diff --git a/crossfire/comms.rkt b/crossfire/comms.rkt
index a716883..8098509 100644
--- a/crossfire/comms.rkt
+++ b/crossfire/comms.rkt
@@ -110,6 +110,8 @@
                [_ (error "invalid msg data from peer" (node-id peer-data))])])]
         [_ (error "invalid data recieved from peer" (node-id peer-data))]))
 
+    (define run-queue #t)
+
     ;; handles a thread queue message to tcp out
     (define (handle-out-msg)
       (match (thread-receive)
@@ -121,28 +123,21 @@
          (define-values [ct mac] (crypto-lock session-key nonce fasl))
          (s-exp->fasl (locked ct nonce mac) out)
          (flush-output out)]
+        ['stop (set! run-queue #f)]
         [x (error "invalid thread msg" x)]))
 
-    ;; cleanup helper -- wipe the session key and deregister ourselves from the main loop
-    (define (cleanup)
-      (crypto-wipe session-key)
-      (thread-sendrecv el-thread 'deregister-channel (node-id peer-data))
-      (void))
-
     ;; handle mailbox <-> tcp
-    (with-handlers ([exn? (lambda (ex) (cleanup) (raise ex))])
-      (let loop ()
-        (match (sync (thread-receive-evt) in)
-          [(? input-port?) (handle-in-msg)]
-          [_ (handle-out-msg)])
-        (loop))
-      (cleanup)))
+    (let loop ()
+      (match (sync (thread-receive-evt) in)
+        [(? input-port?) (handle-in-msg)]
+        [_ (handle-out-msg)])
+      (when run-queue (loop))))
 
   ;; synchronously performs ports-proc to retrieve a new set of tcp ports, and a handshake
   ;; then starts a peer thread and a peer thread cleanup monitor
   ;; this cannot be run synchronously on the main loop because it does a thread-sendrecv
   (define (make-peer-thread el-thread ports-proc [cust (make-custodian)])
-    (define-values [new-thd peer-data]
+    (define-values [new-thd peer-data session-key]
       (parameterize ([current-custodian cust])
         (define-values [in out] (ports-proc))
 
@@ -155,19 +150,19 @@
               (engine-result eng)
               (begin (engine-kill eng) (error "handshake timeout")))))
 
-        (displayln "handshake complete")
-        (displayln (format "negotiated ~s" session-key))
-
         (values
           (thread (lambda () (peer-thread el-thread peer-data session-key in out)))
-          peer-data)))
+          peer-data
+          session-key)))
 
     (thread-sendrecv el-thread 'register-channel (cons (node-id peer-data) new-thd))
 
     ;; monitor thread -- shuts down the custodian once the peer thread is done
     (thread (lambda ()
               (thread-wait new-thd)
-              (custodian-shutdown-all cust)))
+              (custodian-shutdown-all cust)
+              (thread-sendrecv el-thread 'deregister-channel (node-id peer-data))
+              (crypto-wipe session-key)))
     new-thd)
 
   ;; this thread
@@ -182,13 +177,16 @@
   (hash-set! node-registry (node-id my-node) my-node)
 
   ;; tcp listener, if this is a server
+  (define listener #f)
   (define listener-thd #f)
 
+  (define run-comms #t)
+
   ;; starts the tcp listener
   (define (handle-listen from port)
     (with-handlers ([exn? (lambda (ex) (thread-send from ex #f))])
       (when (false? listener-thd)
-        (define listener (tcp-listen port 4 #t))
+        (set! listener (tcp-listen port 4 #t))
         (set! listener-thd
           (thread
             (lambda ()
@@ -222,7 +220,9 @@
       ;; active, and can be destroyed with destroy-channel
       ;; this call is guaranteed to return within max(HANDSHAKE-TIMEOUT, system tcp connect timeout)
       ['connect (handle-connect from data)]
-      ['channel-available? (thread-send from (hash-has-key? peer-registry data) #f)]
+      ['channel-available?
+       (thread-send
+         from (or (= data (node-id my-node)) (hash-has-key? peer-registry data) #f))]
       ['get-node-info (thread-send from (hash-ref node-registry data #f) #f)]
       ['set-node-info (hash-set! node-registry (node-id data) data) (thread-send from (void) #f)]
       ['register-channel
@@ -237,7 +237,10 @@
       ['destroy-channel
        (match (hash-ref peer-registry data #f)
          [#f (void)]
-         [thd (kill-thread thd) (hash-remove! peer-registry data)])
+         [thd (thread-send thd 'stop #f)
+              (sync/timeout 5 thd)
+              (kill-thread thd)
+              (hash-remove! peer-registry data)])
        (thread-send from (void) #f)]
       ;; if this call forwards an exn:fail, it means the queue thread for this peer is dead, so you
       ;; need to either wait for the peer to reconnect if this is a server, or initiate a new
@@ -253,7 +256,7 @@
       ;; transferred, in which case you wouldn't be notified that it failed
       ['dispatch-msg
        (match-define (cons peer-id msg) data)
-       (if (equal? peer-id (node-id my-node))
+       (if (= peer-id (node-id my-node))
          (async-channel-put local-msg-channel msg)
          (match (hash-ref peer-registry peer-id #f)
            [#f (thread-send from (make-error "no such peer connection") #f)]
@@ -265,13 +268,61 @@
       ;; retrieves an async channel with the local received message queue
       ;; this can be used to fetch new messages without further interacting with the comms thread
       ['local-channel (thread-send from local-msg-channel #f)]
+      ['shutdown
+       (for ([(_ thd) (in-hash peer-registry)])
+         (thread-send thd 'stop #f)
+         (sync/timeout 5 thd)
+         (kill-thread thd))
+       (when listener-thd
+         (kill-thread listener-thd)
+         (tcp-close listener))
+       (set! run-comms #f)
+       (thread-send from (void) #f)]
       [_ (thread-send from (make-error "unknown thread message type") #f)])
-    (loop)))
+    (when run-comms
+      (loop))))
 
