diff --git a/synced-pool.go b/synced-pool.go
index f89447c..5faefb3 100644
--- a/synced-pool.go
+++ b/synced-pool.go
@@ -197,13 +197,14 @@ func NewPacketQueue(connection net.Conn) *PacketQueue {
 	go func(queueTimer *time.Ticker) {
 		for {
 			<-queueTimer.C
-			queue.mu.RLock()
+			queue.mu.Lock()
 			for i, packet := range queue.Packets {
-				if time.Since(packet.Added) > time.Second*5 {
-					queue.Packets = append(queue.Packets[:i], queue.Packets[i+1:]...)
+				if time.Since(packet.Added) < time.Second*3 {
+					queue.Packets = queue.Packets[i:]
+					break
 				}
 			}
-			queue.mu.RUnlock()
+			queue.mu.Unlock()
 		}
 	}(time.NewTicker(time.Second))
 	return queue
@@ -211,22 +212,19 @@ func NewPacketQueue(connection net.Conn) *PacketQueue {
 
 func (p *PacketQueue) Expect(messageType uint16, timeToWait time.Duration) (*PacketWithData, error) {
 	start := time.Now()
+
 	for {
 		if time.Since(start) > timeToWait {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("timeout waiting for message type %d", messageType)
 		}
-		for i, packet := range p.Packets {
+		p.mu.RLock()
+		for _, packet := range p.Packets {
 			if packet.MessageType == messageType && packet.Added.After(start) {
-				toReturn := PacketWithData{
-					MessageType: packet.MessageType,
-					Data:        packet.Data,
-				}
-				p.mu.Lock()
-				p.Packets = append(p.Packets[:i], p.Packets[i+1:]...)
-				p.mu.Unlock()
-				return &toReturn, nil
+				p.mu.RUnlock()
+				return &packet, nil
 			}
 		}
+		p.mu.RUnlock()
 		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 5)
 	}
 }