diff --git a/js/protocol.js b/js/protocol.js
index 3a12e7f..fc9a81f 100644
--- a/js/protocol.js
+++ b/js/protocol.js
@@ -1,5 +1,23 @@
 var Protocol = function() {
         var self = this;
+
+        self.isEvent = function(receivedMessage) {
+            /* 
+             * Determines whether or not the received message
+             * is an event.
+             *
+             * Right now, only the presence of an id is checked,
+             * as messages from the client don't specify the ID
+             *
+             * FIXME: check content of the id to dermine if message is an event
+             */  
+            if (receivedMessage['id']) {
+                return true;
+            } else {
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+
         var getInfo = function() {
             var info = {};
             info.key = getString();
diff --git a/js/websockets.js b/js/websockets.js
index 472d5de..148869b 100644
--- a/js/websockets.js
+++ b/js/websockets.js
@@ -206,12 +206,12 @@ weechat.factory('connection', ['$rootScope', '$http', 'handlers', 'colors', func
 
     var parseMessage = function(message) {
         
-        if (!message['id']) {
-            // should only be in case of hda objects
-            parseObjects(message['objects']);
-        } else {
+        if (protocol.isEvent(message)) {
             handlers.handleEvent(message);
+        } else {
+            parseObjects(message['objects']);
         }
+
     };