diff --git a/crates/tor-cell/src/relaycell.rs b/crates/tor-cell/src/relaycell.rs
index 17b0cf139..fba9bc95c 100644
--- a/crates/tor-cell/src/relaycell.rs
+++ b/crates/tor-cell/src/relaycell.rs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ pub mod extend;
 pub mod msg;
 #[cfg(feature = "onion-service")]
 pub mod onion_service;
+pub mod restrict;
 #[cfg(feature = "experimental-udp")]
 pub mod udp;
 
diff --git a/crates/tor-cell/src/relaycell/restrict.rs b/crates/tor-cell/src/relaycell/restrict.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d0426d0bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/tor-cell/src/relaycell/restrict.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+//! Macros to define a restricted subset of RelayMsg.
+//!
+//! These restricted subsets are not just a matter of internal typesafety: they
+//! provide _parsing support_ for only the relevant subset of messages, ensuring
+//! that an attacker doesn't get easy access to our whole parsing surface.
+
+// TODO hs: make a new macro that behaves something like this.  (This will need
+// to change; it's just a sketch.)
+//
+// See arti#525 for more info.
+//
+// ```
+// restricted_msg!( pub enum DataStreamMsg {
+//    Data(Data),
+//    End(End),
+// }),
+// ```
+//
+// It should define a new type that behaves like RelayMsg, except that it only
+// tries to parse a message if the command is RELAY_CMD_DATA or RELAY_CMD_END.
+//
+// It would be neat if there were as little redundancy in the format as
+// possible, and we didn't have to say "Data(Data) DATA" (meaning that the Data
+// variant uses a Data object and should be used if the relay command is DATA).
+//
+// We'll need to define how the new type behaves on other commands.  In some
+// cases, it should put them in a variant `Other`.  In most cases, it should
+// just give an error.
+//
+// It might be neat if this could define restricted sets of ChanMsg too.  If so,
+// we should move it.
+//
+// When only one relay message is valid, it might be neat to have a simpler way
+// to parse that message specifically and reject everything else.