diff --git a/whisper/whisperv6/envelope.go b/whisper/whisperv6/envelope.go
index c93ab84a28..58c56bceea 100644
--- a/whisper/whisperv6/envelope.go
+++ b/whisper/whisperv6/envelope.go
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ type Envelope struct {
 	Expiry   uint32
 	TTL      uint32
 	Topic    TopicType
-	AESNonce []byte
 	Data     []byte
 	Nonce    uint64
 
@@ -51,12 +50,12 @@ type Envelope struct {
 
 // size returns the size of envelope as it is sent (i.e. public fields only)
 func (e *Envelope) size() int {
-	return 20 + len(e.Version) + len(e.AESNonce) + len(e.Data)
+	return 20 + len(e.Version) + len(e.Data)
 }
 
 // rlpWithoutNonce returns the RLP encoded envelope contents, except the nonce.
 func (e *Envelope) rlpWithoutNonce() []byte {
-	res, _ := rlp.EncodeToBytes([]interface{}{e.Version, e.Expiry, e.TTL, e.Topic, e.AESNonce, e.Data})
+	res, _ := rlp.EncodeToBytes([]interface{}{e.Version, e.Expiry, e.TTL, e.Topic, e.Data})
 	return res
 }
 
@@ -82,14 +81,6 @@ func NewEnvelope(ttl uint32, topic TopicType, aesNonce []byte, msg *sentMessage)
 	return &env
 }
 
-func (e *Envelope) IsSymmetric() bool {
-	return len(e.AESNonce) > 0
-}
-
-func (e *Envelope) isAsymmetric() bool {
-	return !e.IsSymmetric()
-}
-
 func (e *Envelope) Ver() uint64 {
 	return bytesToUintLittleEndian(e.Version)
 }
@@ -209,7 +200,7 @@ func (e *Envelope) OpenAsymmetric(key *ecdsa.PrivateKey) (*ReceivedMessage, erro
 // OpenSymmetric tries to decrypt an envelope, potentially encrypted with a particular key.
 func (e *Envelope) OpenSymmetric(key []byte) (msg *ReceivedMessage, err error) {
 	msg = &ReceivedMessage{Raw: e.Data}
-	err = msg.decryptSymmetric(key, e.AESNonce)
+	err = msg.decryptSymmetric(key)
 	if err != nil {
 		msg = nil
 	}
@@ -218,12 +209,17 @@ func (e *Envelope) OpenSymmetric(key []byte) (msg *ReceivedMessage, err error) {
 
 // Open tries to decrypt an envelope, and populates the message fields in case of success.
 func (e *Envelope) Open(watcher *Filter) (msg *ReceivedMessage) {
-	if e.isAsymmetric() {
+	// if the filter has some asymmetric key provided, it will
+	// attempt to open it asymmetrically. If this fails, then
+	// attempt to open it symmetrically.
+	if watcher.KeyAsym != nil {
 		msg, _ = e.OpenAsymmetric(watcher.KeyAsym)
 		if msg != nil {
 			msg.Dst = &watcher.KeyAsym.PublicKey
 		}
-	} else if e.IsSymmetric() {
+	}
+
+	if msg == nil {
 		msg, _ = e.OpenSymmetric(watcher.KeySym)
 		if msg != nil {
 			msg.SymKeyHash = crypto.Keccak256Hash(watcher.KeySym)
diff --git a/whisper/whisperv6/filter.go b/whisper/whisperv6/filter.go
index 5cb371b7d6..2786f97a09 100644
--- a/whisper/whisperv6/filter.go
+++ b/whisper/whisperv6/filter.go
@@ -175,6 +175,9 @@ func (f *Filter) Retrieve() (all []*ReceivedMessage) {
 	return all
 }
 
