diff --git a/kittens/ssh/main.py b/kittens/ssh/main.py
index 8e0ab4074..2377e7335 100644
--- a/kittens/ssh/main.py
+++ b/kittens/ssh/main.py
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import re
 import secrets
 import shlex
 import stat
-import struct
 import sys
 import tarfile
 import time
@@ -164,8 +163,7 @@ def get_ssh_data(msg: str, request_id: str) -> Iterator[bytes]:
                 mode = stat.S_IMODE(shm.stats.st_mode)
                 if mode != stat.S_IREAD:
                     raise ValueError('Incorrect permissions on pwfile')
-                sz = struct.unpack('>I', shm.read(struct.calcsize('>I')))[0]
-                env_data = json.loads(shm.read(sz))
+                env_data = json.loads(shm.read_data_with_size())
                 if pw != env_data['pw']:
                     raise ValueError('Incorrect password')
                 if rq_id != request_id:
@@ -229,11 +227,9 @@ def bootstrap_script(
     ddir = os.path.join(cache_dir(), 'ssh')
     os.makedirs(ddir, exist_ok=True)
     data = {'pw': pw, 'env': dict(os.environ), 'opts': ssh_opts_dict, 'cli_hostname': cli_hostname, 'cli_uname': cli_uname}
-    db = json.dumps(data).encode('utf-8')
-    sz = struct.pack('>I', len(db))
-    with SharedMemory(size=len(db) + len(sz), mode=stat.S_IREAD, prefix=f'kssh-{os.getpid()}-') as shm:
-        shm.write(sz)
-        shm.write(db)
+    db = json.dumps(data)
+    with SharedMemory(size=len(db) + SharedMemory.num_bytes_for_size, mode=stat.S_IREAD, prefix=f'kssh-{os.getpid()}-') as shm:
+        shm.write_data_with_size(db)
         shm.flush()
         atexit.register(shm.unlink)
     replacements = {
diff --git a/kitty/shm.py b/kitty/shm.py
index 82eee46bf..4d5c04b4b 100644
--- a/kitty/shm.py
+++ b/kitty/shm.py
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ import mmap
 import os
 import secrets
 import stat
-from typing import Optional
+import struct
+from typing import Optional, Union
 
 from kitty.fast_data_types import SHM_NAME_MAX, shm_open, shm_unlink
 
@@ -42,6 +43,8 @@ class SharedMemory:
     _name: str = ''
     _mmap: Optional[mmap.mmap] = None
     _size: int = 0
+    size_fmt = '!I'
+    num_bytes_for_size = struct.calcsize(size_fmt)
 
     def __init__(
             self, name: str = '', size: int = 0, readonly: bool = False,
@@ -104,6 +107,17 @@ class SharedMemory:
     def flush(self) -> None:
         self.mmap.flush()
 
+    def write_data_with_size(self, data: Union[str, bytes]) -> None:
+        if isinstance(data, str):
+            data = data.encode('utf-8')
+        sz = struct.pack(self.size_fmt, len(data))
+        self.write(sz)
+        self.write(data)
+
+    def read_data_with_size(self) -> bytes:
+        sz = struct.unpack(self.size_fmt, self.read(self.num_bytes_for_size))[0]
+        return self.read(sz)
+
     def __del__(self) -> None:
         try:
             self.close()