diff --git a/src/journal/src/Journal.hs b/src/journal/src/Journal.hs
index 0839a76a..31283136 100644
--- a/src/journal/src/Journal.hs
+++ b/src/journal/src/Journal.hs
@@ -208,9 +208,9 @@ readJournal' jour = do
     HeaderLength len <- readFrameLength termBuffer (TermOffset (int2Int32 offset))
     putStrLn ("readJournal, len: " ++ show len)
     bs <- getByteStringAt termBuffer
-            (offset + hEADER_LENGTH) (word322Int len - hEADER_LENGTH)
-    assertM (BS.length bs == word322Int len - hEADER_LENGTH)
-    incrCounter_ (word322Int len) (jBytesConsumed jour)
+            (offset + hEADER_LENGTH) (int322Int len - hEADER_LENGTH)
+    assertM (BS.length bs == int322Int len - hEADER_LENGTH)
+    incrCounter_ (int322Int len) (jBytesConsumed jour)
     return (Just bs)
 
 readJournal :: JournalConsumer -> IO ByteString
@@ -348,6 +348,7 @@ tfl = do
   HeaderLength headerLen <- readFrameLength bb 0
   putStrLn ("headerLength: " ++ show headerLen)
 
-  writeFrameLength bb 4 {- (sizeOf (4 :: Word32)) -} 6
-  HeaderLength headerLen' <- readFrameLength bb 4 {- (sizeOf (4 :: Word32)) -}
+  writeFrameLength bb 4 {- (sizeOf (4 :: Int32)) -} (-6)
+  writeFrameLength bb 4 {- (sizeOf (4 :: Int32)) -} 6
+  HeaderLength headerLen' <- readFrameLength bb 4 {- (sizeOf (4 :: Int32)) -}
   putStrLn ("headerLength': " ++ show headerLen')
diff --git a/src/journal/src/Journal/Internal.hs b/src/journal/src/Journal/Internal.hs
index 6babb85f..b3870732 100644
--- a/src/journal/src/Journal/Internal.hs
+++ b/src/journal/src/Journal/Internal.hs
@@ -159,9 +159,11 @@ headerWrite termBuffer termOffset len _termId = do
       versionFlagsType = fromIntegral cURRENT_VERSION `shiftL` 32
   -- XXX: Atomic write?
   putStrLn ("headerWrite, versionFlagsType: " ++ show versionFlagsType)
-  putStrLn ("headerWrite, len: " ++ show (unHeaderLength len))
+  putStrLn ("headerWrite, len: " ++ show (- unHeaderLength len))
+  putStrLn ("headerWrite, value: " ++ show
+            (versionFlagsType .|. ((- int322Int64 (unHeaderLength len)) .&. 0xFFFF_FFFF)))
   writeInt64OffAddr termBuffer (fromIntegral termOffset + fRAME_LENGTH_FIELD_OFFSET)
-    (versionFlagsType .|. ((- fromIntegral len) .&. 0xFFFF_FFFF))
+     (versionFlagsType .|. ((- int322Int64 (unHeaderLength len)) .&. 0xFFFF_FFFF))
   -- XXX: store termId and offset (only need for replication?)
 
 rotateTerm :: Metadata -> IO ()
diff --git a/src/journal/src/Journal/Internal/BufferClaim.hs b/src/journal/src/Journal/Internal/BufferClaim.hs
index 8590cb2e..90ccdd5d 100644
--- a/src/journal/src/Journal/Internal/BufferClaim.hs
+++ b/src/journal/src/Journal/Internal/BufferClaim.hs
@@ -28,15 +28,12 @@ withPtr (BufferClaim bb) k = do
 
 commit :: BufferClaim -> IO ()
 commit (BufferClaim bb) = do
-  Position offset <- readPosition bb
   let Capacity frameLen = getCapacity bb
-  putStrLn ("commit, offset: " ++ show offset)
   putStrLn ("commit, frameLen: " ++ show frameLen)
-  writeFrameLength bb (fromIntegral offset) (fromIntegral frameLen)
+  writeFrameLength bb 0 (HeaderLength (int2Int32 frameLen))
 
 abort :: BufferClaim -> IO ()
 abort (BufferClaim bb) = do
-  Position offset <- readPosition bb
   let Capacity frameLen = getCapacity bb
-  writeFrameType bb (fromIntegral offset) Padding
-  writeFrameLength bb (fromIntegral offset) (fromIntegral frameLen)
+  writeFrameType bb 0 Padding
+  writeFrameLength bb 0 (HeaderLength (int2Int32 frameLen))
diff --git a/src/journal/src/Journal/Internal/ByteBufferPtr.hs b/src/journal/src/Journal/Internal/ByteBufferPtr.hs
index 343e28e0..fa6a1387 100644
--- a/src/journal/src/Journal/Internal/ByteBufferPtr.hs
+++ b/src/journal/src/Journal/Internal/ByteBufferPtr.hs
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ reset bb = do
   writePosition bb mrk
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
--- * Single-byte relative and absolute operations
+-- * Single-byte relative operations
 
 putByte :: ByteBuffer -> Word8 -> IO ()
 putByte = undefined
@@ -260,12 +260,6 @@ getByte bb = do
   writePosition bb (pos + 1)
   return w8
 
