diff --git a/lib/link_state.c b/lib/link_state.c
index 58727a568b..6537f881ce 100644
--- a/lib/link_state.c
+++ b/lib/link_state.c
@@ -1138,31 +1138,13 @@ int ls_unregister(struct zclient *zclient, bool server)
 
 int ls_request_sync(struct zclient *zclient)
 {
-	struct stream *s;
-	uint16_t flags = 0;
-
 	/* Check buffer size */
 	if (STREAM_SIZE(zclient->obuf)
 	    < (ZEBRA_HEADER_SIZE + 3 * sizeof(uint32_t)))
 		return -1;
 
-	s = zclient->obuf;
-	stream_reset(s);
-
-	zclient_create_header(s, ZEBRA_OPAQUE_MESSAGE, VRF_DEFAULT);
-
-	/* Set type and flags */
-	stream_putl(s, LINK_STATE_SYNC);
-	stream_putw(s, flags);
-	/* Send destination client info */
-	stream_putc(s, zclient->redist_default);
-	stream_putw(s, zclient->instance);
-	stream_putl(s, zclient->session_id);
-
-	/* Put length into the header at the start of the stream. */
-	stream_putw_at(s, 0, stream_get_endp(s));
-
-	return zclient_send_message(zclient);
+	/* No data with this message */
+	return zclient_send_opaque(zclient, LINK_STATE_SYNC, NULL, 0);
 }
 
 static struct ls_node *ls_parse_node(struct stream *s)
@@ -1623,23 +1605,15 @@ int ls_send_msg(struct zclient *zclient, struct ls_message *msg,
 	    (ZEBRA_HEADER_SIZE + sizeof(uint32_t) + sizeof(msg)))
 		return -1;
 
+	/* Init the message, then encode the data inline. */
+	if (dst == NULL)
+		zapi_opaque_init(zclient, LINK_STATE_UPDATE, flags);
+	else
+		zapi_opaque_unicast_init(zclient, LINK_STATE_UPDATE, flags,
+					 dst->proto, dst->instance,
+					 dst->session_id);
+
 	s = zclient->obuf;
-	stream_reset(s);
-
-	zclient_create_header(s, ZEBRA_OPAQUE_MESSAGE, VRF_DEFAULT);
-
-	/* Set sub-type, flags and destination for unicast message */
-	stream_putl(s, LINK_STATE_UPDATE);
-	if (dst != NULL) {
-		SET_FLAG(flags, ZAPI_OPAQUE_FLAG_UNICAST);
-		stream_putw(s, flags);
-		/* Send destination client info */
-		stream_putc(s, dst->proto);
-		stream_putw(s, dst->instance);
-		stream_putl(s, dst->session_id);
-	} else {
-		stream_putw(s, flags);
-	}
 
 	/* Format Link State message */
 	if (ls_format_msg(s, msg) < 0) {
diff --git a/lib/zclient.c b/lib/zclient.c
index 8526cbfaa1..b3b3c92302 100644
--- a/lib/zclient.c
+++ b/lib/zclient.c
@@ -3823,6 +3823,53 @@ enum zclient_send_status zclient_send_mlag_data(struct zclient *client,
 	return zclient_send_message(client);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Init/header setup for opaque zapi messages
+ */
+enum zclient_send_status zapi_opaque_init(struct zclient *zclient,
+					  uint32_t type, uint16_t flags)
+{
+	struct stream *s;
+
+	s = zclient->obuf;
+	stream_reset(s);
+
+	zclient_create_header(s, ZEBRA_OPAQUE_MESSAGE, VRF_DEFAULT);
+
+	/* Send sub-type and flags */
+	stream_putl(s, type);
+	stream_putw(s, flags);
+
+	/* Source daemon identifiers */
+	stream_putc(s, zclient->redist_default);
+	stream_putw(s, zclient->instance);
+	stream_putl(s, zclient->session_id);
+
+	return ZCLIENT_SEND_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Init, header setup for opaque unicast messages.
+ */
+enum zclient_send_status
+zapi_opaque_unicast_init(struct zclient *zclient, uint32_t type, uint16_t flags,
+			 uint8_t proto, uint16_t instance, uint32_t session_id)
+{
+	struct stream *s;
+
+	s = zclient->obuf;
+
+	/* Common init */
+	zapi_opaque_init(zclient, type, flags | ZAPI_OPAQUE_FLAG_UNICAST);
+
+	/* Send destination client info */
+	stream_putc(s, proto);
+	stream_putw(s, instance);
+	stream_putl(s, session_id);
+
+	return ZCLIENT_SEND_SUCCESS;
+}
+
 /*
  * Send an OPAQUE message, contents opaque to zebra. The message header
  * is a message subtype.
@@ -3840,16 +3887,12 @@ enum zclient_send_status zclient_send_opaque(struct zclient *zclient,
 		return ZCLIENT_SEND_FAILURE;
 
 	s = zclient->obuf;
-	stream_reset(s);
 
