diff --git a/codec/h264/decode/nalunit.go b/codec/h264/decode/nalunit.go
index 9969cf91..2adf3165 100644
--- a/codec/h264/decode/nalunit.go
+++ b/codec/h264/decode/nalunit.go
@@ -1,23 +1,12 @@
 package h264
 
 import (
-	"bitbucket.org/ausocean/av/codec/h264/decode/bits"
-	"github.com/pkg/errors"
-)
+	"io"
 
-type NalUnit struct {
-	NumBytes                     int
-	ForbiddenZeroBit             int
-	RefIdc                       int
-	Type                         int
-	SvcExtensionFlag             int
-	Avc3dExtensionFlag           int
-	SVCExtension                 *SVCExtension
-	ThreeDAVCExtension           *ThreeDAVCExtension
-	MVCExtension                 *MVCExtension
-	EmulationPreventionThreeByte byte
-	rbsp                         []byte
-}
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+
+	"bitbucket.org/ausocean/av/codec/h264/decode/bits"
+)
 
 type MVCExtension struct {
 	NonIdrFlag     bool
@@ -187,70 +176,80 @@ func NewSVCExtension(br *bits.BitReader) (*SVCExtension, error) {
 	return e, nil
 }
 
-func (n *NalUnit) RBSP() []byte {
-	return n.rbsp
+type NALUnit struct {
+	ForbiddenZeroBit             int
+	RefIdc                       int
+	Type                         int
+	SVCExtensionFlag             int
+	AVC3dExtensionFlag           int
+	SVCExtension                 *SVCExtension
+	ThreeDAVCExtension           *ThreeDAVCExtension
+	MVCExtension                 *MVCExtension
+	EmulationPreventionThreeByte byte
+	RBSP                         []byte
 }
 
-func NewNalUnit(frame []byte, numBytesInNal int) (*NalUnit, error) {
-	logger.Printf("debug: reading %d byte NAL\n", numBytesInNal)
-	nalUnit := NalUnit{
-		NumBytes:    numBytesInNal,
-		HeaderBytes: 1,
-	}
-	// TODO: pass in actual io.Reader to NewBitReader
-	br := bits.NewBitReader(nil)
+func NewNALUnit(br *bits.BitReader) (*NALUnit, error) {
+	n := &NALUnit{}
 
 	err := readFields(br, []field{
-		{&nalUnit.ForbiddenZeroBit, "ForbiddenZeroBit", 1},
-		{&nalUnit.RefIdc, "NalRefIdc", 2},
-		{&nalUnit.Type, "NalUnitType", 5},
+		{&n.ForbiddenZeroBit, "ForbiddenZeroBit", 1},
+		{&n.RefIdc, "NalRefIdc", 2},
+		{&n.Type, "NalUnitType", 5},
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if nalUnit.Type == 14 || nalUnit.Type == 20 || nalUnit.Type == 21 {
-		if nalUnit.Type != 21 {
-			b, err := br.ReadBits(1)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "could not read SvcExtensionFlag")
-			}
-			nalUnit.SvcExtensionFlag = int(b)
-		} else {
-			b, err := br.ReadBits(1)
-			if err != nil {
-				return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "could not read Avc3dExtensionFlag")
-			}
-			nalUnit.Avc3dExtensionFlag = int(b)
-		}
-		if nalUnit.SvcExtensionFlag == 1 {
-			NalUnitHeaderSvcExtension(&nalUnit, br)
-			nalUnit.HeaderBytes += 3
-		} else if nalUnit.Avc3dExtensionFlag == 1 {
-			NalUnitHeader3davcExtension(&nalUnit, br)
-			nalUnit.HeaderBytes += 2
-		} else {
-			NalUnitHeaderMvcExtension(&nalUnit, br)
-			nalUnit.HeaderBytes += 3
+	var headBytes, rbspBytes = 1, 0
 
+	// TODO: use consts for the NAL types here
+	if n.Type == 14 || n.Type == 20 || n.Type == 21 {
+		if n.Type != 21 {
+			n.SVCExtensionFlag, err = br.ReadBool()
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "could not read SVCExtensionFlag")
+			}
+		} else {
+			n.AVC3DExtensionFlag, err = br.ReadBool()
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "could not read AVC3DExtensionFlag")
+			}
+		}
+		if n.SVCExtensionFlag {
+			n.SVCExtension, err = NewSVCExtension(br)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "could not parse SVCExtension")
+			}
+			n.HeaderBytes += 3
+		} else if n.AVC3DExtensionFlag {
+			n.ThreeDAVCExtension, err = NewThreeDAVCExtension(br)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "could not parse ThreeDAVCExtension")
+			}
+			n.HeaderBytes += 2
+		} else {
+			n.MVCExtension, err = NewMVCExtension(br)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "could not parse MVCExtension")
+			}
+			n.HeaderBytes += 3
 		}
 	}
 
-	logger.Printf("debug: found %d byte header. Reading body\n", nalUnit.HeaderBytes)
-	for i := nalUnit.HeaderBytes; i < nalUnit.NumBytes; i++ {
+	for moreRBSPData(br) {
 		next3Bytes, err := br.PeekBits(24)
-		if err != nil {
-			logger.Printf("error: while reading next 3 NAL bytes: %v\n", err)
-			break
+		if err != nil && errors.Cause(err) != io.EOF {
+			return nil, errors.Wrap("could not Peek next 3 bytes")
 		}
-		// Little odd, the err above and the i+2 check might be synonyms
-		if i+2 < nalUnit.NumBytes && next3Bytes == 0x000003 {
+
+		if next3Bytes == 0x000003 {
 			for j := 0; j < 2; j++ {
 				rbspByte, err := br.ReadBits(8)
 				if err != nil {
 					return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "could not read rbspByte")
 				}
-				nalUnit.rbsp = append(nalUnit.rbsp, byte(rbspByte))
+				n.rbsp = append(n.rbsp, byte(rbspByte))
 			}
 			i += 2
 
@@ -259,18 +258,15 @@ func NewNalUnit(frame []byte, numBytesInNal int) (*NalUnit, error) {
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "could not read eptByte")
 			}
-			nalUnit.EmulationPreventionThreeByte = byte(eptByte)
+			n.EmulationPreventionThreeByte = byte(eptByte)
 		} else {
-			if b, err := br.ReadBits(8); err == nil {
-				nalUnit.rbsp = append(nalUnit.rbsp, byte(b))
-			} else {
-				logger.Printf("error: while reading byte %d of %d nal bytes: %v\n", i, nalUnit.NumBytes, err)
-				break
+			b, err := br.ReadBits(8)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "could not read RBSP byte")
 			}
+			n.rbsp = append(n.rbsp, byte(b))
 		}
 	}
 
-	// nalUnit.rbsp = frame[nalUnit.HeaderBytes:]
-	logger.Printf("info: decoded %s NAL with %d RBSP bytes\n", NALUnitType[nalUnit.Type], len(nalUnit.rbsp))
-	return &nalUnit, nil
+	return n, nil
 }