diff --git a/quinn-proto/src/connection/assembler.rs b/quinn-proto/src/connection/assembler.rs
index 7f4aefc1c..617b9695b 100644
--- a/quinn-proto/src/connection/assembler.rs
+++ b/quinn-proto/src/connection/assembler.rs
@@ -25,14 +25,9 @@ impl Assembler {
         Self::default()
     }
 
-    // Get the the next ordered chunk
-    pub(crate) fn read(
-        &mut self,
-        max_length: usize,
-        ordered: bool,
-    ) -> Result<Option<Chunk>, AssembleError> {
+    pub(crate) fn ensure_ordering(&mut self, ordered: bool) -> Result<(), IllegalOrderedRead> {
         if ordered && !self.state.is_ordered() {
-            return Err(AssembleError::IllegalOrderedRead);
+            return Err(IllegalOrderedRead);
         } else if !ordered && self.state.is_ordered() {
             // Enter unordered mode
             let mut recvd = RangeSet::new();
@@ -42,17 +37,21 @@ impl Assembler {
             }
             self.state = State::Unordered { recvd };
         }
+        Ok(())
+    }
 
+    /// Get the the next chunk
+    pub(crate) fn read(&mut self, max_length: usize, ordered: bool) -> Option<Chunk> {
         loop {
             let mut chunk = match self.data.peek_mut() {
                 Some(chunk) => chunk,
-                None => return Ok(None),
+                None => return None,
             };
 
             if ordered {
                 if chunk.offset > self.bytes_read {
                     // Next chunk is after current read index
-                    return Ok(None);
+                    return None;
                 } else if (chunk.offset + chunk.bytes.len() as u64) <= self.bytes_read {
                     // Next chunk is useless as the read index is beyond its end
                     PeekMut::pop(chunk);
@@ -68,7 +67,7 @@ impl Assembler {
                 }
             }
 
-            return Ok(Some(if max_length < chunk.bytes.len() {
+            return Some(if max_length < chunk.bytes.len() {
                 self.bytes_read += max_length as u64;
                 let offset = chunk.offset;
                 chunk.offset += max_length as u64;
@@ -78,7 +77,7 @@ impl Assembler {
                 self.defragmented = self.defragmented.saturating_sub(1);
                 let chunk = PeekMut::pop(chunk);
                 Chunk::new(chunk.offset, chunk.bytes)
-            }));
+            });
         }
     }
 
