diff --git a/cores/esp32/Esp.cpp b/cores/esp32/Esp.cpp
index e125df9a..b44b85c9 100644
--- a/cores/esp32/Esp.cpp
+++ b/cores/esp32/Esp.cpp
@@ -336,6 +336,20 @@ bool EspClass::flashRead(uint32_t offset, uint32_t *data, size_t size)
     return spi_flash_read(offset, (uint32_t*) data, size) == ESP_OK;
 }
 
+bool EspClass::partitionEraseRange(const esp_partition_t *partition, uint32_t offset, size_t size) 
+{
+    return esp_partition_erase_range(partition, offset, size) == ESP_OK;
+}
+
+bool EspClass::partitionWrite(const esp_partition_t *partition, uint32_t offset, uint32_t *data, size_t size) 
+{
+    return esp_partition_write(partition, offset, data, size) == ESP_OK;
+}
+
+bool EspClass::partitionRead(const esp_partition_t *partition, uint32_t offset, uint32_t *data, size_t size) 
+{
+    return esp_partition_read(partition, offset, data, size) == ESP_OK;
+}
 
 uint64_t EspClass::getEfuseMac(void)
 {
diff --git a/cores/esp32/Esp.h b/cores/esp32/Esp.h
index e0b27e99..76baadd7 100644
--- a/cores/esp32/Esp.h
+++ b/cores/esp32/Esp.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #define ESP_H
 
 #include <Arduino.h>
+#include <esp_partition.h>
 
 /**
  * AVR macros for WDT managment
@@ -99,6 +100,10 @@ public:
     bool flashWrite(uint32_t offset, uint32_t *data, size_t size);
     bool flashRead(uint32_t offset, uint32_t *data, size_t size);
 
+    bool partitionEraseRange(const esp_partition_t *partition, uint32_t offset, size_t size);
+    bool partitionWrite(const esp_partition_t *partition, uint32_t offset, uint32_t *data, size_t size);
+    bool partitionRead(const esp_partition_t *partition, uint32_t offset, uint32_t *data, size_t size);
+
     uint64_t getEfuseMac();
 
 };
diff --git a/libraries/Update/src/Update.h b/libraries/Update/src/Update.h
index a361c3ea..99d6a8f7 100644
--- a/libraries/Update/src/Update.h
+++ b/libraries/Update/src/Update.h
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
 #define U_SPIFFS  100
 #define U_AUTH    200
 
+#define ENCRYPTED_BLOCK_SIZE 16
+
 class UpdateClass {
   public:
     typedef std::function<void(size_t, size_t)> THandlerFunction_Progress;
@@ -163,10 +165,12 @@ class UpdateClass {
     bool _writeBuffer();
     bool _verifyHeader(uint8_t data);
     bool _verifyEnd();
+    bool _enablePartition(const esp_partition_t* partition);
 
 
     uint8_t _error;
     uint8_t *_buffer;
+    uint8_t *_skipBuffer;
     size_t _bufferLen;
     size_t _size;
     THandlerFunction_Progress _progress_callback;
diff --git a/libraries/Update/src/Updater.cpp b/libraries/Update/src/Updater.cpp
index 6174a2d0..55671800 100644
--- a/libraries/Update/src/Updater.cpp
+++ b/libraries/Update/src/Updater.cpp
@@ -36,11 +36,11 @@ static const char * _err2str(uint8_t _error){
 }
 
 static bool _partitionIsBootable(const esp_partition_t* partition){
-    uint8_t buf[4];
+    uint8_t buf[ENCRYPTED_BLOCK_SIZE];
     if(!partition){
         return false;
     }
-    if(!ESP.flashRead(partition->address, (uint32_t*)buf, 4)) {
+    if(!ESP.partitionRead(partition, 0, (uint32_t*)buf, ENCRYPTED_BLOCK_SIZE)) {
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -50,17 +50,11 @@ static bool _partitionIsBootable(const esp_partition_t* partition){
     return true;
 }
 
-static bool _enablePartition(const esp_partition_t* partition){
-    uint8_t buf[4];
+bool UpdateClass::_enablePartition(const esp_partition_t* partition){
     if(!partition){
         return false;
     }
-    if(!ESP.flashRead(partition->address, (uint32_t*)buf, 4)) {
-        return false;
-    }
-    buf[0] = ESP_IMAGE_HEADER_MAGIC;
-
-    return ESP.flashWrite(partition->address, (uint32_t*)buf, 4);
+    return ESP.partitionWrite(partition, 0, (uint32_t*) _skipBuffer, ENCRYPTED_BLOCK_SIZE);
 }
 
 UpdateClass::UpdateClass()
@@ -179,24 +173,33 @@ void UpdateClass::abort(){
 
 bool UpdateClass::_writeBuffer(){
     //first bytes of new firmware
+    uint8_t skip = 0;
     if(!_progress && _command == U_FLASH){
         //check magic
         if(_buffer[0] != ESP_IMAGE_HEADER_MAGIC){
             _abort(UPDATE_ERROR_MAGIC_BYTE);
             return false;
         }
-        //remove magic byte from the firmware now and write it upon success
-        //this ensures that partially written firmware will not be bootable
-        _buffer[0] = 0xFF;
+
+        //Stash the first 16 bytes of data and set the offset so they are
+        //not written at this point so that partially written firmware
+        //will not be bootable
+        skip = ENCRYPTED_BLOCK_SIZE;
+        _skipBuffer = (uint8_t*)malloc(skip);
+        if(!_skipBuffer){
+            log_e("malloc failed");
+        return false;
+        }
+        memcpy(_skipBuffer, _buffer, skip);
     }
     if (!_progress && _progress_callback) {
         _progress_callback(0, _size);
     }
-    if(!ESP.flashEraseSector((_partition->address + _progress)/SPI_FLASH_SEC_SIZE)){
+    if(!ESP.partitionEraseRange(_partition, _progress, SPI_FLASH_SEC_SIZE)){
         _abort(UPDATE_ERROR_ERASE);
         return false;
     }
-    if (!ESP.flashWrite(_partition->address + _progress, (uint32_t*)_buffer, _bufferLen)) {
+    if (!ESP.partitionWrite(_partition, _progress + skip, (uint32_t*)_buffer + skip/sizeof(uint32_t), _bufferLen - skip)) {
         _abort(UPDATE_ERROR_WRITE);
         return false;
     }