-putByteAt :: ByteBuffer -> Int -> Word8 -> IO ()
-putByteAt = undefined
-
-getByteAt :: ByteBuffer -> Int -> IO Word8
-getByteAt = undefined
-
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 -- * Multi-byte relative and absolute operations
 
@@ -476,18 +470,20 @@ writeInt32OffAddr = primitiveInt32_ writeInt32OffAddr#
 writeInt64OffAddr :: ByteBuffer -> Int -> Int64 -> IO ()
 writeInt64OffAddr = primitiveInt64_ writeInt64OffAddr#
 
--- writeWord8OffArray#
--- writeWord16OffArray#
+writeWord8OffAddr :: ByteBuffer -> Int -> Word8 -> IO ()
+writeWord8OffAddr = primitiveWord_ writeWord8OffAddr# (\(W8# w#) -> w#)
+
+writeWord16OffAddr :: ByteBuffer -> Int -> Word16 -> IO ()
+writeWord16OffAddr = primitiveWord_ writeWord16OffAddr# (\(W16# w#) -> w#)
 
 writeWord32OffAddr :: ByteBuffer -> Int -> Word32 -> IO ()
 writeWord32OffAddr = primitiveWord_ writeWord32OffAddr# (\(W32# w#) -> w#)
 
-  {-
--- writeWord64OffArray#
+writeWord64OffAddr :: ByteBuffer -> Int -> Word64 -> IO ()
+writeWord64OffAddr = primitiveWord_ writeWord64OffAddr# (\(W64# w#) -> w#)
 
 -- atomicReadIntArray#
 -- atomicWriteIntArray#
--}
 
 -- | Given a bytebuffer, an offset in machine words, the expected old value, and
 -- the new value, perform an atomic compare and swap i.e. write the new value if
diff --git a/src/journal/src/Journal/Internal/Utils.hs b/src/journal/src/Journal/Internal/Utils.hs
index b72a4871..39ecb0ec 100644
--- a/src/journal/src/Journal/Internal/Utils.hs
+++ b/src/journal/src/Journal/Internal/Utils.hs
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ int642Int i@(I64# i#) =
 word322Int :: Word32 -> Int
 word322Int w@(W32# w#) = assert (W64# w# <= fromIntegral (maxBound :: Int)) (fromIntegral w)
 
+int322Int64 :: Int32 -> Int64
+int322Int64 (I32# i#) = I64# i#
+
 fallocate :: FilePath -> Int -> IO ()
 fallocate fp len = do
   withRWFd fp $ \fd -> do
diff --git a/src/journal/src/Journal/Types.hs b/src/journal/src/Journal/Types.hs
index ee13a5e1..1d3ce0e0 100644
--- a/src/journal/src/Journal/Types.hs
+++ b/src/journal/src/Journal/Types.hs
@@ -292,16 +292,16 @@ rotateLog meta termCount termId = do
 
 writeFrameType :: ByteBuffer -> TermOffset -> HeaderTag -> IO ()
 writeFrameType termBuffer termOffset (HeaderTag tag) =
-  putByteAt termBuffer (fromIntegral termOffset + tAG_FIELD_OFFSET) tag
+  writeWord8OffAddr termBuffer (fromIntegral termOffset + tAG_FIELD_OFFSET) tag
 
 writeFrameLength :: ByteBuffer -> TermOffset -> HeaderLength -> IO ()
 writeFrameLength termBuffer termOffset (HeaderLength len) =
-  writeWord32OffAddr termBuffer (fromIntegral termOffset + fRAME_LENGTH_FIELD_OFFSET)
+  writeInt32OffAddr termBuffer (fromIntegral termOffset + fRAME_LENGTH_FIELD_OFFSET)
     len
 
 readFrameLength :: ByteBuffer -> TermOffset -> IO HeaderLength
 readFrameLength termBuffer termOffset = HeaderLength <$>
-  readWord32OffAddr termBuffer (fromIntegral termOffset + fRAME_LENGTH_FIELD_OFFSET)
+  readInt32OffAddr termBuffer (fromIntegral termOffset + fRAME_LENGTH_FIELD_OFFSET)
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ tagString other   = "Unknown: " ++ show other
 newtype HeaderVersion = HeaderVersion Word8
   deriving newtype (Eq, Binary, Num, Storable, Integral, Real, Ord, Enum)
 
-newtype HeaderLength = HeaderLength { unHeaderLength :: Word32 }
+newtype HeaderLength = HeaderLength { unHeaderLength :: Int32 }
   deriving newtype (Eq, Ord, Binary, Enum, Real, Integral, Num, Storable)
 
 newtype HeaderIndex = HeaderIndex Word32