@@ -242,11 +241,8 @@ impl Default for State {
 }
 
 /// Error indicating that an ordered read was performed on a stream after an unordered read
-#[derive(Debug, Copy, Clone)]
-pub enum AssembleError {
-    IllegalOrderedRead,
-    UnknownStream,
-}
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct IllegalOrderedRead;
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
@@ -272,6 +268,7 @@ mod test {
     #[test]
     fn assemble_unordered() {
         let mut x = Assembler::new();
+        x.ensure_ordering(false).unwrap();
         x.insert(3, Bytes::from_static(b"456"));
         assert_matches!(next(&mut x, 32), None);
         x.insert(0, Bytes::from_static(b"123"));
@@ -426,42 +423,44 @@ mod test {
         x.insert(7, Bytes::from_static(b"hij"));
         x.insert(11, Bytes::from_static(b"lmn"));
         x.defragment();
-        assert_matches!(x.read(usize::MAX, true), Ok(Some(ref y)) if &y.bytes[..] == b"abcdef");
+        assert_matches!(x.read(usize::MAX, true), Some(ref y) if &y.bytes[..] == b"abcdef");
         x.insert(5, Bytes::from_static(b"fghijklmn"));
-        assert_matches!(x.read(usize::MAX, true), Ok(Some(ref y)) if &y.bytes[..] == b"ghijklmn");
+        assert_matches!(x.read(usize::MAX, true), Some(ref y) if &y.bytes[..] == b"ghijklmn");
         x.insert(13, Bytes::from_static(b"nopq"));
-        assert_matches!(x.read(usize::MAX, true), Ok(Some(ref y)) if &y.bytes[..] == b"opq");
+        assert_matches!(x.read(usize::MAX, true), Some(ref y) if &y.bytes[..] == b"opq");
         x.insert(15, Bytes::from_static(b"pqrs"));
-        assert_matches!(x.read(usize::MAX, true), Ok(Some(ref y)) if &y.bytes[..] == b"rs");
-        assert_matches!(x.read(usize::MAX, true), Ok(None));
+        assert_matches!(x.read(usize::MAX, true), Some(ref y) if &y.bytes[..] == b"rs");
+        assert_matches!(x.read(usize::MAX, true), None);
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn unordered_happy_path() {
         let mut x = Assembler::new();
+        x.ensure_ordering(false).unwrap();
         x.insert(0, Bytes::from_static(b"abc"));
         assert_eq!(
             next_unordered(&mut x),
             Chunk::new(0, Bytes::from_static(b"abc"))
         );
-        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, false).unwrap(), None);
+        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, false), None);
         x.insert(3, Bytes::from_static(b"def"));
         assert_eq!(
             next_unordered(&mut x),
             Chunk::new(3, Bytes::from_static(b"def"))
         );
-        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, false).unwrap(), None);
+        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, false), None);
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn unordered_dedup() {
         let mut x = Assembler::new();
+        x.ensure_ordering(false).unwrap();
         x.insert(3, Bytes::from_static(b"def"));
         assert_eq!(
             next_unordered(&mut x),
             Chunk::new(3, Bytes::from_static(b"def"))
         );
-        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, false).unwrap(), None);
+        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, false), None);
         x.insert(0, Bytes::from_static(b"a"));
         x.insert(0, Bytes::from_static(b"abcdefghi"));
         x.insert(0, Bytes::from_static(b"abcd"));
@@ -477,54 +476,54 @@ mod test {
             next_unordered(&mut x),
             Chunk::new(6, Bytes::from_static(b"ghi"))
         );
-        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, false).unwrap(), None);
+        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, false), None);
         x.insert(8, Bytes::from_static(b"ijkl"));
         assert_eq!(
             next_unordered(&mut x),
             Chunk::new(9, Bytes::from_static(b"jkl"))
         );
-        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, false).unwrap(), None);
+        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, false), None);
         x.insert(12, Bytes::from_static(b"mno"));
         assert_eq!(
             next_unordered(&mut x),
             Chunk::new(12, Bytes::from_static(b"mno"))
         );
-        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, false).unwrap(), None);
+        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, false), None);
         x.insert(2, Bytes::from_static(b"cde"));
-        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, false).unwrap(), None);
+        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, false), None);
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn chunks_dedup() {
         let mut x = Assembler::new();
         x.insert(3, Bytes::from_static(b"def"));
-        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, true).unwrap(), None);
+        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, true), None);
         x.insert(0, Bytes::from_static(b"a"));
         x.insert(1, Bytes::from_static(b"bcdefghi"));
         x.insert(0, Bytes::from_static(b"abcd"));
         assert_eq!(
-            x.read(usize::MAX, true).unwrap(),
+            x.read(usize::MAX, true),
             Some(Chunk::new(0, Bytes::from_static(b"abcd")))
         );
         assert_eq!(
-            x.read(usize::MAX, true).unwrap(),
+            x.read(usize::MAX, true),
             Some(Chunk::new(4, Bytes::from_static(b"efghi")))
         );
-        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, true).unwrap(), None);
+        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, true), None);
         x.insert(8, Bytes::from_static(b"ijkl"));
         assert_eq!(
-            x.read(usize::MAX, true).unwrap(),
+            x.read(usize::MAX, true),
             Some(Chunk::new(9, Bytes::from_static(b"jkl")))
         );
-        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, true).unwrap(), None);
+        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, true), None);
         x.insert(12, Bytes::from_static(b"mno"));
         assert_eq!(
-            x.read(usize::MAX, true).unwrap(),
+            x.read(usize::MAX, true),
             Some(Chunk::new(12, Bytes::from_static(b"mno")))
         );
-        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, true).unwrap(), None);
+        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, true), None);
         x.insert(2, Bytes::from_static(b"cde"));
-        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, true).unwrap(), None);
+        assert_eq!(x.read(usize::MAX, true), None);
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -533,7 +532,7 @@ mod test {
         x.insert(0, Bytes::from_static(b"abc"));
         assert_eq!(x.data.len(), 1);
         assert_eq!(
-            x.read(usize::MAX, true).unwrap(),
+            x.read(usize::MAX, true),
             Some(Chunk::new(0, Bytes::from_static(b"abc")))
         );
         x.insert(0, Bytes::from_static(b"ab"));
@@ -549,10 +548,10 @@ mod test {
     }
 