+// MatchMessage checks if the filter matches an already decrypted
+// message (i.e. a Message that has already been handled by
+// MatchEnvelope when checked by a previous filter)
 func (f *Filter) MatchMessage(msg *ReceivedMessage) bool {
 	if f.PoW > 0 && msg.PoW < f.PoW {
 		return false
@@ -188,17 +191,15 @@ func (f *Filter) MatchMessage(msg *ReceivedMessage) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+// MatchEvelope checks if it's worth decrypting the message. If
+// it returns `true`, client code is expected to attempt decrypting
+// the message and subsequently call MatchMessage.
 func (f *Filter) MatchEnvelope(envelope *Envelope) bool {
 	if f.PoW > 0 && envelope.pow < f.PoW {
 		return false
 	}
 
-	if f.expectsAsymmetricEncryption() && envelope.isAsymmetric() {
-		return f.MatchTopic(envelope.Topic)
-	} else if f.expectsSymmetricEncryption() && envelope.IsSymmetric() {
-		return f.MatchTopic(envelope.Topic)
-	}
-	return false
+	return f.MatchTopic(envelope.Topic)
 }
 
 func (f *Filter) MatchTopic(topic TopicType) bool {
diff --git a/whisper/whisperv6/filter_test.go b/whisper/whisperv6/filter_test.go
index 58d90d60c2..652efc12e8 100644
--- a/whisper/whisperv6/filter_test.go
+++ b/whisper/whisperv6/filter_test.go
@@ -312,12 +312,6 @@ func TestMatchEnvelope(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("failed MatchEnvelope() symmetric with seed %d.", seed)
 	}
 
-	// asymmetric + matching topic: mismatch
-	match = fasym.MatchEnvelope(env)
-	if match {
-		t.Fatalf("failed MatchEnvelope() asymmetric with seed %d.", seed)
-	}
-
 	// symmetric + matching topic + insufficient PoW: mismatch
 	fsym.PoW = env.PoW() + 1.0
 	match = fsym.MatchEnvelope(env)
diff --git a/whisper/whisperv6/message.go b/whisper/whisperv6/message.go
index 0815f07a2d..2f39afda64 100644
--- a/whisper/whisperv6/message.go
+++ b/whisper/whisperv6/message.go
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ type ReceivedMessage struct {
 	Payload   []byte
 	Padding   []byte
 	Signature []byte
+	Salt      []byte
 
 	PoW   float64          // Proof of work as described in the Whisper spec
 	Sent  uint32           // Time when the message was posted into the network
@@ -196,31 +197,31 @@ func (msg *sentMessage) encryptAsymmetric(key *ecdsa.PublicKey) error {
 
 // encryptSymmetric encrypts a message with a topic key, using AES-GCM-256.
 // nonce size should be 12 bytes (see cipher.gcmStandardNonceSize).
-func (msg *sentMessage) encryptSymmetric(key []byte) (nonce []byte, err error) {
+func (msg *sentMessage) encryptSymmetric(key []byte) (err error) {
 	if !validateSymmetricKey(key) {
-		return nil, errors.New("invalid key provided for symmetric encryption")
+		return errors.New("invalid key provided for symmetric encryption")
 	}
 
 	block, err := aes.NewCipher(key)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return err
 	}
 	aesgcm, err := cipher.NewGCM(block)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return err
 	}
 
 	// never use more than 2^32 random nonces with a given key
-	nonce = make([]byte, aesgcm.NonceSize())
-	_, err = crand.Read(nonce)
+	salt := make([]byte, aesgcm.NonceSize())
+	_, err = crand.Read(salt)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	} else if !validateSymmetricKey(nonce) {
-		return nil, errors.New("crypto/rand failed to generate nonce")
+		return err
+	} else if !validateSymmetricKey(salt) {
+		return errors.New("crypto/rand failed to generate salt")
 	}
 
-	msg.Raw = aesgcm.Seal(nil, nonce, msg.Raw, nil)
-	return nonce, nil
+	msg.Raw = append(aesgcm.Seal(nil, salt, msg.Raw, nil), salt...)
+	return nil
 }
 
