diff --git a/echo_server.py b/echo_server.py
index faef8c6..b5c339c 100644
--- a/echo_server.py
+++ b/echo_server.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from pipe_io_server import PipeIOServer
 
 
 class EchoPipeIOServer(PipeIOServer):
-    def _handle_message(self, message):
+    def handle_message(self, message):
         self.send(message)
 
 
diff --git a/pipe_io_server/pipe_io_server.py b/pipe_io_server/pipe_io_server.py
index 5568f49..f220513 100644
--- a/pipe_io_server/pipe_io_server.py
+++ b/pipe_io_server/pipe_io_server.py
@@ -39,14 +39,14 @@ class PipeIOServer(ABC):
 
     def _init_io_threads(self):
         io_threads_dict = {
-            'reader': PipeReaderThread(self.in_pipe, self._handle_message),
+            'reader': PipeReaderThread(self.in_pipe, self.handle_message),
             'writer': PipeWriterThread(self.out_pipe)
         }
         IOThreadsTuple = namedtuple('IOThreadsTuple', sorted(io_threads_dict.keys()))
         self._io_threads = IOThreadsTuple(**io_threads_dict)
 
     @abstractmethod
-    def _handle_message(self, message):
+    def handle_message(self, message):
         raise NotImplementedError()
 
     def send(self, message):