     fn next_unordered(x: &mut Assembler) -> Chunk {
-        x.read(usize::MAX, false).unwrap().unwrap()
+        x.read(usize::MAX, false).unwrap()
     }
 
     fn next(x: &mut Assembler, size: usize) -> Option<Bytes> {
-        x.read(size, true).unwrap().map(|chunk| chunk.bytes)
+        x.read(size, true).map(|chunk| chunk.bytes)
     }
 }
diff --git a/quinn-proto/src/connection/mod.rs b/quinn-proto/src/connection/mod.rs
index b01330ae3..6ac9e7602 100644
--- a/quinn-proto/src/connection/mod.rs
+++ b/quinn-proto/src/connection/mod.rs
@@ -1760,7 +1760,7 @@ where
         space
             .crypto_stream
             .insert(crypto.offset, crypto.data.clone());
-        while let Some(chunk) = space.crypto_stream.read(usize::MAX, true).unwrap() {
+        while let Some(chunk) = space.crypto_stream.read(usize::MAX, true) {
             trace!("consumed {} CRYPTO bytes", chunk.bytes.len());
             if self.crypto.read_handshake(&chunk.bytes)? {
                 self.events.push_back(Event::HandshakeDataReady);
diff --git a/quinn-proto/src/connection/streams/recv.rs b/quinn-proto/src/connection/streams/recv.rs
index dcc91155f..7c305e7c4 100644
--- a/quinn-proto/src/connection/streams/recv.rs
+++ b/quinn-proto/src/connection/streams/recv.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use thiserror::Error;
 use tracing::debug;
 
 use super::{ShouldTransmit, UnknownStream};
-use crate::connection::assembler::{AssembleError, Assembler, Chunk};
+use crate::connection::assembler::{Assembler, Chunk, IllegalOrderedRead};
 use crate::{frame, TransportError, VarInt};
 
 #[derive(Debug, Default)]
@@ -73,7 +73,8 @@ impl Recv {
             return Err(ReadError::UnknownStream);
         }
 
-        match self.assembler.read(max_length, ordered)? {
+        self.assembler.ensure_ordering(ordered)?;
+        match self.assembler.read(max_length, ordered) {
             Some(chunk) => Ok(Some(chunk)),
             None => self.read_blocked().map(|()| None),
         }
@@ -92,7 +93,8 @@ impl Recv {
             return Ok(Some(out));
         }
 
-        while let Some(chunk) = self.assembler.read(usize::MAX, true)? {
+        self.assembler.ensure_ordering(true)?;
+        while let Some(chunk) = self.assembler.read(usize::MAX, true) {
             chunks[out.bufs] = chunk.bytes;
             out.read += chunks[out.bufs].len();
             out.bufs += 1;
@@ -314,13 +316,9 @@ pub enum ReadError {
     IllegalOrderedRead,
 }
 
-impl From<AssembleError> for ReadError {
-    fn from(e: AssembleError) -> Self {
-        use AssembleError::*;
-        match e {
-            IllegalOrderedRead => ReadError::IllegalOrderedRead,
-            UnknownStream => ReadError::UnknownStream,
-        }
+impl From<IllegalOrderedRead> for ReadError {
+    fn from(_: IllegalOrderedRead) -> Self {
+        ReadError::IllegalOrderedRead
     }
 }