_back()));
+            ++_tokenNumber;
+
             start_it = it;
             std::advance(start_it, tokenDelimiter.size());  // to support not only random-access iterators
         } while (it != end);
@@ -376,19 +389,22 @@ public:
     void setFromBytes(IT begin, IT end)
         requires std::same_as<std::iter_value_t<IT>, char>
     {
-        this->_bytes.clear();
+        this->_bytes.resize(this->_reservedNum);
+        _tokenNumber = 0;
 
         appendFromBytes(begin, end);
     }
 
 protected:
+    size_t _tokenNumber;
+
     virtual std::vector<ByteViewT> storageViewByIndex(size_t idx) const override
     {
         const ByteStorageT& el = this->_bytes[idx];
         std::vector<ByteViewT> vw{{el.begin(), el.end()}};
 
         auto last_idx = this->_bytes.size() - 1;
-        if (idx < last_idx) {  // add delimiter
+        if ((idx < last_idx) && (_tokenNumber > 1)) {  // add delimiter
             vw.emplace_back(tokenDelimiter.begin(), tokenDelimiter.end());
         }
 
@@ -421,29 +437,85 @@ public:
     using base_t::tokens;
 
 
-    AdcKeyTokenNetMessage() = default;
+    AdcKeyTokenNetMessage()
+    {
+        this->_reservedNum = 1;  // reserve the first element for keyword
+        this->_bytes.resize(this->_reservedNum);
+    };
 
 
     template <typename KT, typename T, typename... Ts>
-    AdcKeyTokenNetMessage(const KT& key, const T& tok, const Ts&... toks)
+    AdcKeyTokenNetMessage(const KT& key, const T& tok, const Ts&... toks) : AdcKeyTokenNetMessage()
     {
-        utils::convertToBytes(this->_bytes.emplace_back(), key);
+        utils::convertToBytes(this->_bytes[0], key);
         setTokens(tok, toks...);
     }
 
 
     virtual ~AdcKeyTokenNetMessage() = default;
 
+
+    // get a copy of message bytes
+    template <traits::adc_output_char_range R>
+    R bytes() const
+    {
+        R r;
+
+        std::ranges::copy(this->_bytes[0], std::back_inserter(r));  // keyword
+        if (this->_tokenNumber) {
+            std::ranges::copy(keytokenDelimiter, std::back_inserter(r));  // keyword-to-token delimiter
+        }
+
+        std::ranges::for_each(base_t::template bytesView(), [&r](const auto& el) {
+            std::ranges::copy(el, std::back_inserter(r));  // token
+        });
+
+        return r;
+    }
+
+
+    ByteStorageT bytes() const
+    {
+        //
+        return bytes<ByteStorageT>();
+    }
+
+    // get a view of message bytes
+    template <traits::adc_range_of_view_char_range R>
+    R bytesView() const
+    {
+        R r;
+
+        const auto& key = this->_bytes[0];
+        std::back_inserter(r) = {key.begin(), key.end()};  // keyword
+        if (this->_tokenNumber) {
+            std::back_inserter(r) = {keytokenDelimiter.begin(), keytokenDelimiter.end()};  // keyword-to-token delimiter
+        }
+
+        std::ranges::for_each(base_t::template bytesView(), [&r](const auto& el) {
+            std::back_inserter(r) = {el.begin(), el.end()};  // token
+        });
+
+        return r;
+    }
+
+    std::vector<ByteViewT> bytesView() const
+    {
+        //
+        return bytesView<std::vector<ByteViewT>>();
+    }
+
     template <traits::adc_output_char_range R>
     R keyBytes() const
     {
         R r;
 
-        if (empty()) {
+        const auto& key = this->_bytes[0];
+        if (!std::distance(key.begin(), key.end())) {
             return r;
         }
 
-        std::ranges::copy(this->_bytes[0], r);
+        std::ranges::copy(key, std::back_inserter(r));
 
         return r;
     }
@@ -451,18 +523,16 @@ public:
 
     ByteStorageT keyBytes() const
     {
-        if (empty()) {
-            return ByteStorageT();
-        }
-
-        return this->_bytes[0];
+        //
+        return keyBytes<ByteStorageT>();
     }
 
 
     template <traits::adc_char_view R>
     R keyView() const
     {
-        if (empty()) {
+        const auto& key = this->_bytes[0];
+        if (!std::distance(key.begin(), key.end())) {
             return R();
         }
 