 // Wrap bundles the message into an Envelope to transmit over the network.
@@ -233,11 +234,10 @@ func (msg *sentMessage) Wrap(options *MessageParams) (envelope *Envelope, err er
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
-	var nonce []byte
 	if options.Dst != nil {
 		err = msg.encryptAsymmetric(options.Dst)
 	} else if options.KeySym != nil {
-		nonce, err = msg.encryptSymmetric(options.KeySym)
+		err = msg.encryptSymmetric(options.KeySym)
 	} else {
 		err = errors.New("unable to encrypt the message: neither symmetric nor assymmetric key provided")
 	}
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ func (msg *sentMessage) Wrap(options *MessageParams) (envelope *Envelope, err er
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	envelope = NewEnvelope(options.TTL, options.Topic, nonce, msg)
+	envelope = NewEnvelope(options.TTL, options.Topic, msg)
 	if err = envelope.Seal(options); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -254,7 +254,14 @@ func (msg *sentMessage) Wrap(options *MessageParams) (envelope *Envelope, err er
 
 // decryptSymmetric decrypts a message with a topic key, using AES-GCM-256.
 // nonce size should be 12 bytes (see cipher.gcmStandardNonceSize).
-func (msg *ReceivedMessage) decryptSymmetric(key []byte, nonce []byte) error {
+func (msg *ReceivedMessage) decryptSymmetric(key []byte) error {
+	// In v6, symmetric messages are expected to contain the 12-byte
+	// "salt" at the end of the payload.
+	if len(msg.Raw) < AESNonceLength {
+		return errors.New("missing salt or invalid payload in symmetric message")
+	}
+	salt := msg.Raw[len(msg.Raw)-AESNonceLength:]
+
 	block, err := aes.NewCipher(key)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -263,15 +270,16 @@ func (msg *ReceivedMessage) decryptSymmetric(key []byte, nonce []byte) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if len(nonce) != aesgcm.NonceSize() {
-		log.Error("decrypting the message", "AES nonce size", len(nonce))
-		return errors.New("wrong AES nonce size")
+	if len(salt) != aesgcm.NonceSize() {
+		log.Error("decrypting the message", "AES salt size", len(salt))
+		return errors.New("wrong AES salt size")
 	}
-	decrypted, err := aesgcm.Open(nil, nonce, msg.Raw, nil)
+	decrypted, err := aesgcm.Open(nil, salt, msg.Raw[:len(msg.Raw)-AESNonceLength], nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	msg.Raw = decrypted
+	msg.Salt = salt
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/whisper/whisperv6/message_test.go b/whisper/whisperv6/message_test.go
index 912b90f145..f4c16b256f 100644
--- a/whisper/whisperv6/message_test.go
+++ b/whisper/whisperv6/message_test.go
@@ -174,10 +174,8 @@ func TestMessageSeal(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("failed to create new message with seed %d: %s.", seed, err)
 	}
 	params.TTL = 1
-	aesnonce := make([]byte, 12)
-	mrand.Read(aesnonce)
 
-	env := NewEnvelope(params.TTL, params.Topic, aesnonce, msg)
+	env := NewEnvelope(params.TTL, params.Topic, msg)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("failed Wrap with seed %d: %s.", seed, err)
 	}
diff --git a/whisper/whisperv6/whisper.go b/whisper/whisperv6/whisper.go
index e2b884f3d4..0ed82a0ff9 100644
--- a/whisper/whisperv6/whisper.go
+++ b/whisper/whisperv6/whisper.go
@@ -591,13 +591,6 @@ func (wh *Whisper) add(envelope *Envelope) (bool, error) {
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("oversized version [%x]", envelope.Hash())
 	}
 
-	aesNonceSize := len(envelope.AESNonce)
-	if aesNonceSize != 0 && aesNonceSize != AESNonceLength {
-		// the standard AES GCM nonce size is 12 bytes,
-		// but constant gcmStandardNonceSize cannot be accessed (not exported)
-		return false, fmt.Errorf("wrong size of AESNonce: %d bytes [env: %x]", aesNonceSize, envelope.Hash())
-	}
-
 	if envelope.PoW() < wh.MinPow() {
 		log.Debug("envelope with low PoW dropped", "PoW", envelope.PoW(), "hash", envelope.Hash().Hex())
 		return false, nil // drop envelope without error