diff --git a/include/sp/protocol/MessageDispatcher.h b/include/sp/protocol/MessageDispatcher.h
index 2f5e9a0..1cdba2c 100644
--- a/include/sp/protocol/MessageDispatcher.h
+++ b/include/sp/protocol/MessageDispatcher.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ namespace sp {
 template <typename MessageIdType, typename MessageBase, typename MessageHandler>
 class MessageDispatcher {
   private:
-	std::map<MessageIdType, std::vector<std::weak_ptr<MessageHandler>>> m_Handlers;
+	std::map<MessageIdType, std::vector<MessageHandler*>> m_Handlers;
 
   public:
 	using MessageBaseType = MessageBase;
@@ -38,20 +38,20 @@ class MessageDispatcher {
 	 * \param type The packet type
 	 * \param handler The packet handler
 	 */
-	void RegisterHandler(MessageIdType a_MessageType, const std::weak_ptr<MessageHandler>& a_Handler);
+	void RegisterHandler(MessageIdType a_MessageType, MessageHandler* a_Handler);
 	
 	/**
 	 * \brief Unregister a packet handler
 	 * \param type The packet type
 	 * \param handler The packet handler
 	 */
-	void UnregisterHandler(MessageIdType a_MessageType, const std::weak_ptr<MessageHandler>& a_Handler);
+	void UnregisterHandler(MessageIdType a_MessageType, MessageHandler* a_Handler);
 	
 	/**
 	 * \brief Unregister a packet handler
 	 * \param handler The packet handler
 	 */
-	void UnregisterHandler(const std::weak_ptr<MessageHandler>& a_Handler);
+	void UnregisterHandler(MessageHandler* a_Handler);
 };
 
 #include <sp/protocol/message/MessageDispatcherImpl.inl>
diff --git a/include/sp/protocol/message/MessageDispatcherImpl.inl b/include/sp/protocol/message/MessageDispatcherImpl.inl
index 568c4b7..734fab6 100644
--- a/include/sp/protocol/message/MessageDispatcherImpl.inl
+++ b/include/sp/protocol/message/MessageDispatcherImpl.inl
@@ -1,33 +1,33 @@
 #pragma once
 
 template <typename MessageIdType, typename MessageBase, typename MessageHandler>
-void MessageDispatcher<MessageIdType, MessageBase, MessageHandler>::RegisterHandler(MessageIdType a_MessageType, const std::weak_ptr<MessageHandler>& a_Handler) {
-	auto found = std::find_if(m_Handlers[a_MessageType].begin(), m_Handlers[a_MessageType].end(), [&a_Handler](const std::weak_ptr<MessageHandler>& handler){
-		return a_Handler.lock() == handler.lock();
+void MessageDispatcher<MessageIdType, MessageBase, MessageHandler>::RegisterHandler(MessageIdType a_MessageType, MessageHandler* a_Handler) {
+	auto found = std::find_if(m_Handlers[a_MessageType].begin(), m_Handlers[a_MessageType].end(), [&a_Handler](const MessageHandler* handler){
+		return a_Handler == handler;
 	});
 	if (found == m_Handlers[a_MessageType].end())
 		m_Handlers[a_MessageType].push_back(a_Handler);
 }
 
 template <typename MessageIdType, typename MessageBase, typename MessageHandler>
-void MessageDispatcher<MessageIdType, MessageBase, MessageHandler>::UnregisterHandler(MessageIdType a_MessageType, const std::weak_ptr<MessageHandler>& a_Handler) {
-	auto found = std::find_if(m_Handlers[a_MessageType].begin(), m_Handlers[a_MessageType].end(), [&a_Handler](const std::weak_ptr<MessageHandler>& handler){
-		return a_Handler.lock() == handler.lock();
+void MessageDispatcher<MessageIdType, MessageBase, MessageHandler>::UnregisterHandler(MessageIdType a_MessageType, MessageHandler* a_Handler) {
+	auto found = std::find_if(m_Handlers[a_MessageType].begin(), m_Handlers[a_MessageType].end(), [&a_Handler](const MessageHandler* handler){
+		return a_Handler == handler;
 	});
 	if (found != m_Handlers[a_MessageType].end())
 		m_Handlers[a_MessageType].erase(found);
 }
 
 template <typename MessageIdType, typename MessageBase, typename MessageHandler>
-void MessageDispatcher<MessageIdType, MessageBase, MessageHandler>::UnregisterHandler(const std::weak_ptr<MessageHandler>& a_Handler) {
+void MessageDispatcher<MessageIdType, MessageBase, MessageHandler>::UnregisterHandler(MessageHandler* a_Handler) {
 	for (auto& pair : m_Handlers) {
 		if (pair.second.empty())
 			continue;
 
