diff --git a/ccbt/security/mse_handshake.py b/ccbt/security/mse_handshake.py
index cec4e2f..f85d134 100644
--- a/ccbt/security/mse_handshake.py
+++ b/ccbt/security/mse_handshake.py
@@ -182,12 +182,7 @@ async def initiate_as_initiator(
                     None,
                     f"Failed to read RKEYE message ({rke_failure.value})",
                 )
-            legacy_type = None
-            if len(rke_message) > 0:
-                try:
-                    legacy_type = MSEHandshakeType(rke_message[0])
-                except ValueError:
-                    legacy_type = None
+            legacy_type = self._legacy_message_type(rke_message)
             if legacy_type in {
                 MSEHandshakeType.SKEYE,
                 MSEHandshakeType.CRYPTO,
@@ -254,12 +249,7 @@ async def initiate_as_initiator(
                     None,
                     f"Failed to read CRYPTO message ({crypto_failure.value})",
                 )
-            legacy_crypto_type = None
-            if len(crypto_response) > 0:
-                try:
-                    legacy_crypto_type = MSEHandshakeType(crypto_response[0])
-                except ValueError:
-                    legacy_crypto_type = None
+            legacy_crypto_type = self._legacy_message_type(crypto_response)
             if (
                 legacy_crypto_type is not None
                 and legacy_crypto_type != MSEHandshakeType.CRYPTO
@@ -352,12 +342,7 @@ async def respond_as_receiver(
                     None,
                     f"Failed to read SKEYE message ({ske_failure.value})",
                 )
-            legacy_type = None
-            if len(ske_message) > 0:
-                try:
-                    legacy_type = MSEHandshakeType(ske_message[0])
-                except ValueError:
-                    legacy_type = None
+            legacy_type = self._legacy_message_type(ske_message)
             if legacy_type in {
                 MSEHandshakeType.RKEYE,
                 MSEHandshakeType.CRYPTO,
@@ -413,12 +398,7 @@ async def respond_as_receiver(
                     None,
                     f"Failed to read CRYPTO message ({crypto_failure.value})",
                 )
-            legacy_crypto_type = None
-            if len(crypto_message) > 0:
-                try:
-                    legacy_crypto_type = MSEHandshakeType(crypto_message[0])
-                except ValueError:
-                    legacy_crypto_type = None
+            legacy_crypto_type = self._legacy_message_type(crypto_message)
             if (
                 legacy_crypto_type is not None
                 and legacy_crypto_type != MSEHandshakeType.CRYPTO
@@ -620,6 +600,29 @@ def _dh_public_key_length_for_size(size: int) -> int:
     def _dh_public_key_length(self) -> int:
         return self._dh_public_key_length_for_size(self.dh_exchange.key_size)
 
+    def _legacy_message_type(self, payload: bytes) -> Optional[MSEHandshakeType]:
+        """Return a legacy MSE type only for short type-prefixed payloads.
+
+        Modern BEP-style frames carry raw DH key material or RC4 ciphertext
+        without a leading type byte. Their first byte can coincidentally match
+        ``SKEYE``/``RKEYE``/``CRYPTO`` enum values and must not be rejected.
+        """
+        if not payload:
+            return None
+        try:
+            msg_type = MSEHandshakeType(payload[0])
+        except ValueError:
+            return None
+        if msg_type == MSEHandshakeType.CRYPTO:
+            # Legacy CRYPTO is exactly type (1) + cipher (1).
+            return msg_type if len(payload) == 2 else None
+        if msg_type in {MSEHandshakeType.SKEYE, MSEHandshakeType.RKEYE}:
+            # Legacy SKEYE/RKEYE is type + DH key (+ optional leading 0x00).
+            dh_len = self._dh_public_key_length()
+            if len(payload) in {dh_len + 1, dh_len + 2}:
+                return msg_type
+        return None
+
     @staticmethod
     def _select_handshake_padding() -> bytes:
         """Select handshake padding for PadC/PadD.
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_mse_tcp_server_pe_first.py b/tests/integration/test_mse_tcp_server_pe_first.py
index ed963c7..79e4f9a 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_mse_tcp_server_pe_first.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_mse_tcp_server_pe_first.py
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ async def _run_loopback_mse_handshake(
     outbound_payload: bytes,
     port: int,
     *,
-    attempts: int = 2,
+    attempts: int = 3,
     accept_mock: AsyncMock | None = None,
 ) -> None:
     """Run an outbound MSE handshake against an already-started loopback server."""
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ async def _run_loopback_mse_handshake(
         finally:
             writer.close()
             await writer.wait_closed()
+        # Only stop retrying once the server has accepted — a failed initiator
+        # attempt that never reached accept should be retried.
         if accept_mock is not None and accept_mock.await_count > 0:
             break
         if attempt + 1 < attempts:
diff --git a/tests/unit/security/test_mse_handshake.py b/tests/unit/security/test_mse_handshake.py
index 42f17f9..0e449ba 100644
--- a/tests/unit/security/test_mse_handshake.py
+++ b/tests/unit/security/test_mse_handshake.py
@@ -63,6 +63,22 @@ def test_init_custom_allowed_ciphers(self):
         assert CipherType.AES not in handshake.allowed_ciphers
 
 
+class TestMSEHandshakeLegacyTypeDetection:
+    """Legacy type detection must not misfire on modern BEP payloads."""
+
+    def test_modern_ciphertext_starting_with_skeye_byte_is_not_legacy(self):
+        """RC4 crypto-select blobs may start with 0x02 without being SKEYE."""
+        handshake = MSEHandshake()
+        modern_payload = bytes([int(MSEHandshakeType.SKEYE)]) + b"\x00" * 32
+        assert handshake._legacy_message_type(modern_payload) is None
+
+    def test_legacy_crypto_two_byte_payload_is_detected(self):
+        """Legacy CRYPTO remains type + cipher byte."""
+        handshake = MSEHandshake()
+        payload = bytes([int(MSEHandshakeType.CRYPTO), int(CipherType.RC4)])
+        assert handshake._legacy_message_type(payload) == MSEHandshakeType.CRYPTO
+
+
 class TestMSEHandshakeMessageEncoding:
     """Tests for message encoding/decoding."""