diff --git a/.github/workflows/add_to_project.yml b/.github/workflows/add_to_project.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index fa9413b0..00000000
--- a/.github/workflows/add_to_project.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-name: Add to Project
-
-on:
-  pull_request_target:
-    types: [opened, reopened]
-  issues:
-    types:
-      - opened
-
-jobs:
-  add-to-project:
-    name: Add issues and PRs to formulation project
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/add-to-project@v0.6.1
-        with:
-          project-url: https://github.com/orgs/NOAA-OWP/projects/30 
-          github-token: ${{ secrets.FORMULATION_PROJECT_ADD_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/include/bmi_serialization.h b/include/bmi_serialization.h
index f0f6c600..56a9a6d3 100644
--- a/include/bmi_serialization.h
+++ b/include/bmi_serialization.h
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #include "bmi.h"
 
 int free_serialized_cfe(Bmi* bmi);
-int load_serialized_cfe(Bmi* bmi, const char* data);
+int load_serialized_cfe(Bmi* bmi, char* data);
 int new_serialized_cfe(Bmi* bmi);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/include/vecbuf.hpp b/include/vecbuf.hpp
index 6db982cc..a20bc70e 100644
--- a/include/vecbuf.hpp
+++ b/include/vecbuf.hpp
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ class vecbuf : public std::basic_streambuf<CharT> {
     // Forwarder for std::vector::clear()
     constexpr void clear() { vector_.clear(); }
 
+    // Forwarder for std::vector::resize(size)
+    constexpr void resize(size_type size) { vector_.resize(size); }
+
     // Forwarder for std::vector::reserve
     constexpr void reserve(size_type capacity) { vector_.reserve(capacity); setp_from_vector(); }
 
@@ -35,7 +38,7 @@ class vecbuf : public std::basic_streambuf<CharT> {
     constexpr void reserve_additional(size_type additional_capacity) { reserve(size() + additional_capacity); }
 
     // Forwarder for std::vector::data
-    constexpr const value_type* data() const { return vector_.data(); }
+    constexpr value_type* data() { return vector_.data(); }
 
     // Forwarder for std::vector::size
     constexpr size_type size() const { return vector_.size(); }
@@ -112,4 +115,11 @@ class vecbuf : public std::basic_streambuf<CharT> {
 
 };
 
+class membuf : public std::streambuf {
+public:
+    membuf(char *begin, size_t size) {
+        this->setg(begin, begin, begin + size);
+    }
+};
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/bmi_serialization.cxx b/src/bmi_serialization.cxx
index a2dcabeb..1856eaa6 100644
--- a/src/bmi_serialization.cxx
+++ b/src/bmi_serialization.cxx
@@ -116,9 +116,12 @@ int free_serialized_cfe(Bmi* bmi) {
     return BMI_SUCCESS;
 }
 
-int load_serialized_cfe(Bmi* bmi, const char* data) {
+int load_serialized_cfe(Bmi* bmi, char* data) {
     CfeSerializer serializer(bmi);
-    std::istringstream stream(data);
+    // get size of data from header
+    uint64_t size;
+    memcpy(&size, data, sizeof(uint64_t));
+    membuf stream(data + sizeof(uint64_t), size);
     boost::archive::binary_iarchive archive(stream);
     try {
         archive >> serializer;
@@ -146,7 +149,8 @@ int new_serialized_cfe(Bmi* bmi) {
         free(model->serialized);
     }
     // set size and allocate memory
-    model->serialized_length = stream.size();
+    uint64_t serialized_size = stream.size();
+    model->serialized_length = sizeof(uint64_t) + serialized_size;
     model->serialized = (char*)malloc(model->serialized_length);
     // make sure memory could be allocated
     if (model->serialized == NULL) {
@@ -155,7 +159,8 @@ int new_serialized_cfe(Bmi* bmi) {
         return BMI_FAILURE;
     }
     // copy stream data to new allocation
-    memcpy(model->serialized, stream.data(), model->serialized_length);
+    memcpy(model->serialized, &serialized_size, sizeof(uint64_t));
+    memcpy(model->serialized + sizeof(uint64_t), stream.data(), serialized_size);
     return BMI_SUCCESS;
 }