diff --git a/xmpp.go b/xmpp.go
index f2eac8c..7951a22 100644
--- a/xmpp.go
+++ b/xmpp.go
@@ -61,9 +61,6 @@ var DefaultConfig = &tls.Config{}
 // DebugWriter is the writer used to write debugging output to.
 var DebugWriter io.Writer = os.Stderr
 
-// Mutex to prevent multiple access to xml.Decoder
-var nextMutex sync.Mutex
-
 // Cookie is a unique XMPP session identifier
 type Cookie uint64
 
@@ -80,6 +77,7 @@ type Client struct {
 	conn         net.Conn // connection to server
 	jid          string   // Jabber ID for our connection
 	domain       string
+	nextMutex    sync.Mutex // Mutex to prevent multiple access to xml.Decoder
 	p            *xml.Decoder
 	stanzaWriter io.Writer
 	Mechanism    string
@@ -341,7 +339,7 @@ func (c *Client) Close() error {
 			case <-time.After(10 * time.Second):
 				break
 			default:
-				ee, err := nextEnd(c.p)
+				ee, err := c.nextEnd()
 				// If the server already closed the stream it is
 				// likely to receive an error when trying to parse
 				// the stream. Therefore the connection is also closed
@@ -540,7 +538,7 @@ func (c *Client) init(o *Options) error {
 			fmt.Fprintf(c.stanzaWriter, "<auth xmlns='%s' mechanism='%s'>%s</auth>\n",
 				nsSASL, mechanism, base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(clientFirstMessage)))
 			var sfm string
-			_, val, err := next(c.p)
+			_, val, err := c.next()
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -706,7 +704,7 @@ func (c *Client) init(o *Options) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("no viable authentication method available: %v", f.Mechanisms.Mechanism)
 	}
 	// Next message should be either success or failure.
-	name, val, err := next(c.p)
+	name, val, err := c.next()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -757,7 +755,7 @@ func (c *Client) init(o *Options) error {
 	} else {
 		fmt.Fprintf(c.stanzaWriter, "<iq type='set' id='%x'><bind xmlns='%s'><resource>%s</resource></bind></iq>\n", cookie, nsBind, o.Resource)
 	}
-	_, val, err = next(c.p)
+	_, val, err = c.next()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -854,7 +852,7 @@ func (c *Client) startStream(o *Options, domain string) (*streamFeatures, error)
 	}
 
 	// We expect the server to start a <stream>.
-	se, err := nextStart(c.p)
+	se, err := c.nextStart()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -923,7 +921,7 @@ type IQ struct {
 // Recv waits to receive the next XMPP stanza.
 func (c *Client) Recv() (stanza interface{}, err error) {
 	for {
-		_, val, err := next(c.p)
+		_, val, err := c.next()
 		if err != nil {
 			return Chat{}, err
 		}
@@ -1462,57 +1460,57 @@ type rosterItem struct {
 }
 
 // Scan XML token stream to find next StartElement.
-func nextStart(p *xml.Decoder) (xml.StartElement, error) {
+func (c *Client) nextStart() (xml.StartElement, error) {
 	for {
-		nextMutex.Lock()
-		t, err := p.Token()
+		c.nextMutex.Lock()
+		t, err := c.p.Token()
 		if err != nil || t == nil {
-			nextMutex.Unlock()
+			c.nextMutex.Unlock()
 			return xml.StartElement{}, err
 		}
 		switch t := t.(type) {
 		case xml.StartElement:
-			nextMutex.Unlock()
+			c.nextMutex.Unlock()
 			return t, nil
 		// Also check for stream end element and stop waiting
 		// for new start elements if we received a closing stream
 		// element.
 		case xml.EndElement:
 			if t.Name.Local == "stream" {
-				nextMutex.Unlock()
+				c.nextMutex.Unlock()
 				return xml.StartElement{}, nil
 			}
 		}
-		nextMutex.Unlock()
+		c.nextMutex.Unlock()
 	}
 }
 
 // Scan XML token stream to find next EndElement
-func nextEnd(p *xml.Decoder) (xml.EndElement, error) {
-	p.Strict = false
+func (c *Client) nextEnd() (xml.EndElement, error) {
+	c.p.Strict = false
 	for {
-		nextMutex.Lock()
-		to, err := p.RawToken()
+		c.nextMutex.Lock()
+		to, err := c.p.RawToken()
 		if err != nil || to == nil {
-			nextMutex.Unlock()
+			c.nextMutex.Unlock()
 			return xml.EndElement{}, err
 		}
 		t := xml.CopyToken(to)
 		switch t := t.(type) {
 		case xml.EndElement:
-			nextMutex.Unlock()
+			c.nextMutex.Unlock()
 			return t, nil
 		}
-		nextMutex.Unlock()
+		c.nextMutex.Unlock()
 	}
 }
 
 // Scan XML token stream for next element and save into val.
 // If val == nil, allocate new element based on proto map.
 // Either way, return val.
-func next(p *xml.Decoder) (xml.Name, interface{}, error) {
+func (c *Client) next() (xml.Name, interface{}, error) {
 	// Read start element to find out what type we want.
-	se, err := nextStart(p)
+	se, err := c.nextStart()
 	if err != nil {
 		return xml.Name{}, nil, err
 	}
@@ -1560,7 +1558,7 @@ func next(p *xml.Decoder) (xml.Name, interface{}, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Unmarshal into that storage.
-	if err = p.DecodeElement(nv, &se); err != nil {
+	if err = c.p.DecodeElement(nv, &se); err != nil {
 		return xml.Name{}, nil, err
 	}