 ;; creates the comms thread
 (define (make-comms my-node)
   (thread (lambda () (comms-event-loop my-node))))
 
+(define (comms-listen comms port)
+  (thread-sendrecv comms 'listen port))
+
+(define (comms-connect comms id)
+  (thread-sendrecv comms 'connect id))
+
+(define (comms-set-node-info comms info)
+  (thread-sendrecv comms 'set-node-info info))
+
+(define (comms-get-node-info comms id)
+  (thread-sendrecv comms 'get-node-info id))
+
+(define (comms-local-channel comms)
+  (thread-sendrecv comms 'local-channel (void)))
+
+(define (comms-dispatch-msg comms to-id msg)
+  (thread-sendrecv comms 'dispatch-msg (cons to-id msg)))
+
+(define (comms-channel-available? comms ch-id)
+  (thread-sendrecv comms 'channel-available? ch-id))
+
+(define (comms-shutdown comms)
+  (thread-sendrecv comms 'shutdown (void)))
+
+
+(define (comms-dispatch-msg/retry comms to-id msg [tries 3] [retry-delay 2])
+  (define (do-retry ex)
+    (when (<= tries 0)
+      (raise ex))
+    (sleep retry-delay)
+    (comms-dispatch-msg/retry comms to-id msg (sub1 tries) retry-delay))
+  (with-handlers ([exn? do-retry])
+    (unless (comms-channel-available? comms to-id)
+      (comms-connect comms to-id))
+    (comms-dispatch-msg comms to-id msg)))
+
+
 ;; demo code
 (define server-sk #"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa")
 (define server-pk (crypto-sign-public-key server-sk))
@@ -288,17 +339,14 @@
 (match mode
   ["server"
    (define comms (make-comms server-node))
-   (thread-sendrecv comms 'set-node-info client-node)
-   (thread-sendrecv comms 'listen 1337)
+   (comms-set-node-info comms client-node)
+   (comms-listen comms 1337)
    (displayln "awaiting messages")
-   (displayln (async-channel-get (thread-sendrecv comms 'local-channel (void))))]
+   (displayln (async-channel-get (comms-local-channel comms)))
+   (comms-shutdown comms)]
   ["client"
    (define comms (make-comms client-node))
-   (thread-sendrecv comms 'set-node-info server-node)
-   (displayln "connecting")
-   (with-handlers ([exn? (lambda (ex) (displayln "failed!!!") (displayln ex))])
-     (thread-sendrecv comms 'connect 0))
-   (displayln "connected")
-   (thread-sendrecv comms 'dispatch-msg (cons 0 (msg:meow 1 "hello world")))])
-
-(sleep 9999)
+   (comms-set-node-info comms server-node)
+   (displayln "sending")
+   (comms-dispatch-msg/retry comms 0 (msg:meow 1 "hello world"))
+   (comms-shutdown comms)])
diff --git a/crossfire/main.rkt b/crossfire/main.rkt
index 739e74b..c500d49 100644
--- a/crossfire/main.rkt
+++ b/crossfire/main.rkt
@@ -42,8 +42,6 @@
 (define (parse-manifest manifest-def)
   (struct manifest [name mode command isets pattern] #:transparent)
 
-  (define (eq/m x) (curry equal? x))
-
   (define-syntax (check-false stx)
     (syntax-case stx ()
       [(_ what)
@@ -56,14 +54,14 @@
     (for/fold ([mf (manifest #f 'stdin #f builtin-isets #f)])
               ([line (in-list manifest-def)])
       (match line
-        [(list (? (eq/m 'name)) name) (struct-copy manifest mf [name name])]
-        [(list (? (eq/m 'mode)) mode) (struct-copy manifest mf [mode mode])]
-        [(list (? (eq/m 'command)) command) (struct-copy manifest mf [command command])]
-        [(list (? (eq/m 'iset)) name val)
+        [(list 'name name) (struct-copy manifest mf [name name])]
+        [(list 'mode mode) (struct-copy manifest mf [mode mode])]
+        [(list 'command command) (struct-copy manifest mf [command command])]
+        [(list 'iset name val)
          (struct-copy manifest mf
                       [isets (hash-set (manifest-isets mf)
                                          (symbol->string name) (string->iset val))])]
-        [(list (? (eq/m 'pattern)) pattern) (struct-copy manifest mf [pattern pattern])])))
+        [(list 'pattern pattern) (struct-copy manifest mf [pattern pattern])])))
 
   (check-false name)
   (check-false command)