-	zclient_create_header(s, ZEBRA_OPAQUE_MESSAGE, VRF_DEFAULT);
-
-	/* Send sub-type and flags */
-	stream_putl(s, type);
-	stream_putw(s, flags);
+	zapi_opaque_init(zclient, type, flags);
 
 	/* Send opaque data */
-	stream_write(s, data, datasize);
+	if (datasize > 0)
+		stream_write(s, data, datasize);
 
 	/* Put length into the header at the start of the stream. */
 	stream_putw_at(s, 0, stream_get_endp(s));
@@ -3876,22 +3919,14 @@ zclient_send_opaque_unicast(struct zclient *zclient, uint32_t type,
 		return ZCLIENT_SEND_FAILURE;
 
 	s = zclient->obuf;
-	stream_reset(s);
 
-	zclient_create_header(s, ZEBRA_OPAQUE_MESSAGE, VRF_DEFAULT);
-
-	/* Send sub-type and flags */
-	SET_FLAG(flags, ZAPI_OPAQUE_FLAG_UNICAST);
-	stream_putl(s, type);
-	stream_putw(s, flags);
-
-	/* Send destination client info */
-	stream_putc(s, proto);
-	stream_putw(s, instance);
-	stream_putl(s, session_id);
+	/* Common init */
+	zapi_opaque_unicast_init(zclient, type, flags, proto, instance,
+				 session_id);
 
 	/* Send opaque data */
-	stream_write(s, data, datasize);
+	if (datasize > 0)
+		stream_write(s, data, datasize);
 
 	/* Put length into the header at the start of the stream. */
 	stream_putw_at(s, 0, stream_get_endp(s));
@@ -3910,11 +3945,16 @@ int zclient_opaque_decode(struct stream *s, struct zapi_opaque_msg *info)
 	STREAM_GETL(s, info->type);
 	STREAM_GETW(s, info->flags);
 
-	/* Decode unicast client info if present */
+	/* Decode sending daemon info */
+	STREAM_GETC(s, info->src_proto);
+	STREAM_GETW(s, info->src_instance);
+	STREAM_GETL(s, info->src_session_id);
+
+	/* Decode unicast destination info, if present */
 	if (CHECK_FLAG(info->flags, ZAPI_OPAQUE_FLAG_UNICAST)) {
-		STREAM_GETC(s, info->proto);
-		STREAM_GETW(s, info->instance);
-		STREAM_GETL(s, info->session_id);
+		STREAM_GETC(s, info->dest_proto);
+		STREAM_GETW(s, info->dest_instance);
+		STREAM_GETL(s, info->dest_session_id);
 	}
 
 	info->len = STREAM_READABLE(s);
diff --git a/lib/zclient.h b/lib/zclient.h
index e43393fd70..fe296fe950 100644
--- a/lib/zclient.h
+++ b/lib/zclient.h
@@ -1176,16 +1176,33 @@ zclient_send_opaque_unicast(struct zclient *zclient, uint32_t type,
 			    uint32_t session_id, const uint8_t *data,
 			    size_t datasize);
 
+/* Init functions also provided for clients who want to encode their
+ * data inline into the zclient's stream buffer. Please use these instead
+ * of hand-encoding the header info, since that may change over time.
+ * Note that these will reset the zclient's outbound stream before encoding.
+ */
+enum zclient_send_status zapi_opaque_init(struct zclient *zclient,
+					  uint32_t type, uint16_t flags);
+
+enum zclient_send_status
+zapi_opaque_unicast_init(struct zclient *zclient, uint32_t type, uint16_t flags,
+			 uint8_t proto, uint16_t instance, uint32_t session_id);
+
 /* Struct representing the decoded opaque header info */
 struct zapi_opaque_msg {
 	uint32_t type; /* Subtype */
 	uint16_t len;  /* len after zapi header and this info */
 	uint16_t flags;
 
-	/* Client-specific info - *if* UNICAST flag is set */
-	uint8_t proto;
-	uint16_t instance;
-	uint32_t session_id;
+	/* Sending client info */
+	uint8_t src_proto;
+	uint16_t src_instance;
+	uint32_t src_session_id;
+
+	/* Destination client info - *if* UNICAST flag is set */
+	uint8_t dest_proto;
+	uint16_t dest_instance;
+	uint32_t dest_session_id;
 };
 
 #define ZAPI_OPAQUE_FLAG_UNICAST   0x01
diff --git a/zebra/zebra_opaque.c b/zebra/zebra_opaque.c
index 8ceb1f8dc5..2bd6ac084d 100644
--- a/zebra/zebra_opaque.c
+++ b/zebra/zebra_opaque.c
@@ -381,9 +381,9 @@ static int dispatch_opq_messages(struct stream_fifo *msg_fifo)
 
 			if (CHECK_FLAG(info.flags, ZAPI_OPAQUE_FLAG_UNICAST)) {
 
-				if (client->proto != info.proto ||
-				    client->instance != info.instance ||
-				    client->session_id != info.session_id)
+				if (client->proto != info.dest_proto ||
+				    client->instance != info.dest_instance ||
+				    client->session_id != info.dest_session_id)
 					continue;
 
 				if (IS_ZEBRA_DEBUG_RECV &&