diff --git a/cr-show.c b/cr-show.c
index 1ec068ca1..3b5b5cb02 100644
--- a/cr-show.c
+++ b/cr-show.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "protobuf/fown.pb-c.h"
 #include "protobuf/fs.pb-c.h"
 #include "protobuf/pstree.pb-c.h"
+#include "protobuf/pipe.pb-c.h"
 
 #define DEF_PAGES_PER_LINE	6
 
@@ -203,19 +204,20 @@ void show_pipes_data(int fd_pipes, struct cr_options *o)
 
 void show_pipes(int fd_pipes, struct cr_options *o)
 {
-	struct pipe_entry e;
+	PipeEntry *e;
 	int ret;
 
 	pr_img_head(CR_FD_PIPES);
 
 	while (1) {
-		ret = read_img_eof(fd_pipes, &e);
+		ret = pb_read_eof(fd_pipes, &e, pipe_entry);
 		if (ret <= 0)
 			goto out;
 		pr_msg("id: 0x%8x pipeid: 0x%8x flags: 0x%8x ",
-		       e.id, e.pipe_id, e.flags);
-		show_fown_cont(&e.fown);
+		       e->id, e->pipe_id, e->flags);
+		pb_show_fown_cont(e->fown);
 		pr_msg("\n");
+		pipe_entry__free_unpacked(e, NULL);
 	}
 
 out:
diff --git a/include/image.h b/include/image.h
index b74ff9a59..9ed29abe1 100644
--- a/include/image.h
+++ b/include/image.h
@@ -75,13 +75,6 @@ typedef struct {
  */
 #define REMAP_GHOST	(1 << 31)
 
-struct pipe_entry {
-	u32	id;
-	u32	pipe_id;
-	u32	flags;
-	fown_t	fown;
-} __packed;
-
 struct pipe_data_entry {
 	u32	pipe_id;
 	u32	bytes;
diff --git a/pipes.c b/pipes.c
index 48ced6c31..a78c5c6e8 100644
--- a/pipes.c
+++ b/pipes.c
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
 #include "pipes.h"
 #include "util-net.h"
 
+#include "protobuf.h"
+#include "protobuf/pipe.pb-c.h"
+
 /*
  * The sequence of objects which should be restored:
  * pipe -> files struct-s -> fd-s.
@@ -19,7 +22,7 @@
  */
 
 struct pipe_info {
-	struct pipe_entry	*pe;
+	PipeEntry		*pe;
 	struct list_head	pipe_list;	/* All pipe_info with the same pipe_id
 						 * This is pure circular list without head */
 	struct list_head	list;		/* list head for fdinfo_list_entry-s */
@@ -231,7 +234,7 @@ static int recv_pipe_fd(struct pipe_info *pi)
 	close(tmp);
 
 	if (fd >= 0) {
-		if (restore_fown(fd, &pi->pe->fown)) {
+		if (pb_restore_fown(fd, pi->pe->fown)) {
 			close(fd);
 			return -1;
 		}
@@ -288,7 +291,7 @@ static int open_pipe(struct file_desc *d)
 	close(pfd[!(pi->pe->flags & O_WRONLY)]);
 	tmp = pfd[pi->pe->flags & O_WRONLY];
 
-	if (rst_file_params(tmp, &pi->pe->fown, pi->pe->flags))
+	if (pb_rst_file_params(tmp, pi->pe->fown, pi->pe->flags))
 		return -1;
 
 	return tmp;
@@ -322,12 +325,9 @@ int collect_pipes(void)
 		pi = xmalloc(sizeof(*pi));
 		if (pi == NULL)
 			break;
-		pi->pe = xmalloc(sizeof(*pi->pe));
-		if (pi->pe == NULL)
-			break;
 
 		pi->create = 0;
-		ret = read_img_eof(fd, pi->pe);
+		ret = pb_read_eof(fd, &pi->pe, pipe_entry);
 		if (ret <= 0)
 			break;
 
@@ -348,7 +348,6 @@ int collect_pipes(void)
 		list_add_tail(&pi->list, &pipes);
 	}
 
-	xfree(pi ? pi->pe : NULL);
 	xfree(pi);
 
 	close(fd);
@@ -433,17 +432,20 @@ static struct pipe_data_dump pd_pipes = { .img_type = CR_FD_PIPES_DATA, };
 
 static int dump_one_pipe(int lfd, u32 id, const struct fd_parms *p)
 {
-	struct pipe_entry pe;
+	PipeEntry pe = PIPE_ENTRY__INIT;
+	FownEntry fown = FOWN_ENTRY__INIT;
 
 	pr_info("Dumping pipe %d with id %#x pipe_id %#x\n",
 			lfd, id, pipe_id(p));
 
+	pb_prep_fown(&fown, &p->fown);
+
 	pe.id		= id;
 	pe.pipe_id	= pipe_id(p);
 	pe.flags	= p->flags;
-	pe.fown		= p->fown;
+	pe.fown		= &fown;
 
-	if (write_img(fdset_fd(glob_fdset, CR_FD_PIPES), &pe))
+	if (pb_write(fdset_fd(glob_fdset, CR_FD_PIPES), &pe, pipe_entry))
 		return -1;
 
 	return dump_one_pipe_data(&pd_pipes, lfd, p);
diff --git a/protobuf/Makefile b/protobuf/Makefile
index 96662ffd7..c4d647047 100644
--- a/protobuf/Makefile
+++ b/protobuf/Makefile
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ PROTO_FILES	+= fh.proto
 PROTO_FILES	+= inotify.proto
 PROTO_FILES	+= fs.proto
 PROTO_FILES	+= pstree.proto
+PROTO_FILES	+= pipe.proto
 
 HDRS	:= $(patsubst %.proto,%.pb-c.h,$(PROTO_FILES))
 SRCS	:= $(patsubst %.proto,%.pb-c.c,$(PROTO_FILES))
diff --git a/protobuf/pipe.proto b/protobuf/pipe.proto
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..675edbcba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/protobuf/pipe.proto
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+import "fown.proto";
+
+message pipe_entry {
+	required uint32		id		= 1;
+	required uint32		pipe_id		= 2;
+	required uint32		flags		= 3;
+	required fown_entry	fown		= 4;
+}