diff --git a/mitogen/core.py b/mitogen/core.py
index e139cf60..935026cf 100644
--- a/mitogen/core.py
+++ b/mitogen/core.py
@@ -255,6 +255,12 @@ class Message(object):
             self.data = cPickle.dumps(CallError(e), protocol=2)
         return self
 
+    def reply(self, data, **kwargs):
+        kwargs.setdefault('handle', self.reply_to)
+        self.router.route(
+            self.pickled(data, dst_id=self.src_id, **kwargs)
+        )
+
     def unpickle(self, throw=True):
         """Deserialize `data` into an object."""
         IOLOG.debug('%r.unpickle()', self)
@@ -1249,16 +1255,10 @@ class ExternalContext(object):
                     kwargs.setdefault('econtext', self)
                 if getattr(fn, 'mitogen_takes_router', None):
                     kwargs.setdefault('router', self.router)
-                ret = fn(*args, **kwargs)
-                self.router.route(
-                    Message.pickled(ret, dst_id=msg.src_id, handle=msg.reply_to)
-                )
+                msg.reply(fn(*args, **kwargs))
             except Exception, e:
                 LOG.debug('_dispatch_calls: %s', e)
-                e = CallError(e)
-                self.router.route(
-                    Message.pickled(e, dst_id=msg.src_id, handle=msg.reply_to)
-                )
+                msg.reply(CallError(e))
         self.dispatch_stopped = True
 
     def main(self, parent_ids, context_id, debug, profiling, log_level,
diff --git a/mitogen/master.py b/mitogen/master.py
index 4f8d5135..929e9d3f 100644
--- a/mitogen/master.py
+++ b/mitogen/master.py
@@ -489,13 +489,8 @@ class ModuleResponder(object):
 
     def _send_load_module(self, stream, msg, fullname):
         LOG.debug('_send_load_module(%r, %r)', stream, fullname)
-        self._router.route(
-            mitogen.core.Message.pickled(
-                self._build_tuple(fullname),
-                dst_id=msg.src_id,
-                handle=mitogen.core.LOAD_MODULE,
-            )
-        )
+        msg.reply(self._build_tuple(fullname),
+                  handle=mitogen.core.LOAD_MODULE)
         stream.sent_modules.add(fullname)
 
     def _on_get_module(self, msg):
@@ -526,13 +521,8 @@ class ModuleResponder(object):
 
         except Exception:
             LOG.debug('While importing %r', fullname, exc_info=True)
-            self._router.route(
-                mitogen.core.Message.pickled(
-                    (fullname, None, None, None, []),
-                    dst_id=msg.src_id,
-                    handle=msg.reply_to,
-                )
-            )
+            msg.reply((fullname, None, None, None, []),
+                      handle=mitogen.core.LOAD_MODULE)
 
 
 class Broker(mitogen.core.Broker):
@@ -651,13 +641,7 @@ class IdAllocator(object):
         allocated = self.router.context_by_id(id_, msg.src_id)
 
         LOG.debug('%r: allocating %r to %r', self, allocated, requestee)
-        self.router.route(
-            mitogen.core.Message.pickled(
-                id_,
-                dst_id=msg.src_id,
-                handle=msg.reply_to,
-            )
-        )
+        msg.reply(id_)
 
         LOG.debug('%r: publishing route to %r via %r', self,
                   allocated, requestee)