A delegate wireless terminal can receive and store messages sent to it by a receiving network node. The wireless terminal can identify a message label based on a mapping for the received message. A transmitting network node can transmit a message label to a receiving network node across a backhaul link. The receiving network node can transmit a message label to the wireless terminal. The wireless terminal can identify a stored message that corresponds to the received message label, and send the corresponding message to the receiving network node. The receiving network node can then transmit the message to its intended destination.