@@ -471,60 +541,20 @@ public:
 
 
     ByteViewT keyView() const
-    {
-        if (empty()) {
-            return ByteViewT();
-        }
-
-        return ByteViewT{this->_bytes[0].begin(), this->_bytes[0].end()};
-    }
-
-    template <std::ranges::output_range<ByteStorageT> R>
-    R tokens(size_t start = 0, size_t N = std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max()) const
-    {
-        // "+1" since the first element is keyword
-        return base_t::template tokens<R>(start + 1, N);
-    }
-
-    std::vector<ByteStorageT> tokens(size_t start = 0, size_t N = std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max()) const
     {
         //
-        return tokens<std::vector<ByteStorageT>>(start, N);
+        return keyView<ByteViewT>();
     }
 
-    template <traits::adc_output_char_range R>
-    R tokensBytes(size_t start = 0, size_t N = std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max()) const
-    {
-        // "+1" since the first element is keyword
-        return base_t::template tokensBytes<ByteStorageT>(start + 1, N);
-    }
-
-
-    ByteStorageT tokensBytes(size_t start = 0, size_t N = std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max()) const
-    {
-        return tokensBytes<ByteStorageT>(start, N);
-    }
-
-
 
     template <typename KT, typename T, typename... Ts>
     void setKeyTokens(const KT& key, const T& tok, const Ts&... toks)
     {
-        this->_bytes.clear();
-
-        utils::convertToBytes(this->_bytes.emplace_back(), key);
-        appendTokens(tok, toks...);
+        setTokens(tok, toks...);
+        utils::convertToBytes(this->_bytes[0], key);
     }
 
 
-    template <typename T, typename... Ts>
-    void setTokens(const T& v, const Ts&... vs)
-    {
-        this->_bytes.resize(1);  // the first element is keyword
-
-        appendTokens(v, vs...);
-    }
-
 
     template <std::input_iterator IT>
     void setFromBytes(IT begin, IT end)
@@ -541,23 +571,6 @@ public:
             appendFromBytes(it, end);  // tokens
         }
     }
-
-protected:
-    virtual std::vector<ByteViewT> storageViewByIndex(size_t idx) const override
-    {
-        if (idx == 0) {  // the first element is keyword
-            const ByteStorageT& el = this->_bytes[idx];
-            std::vector<ByteViewT> vw{{el.begin(), el.end()}};
-
-            if (this->_bytes.size() > 1) {  // there are tokens, so add keyword-to-tokens delimiter
-                vw.emplace_back(keytokenDelimiter.begin(), keytokenDelimiter.end());
-            }
-
-            return vw;
-        } else {
-            return base_t::storageViewByIndex(idx);
-        }
-    }
 };
 
 }  // namespace adc
diff --git a/tests/adc_netmsg_test.cpp b/tests/adc_netmsg_test.cpp
index 432c9fe..ba67e97 100644
--- a/tests/adc_netmsg_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/adc_netmsg_test.cpp
@@ -36,9 +36,11 @@ TEST_CASE("[ADC NET MESSAGE]")
     }
 
     auto t2 = msg.bytesView();
+    std::cout << "BYTES VIEW: ";
     for (auto& el : t2) {
-        std::cout << "BYTES VIEW: [" << el << "]\n";
+        std::cout << "[" << el << "]";
     }
+    std::cout << "\n";
 
 
     std::cout << "\n\n---------\n\n";
@@ -47,7 +49,7 @@ TEST_CASE("[ADC NET MESSAGE]")
     msg.setTokens("FILTER", "A1", "B3");
     std::cout << "BYTES: " << msg.bytes() << "\n";
 
-    std::cout << "TOK BYTES: " << msg.tokensBytes(1, 1) << "\n";
+    std::cout << "TOK BYTES: [" << msg.tokensBytes(1, 1) << "]\n";
 
 
     std::cout << "\n\n---------\n\n";
@@ -59,9 +61,11 @@ TEST_CASE("[ADC NET MESSAGE]")
     tmsg.setFromBytes(bb.begin(), bb.end());
 
     auto t1 = tmsg.bytesView();
+    std::cout << "TOKENS VIEW: ";
     for (auto& el : t1) {
-        std::cout << "TOKEN VIEW: [" << el << "]\n";
+        std::cout << "[" << el << "]";
     }
+    std::cout << "\n";
 }
 
 /*