 		MessageIdType type = pair.first;
 
-		auto it = std::find_if(pair.second.begin(), pair.second.end(), [&a_Handler](const std::weak_ptr<MessageHandler>& handler){
-			return handler.lock() == a_Handler.lock();
+		auto it = std::find_if(pair.second.begin(), pair.second.end(), [&a_Handler](MessageHandler* handler){
+			return handler == a_Handler;
 		});
 
 		if (it != pair.second.end()) 
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ template <typename MessageIdType, typename MessageBase, typename MessageHandler>
 void MessageDispatcher<MessageIdType, MessageBase, MessageHandler>::Dispatch(const MessageBase& a_Message) {
 	MessageIdType type = a_Message.GetId();
 	for (auto& handler : m_Handlers[type]) {
-		if (!handler.expired())
-			a_Message.Dispatch(*handler.lock());
+		if (handler)
+			a_Message.Dispatch(*handler);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/test/test_file.cpp b/test/test_file.cpp
index 2a89a3c..f777338 100644
--- a/test/test_file.cpp
+++ b/test/test_file.cpp
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ int main() {
 	auto handler = std::make_shared<CustomPacketHandler>();
 
 	FileStream stream(sp::io::File{"test.txt", sp::io::FileTag::In | sp::io::FileTag::Out}, {});
-	stream.GetDispatcher().RegisterHandler(PacketId::Disconnect, handler);
-	stream.GetDispatcher().RegisterHandler(PacketId::KeepAlive, handler);
+	stream.GetDispatcher().RegisterHandler(PacketId::Disconnect, handler.get());
+	stream.GetDispatcher().RegisterHandler(PacketId::KeepAlive, handler.get());
 
 	stream.SendMessage(KeepAlivePacket{96});
 	stream.SendMessage(KeepAlivePacket{69});
diff --git a/test/test_io.cpp b/test/test_io.cpp
index c8affb6..d67c521 100644
--- a/test/test_io.cpp
+++ b/test/test_io.cpp
@@ -23,13 +23,13 @@ int main() {
 	auto handler = std::make_shared<CustomPacketHandler>();
 
 	DataBufferStream stream;
-	stream.GetDispatcher().RegisterHandler(PacketId::Disconnect, handler);
+	stream.GetDispatcher().RegisterHandler(PacketId::Disconnect, handler.get());
 
 	// this should not be dispatched
 	stream.SendMessage(KeepAlivePacket{96});
 	stream.RecieveMessages();
 
-	stream.GetDispatcher().RegisterHandler(PacketId::KeepAlive, handler);
+	stream.GetDispatcher().RegisterHandler(PacketId::KeepAlive, handler.get());
 
 	stream.SendMessage(KeepAlivePacket{69});
 	stream.RecieveMessages();
diff --git a/test/test_packets.cpp b/test/test_packets.cpp
index e89e171..b17f582 100644
--- a/test/test_packets.cpp
+++ b/test/test_packets.cpp
@@ -48,10 +48,10 @@ int main() {
 	packet->Dispatch(*handler);
 
 	sp::PacketDispatcher dispatcher;
-	dispatcher.RegisterHandler(PacketId::KeepAlive, handler);
+	dispatcher.RegisterHandler(PacketId::KeepAlive, handler.get());
 	dispatcher.Dispatch(*packet);
-	dispatcher.UnregisterHandler(PacketId::KeepAlive, handler);
-	dispatcher.UnregisterHandler(handler);
+	dispatcher.UnregisterHandler(PacketId::KeepAlive, handler.get());
+	dispatcher.UnregisterHandler(handler.get());
 
 	return 0;
 }
\ No newline at end of file