diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/CivilEngineering.kt b/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/CivilEngineering.kt
index aa5ebec..b4cff88 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/CivilEngineering.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/CivilEngineering.kt
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import civilengineering.eventhandlers.ChatMessageHandler
 import civilengineering.eventhandlers.DeathEventHandler
 import civilengineering.eventhandlers.UserActionHandler
 import net.minecraftforge.common.MinecraftForge
-import net.minecraftforge.common.config.Configuration
 import net.minecraftforge.fml.common.Mod
 import net.minecraftforge.fml.common.event.*
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.Level
@@ -15,7 +14,6 @@ import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.message.SimpleMessageFactory
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.simple.SimpleLogger
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.util.PropertiesUtil
-import java.io.File
 import java.util.*
 
 const val MODID = "civilengineering"
@@ -31,8 +29,6 @@ const val VERSION = "0.0.1"
         modLanguageAdapter = "net.shadowfacts.forgelin.KotlinAdapter"
 )
 object CivilEngineering {
-    var config: Configuration = Configuration()
-
     //create fake logger to get around Nullability
     var logger: Logger = SimpleLogger("",
             Level.OFF,
@@ -50,10 +46,7 @@ object CivilEngineering {
         logger = event.modLog
         logger.info("loading logger")
 
-        CivilEngineering.logger.info("Reading bridge blueprints...")
-        val directory = event.modConfigurationDirectory
-        config = Configuration(File(directory.path, "CivilEngineering.cfg"))
-        Config.readConfig()
+        CivilEngineeringConfig(event.modConfigurationDirectory)
     }
 
     @Mod.EventHandler
@@ -63,9 +56,6 @@ object CivilEngineering {
 
     @Mod.EventHandler
     fun postInit(event: FMLPostInitializationEvent) {
-        if (config.hasChanged()) {
-            config.save()
-        }
 //        MinecraftForge.EVENT_BUS.register(ServerChatHelper::class.java)
 
     }
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/CivilEngineeringConfig.kt b/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/CivilEngineeringConfig.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4d4f4d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/CivilEngineeringConfig.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+package civilengineering
+
+import net.minecraftforge.common.config.Configuration
+import java.io.File
+
+var cfg: CivilEngineeringConfig? = null
+
+class CivilEngineeringConfig(file: File) {
+    private val CATEGORY_RELAY_OPTIONS = "relay"
+    private val CATEGORY_CONNECTION = "connection"
+
+    val relay: RelayOptions
+    val connect: ConnectOptions
+
+    data class RelayOptions(
+            val deathEvents: Boolean,
+            val advancements: Boolean,
+            val joinLeave: Boolean
+    )
+
+    data class ConnectOptions(
+            val url: String,
+            val authToken: String,
+            val gateway: String
+    )
+
+    init {
+        CivilEngineering.logger.info("Reading bridge blueprints...")
+        val config = Configuration(file.resolve("CivilEngineering.cfg"))
+
+        config.addCustomCategoryComment(CATEGORY_RELAY_OPTIONS, "Relay options")
+        config.addCustomCategoryComment(CATEGORY_CONNECTION, "Connection settings")
+
+        relay = RelayOptions(
+                deathEvents = config.getBoolean(
+                        "deathEvents",
+                        CATEGORY_RELAY_OPTIONS,
+                        false,
+                        "Relay player death messages"
+                ),
+                advancements = config.getBoolean(
+                        "advancements",
+                        CATEGORY_RELAY_OPTIONS,
+                        false,
+                        "Relay player advancements [NOT IMPLEMENTED]"
+                ),
+                joinLeave = config.getBoolean(
+                        "joinLeave",
+                        CATEGORY_RELAY_OPTIONS,
+                        false,
+                        "Relay when a player joins or leaves the game [NOT IMPLEMENTED]"
+                )
+        )
+
+        connect = ConnectOptions(
+                url = config.getString(
+                        "connectURL",
+                        CATEGORY_CONNECTION,
+                        "http://example.com:1234",
+                        "The URL or IP address of the bridge server"
+                ),
+                authToken = config.getString(
+                        "authToken",
+                        CATEGORY_CONNECTION,
+                        "",
+                        "Auth token used to connect to the bridge server"
+                ),
+                gateway = config.getString(
+                        "gateway",
+                        CATEGORY_CONNECTION,
+                        "minecraft",
+                        "MatterBridge gateway"
+                )
+        )
+
+        if (config.hasChanged()) config.save()
+
+        cfg = this
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/Config.kt b/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/Config.kt
deleted file mode 100644
index 4a29f1f..0000000
--- a/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/Config.kt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,76 +0,0 @@
-package civilengineering
-
-import net.minecraftforge.common.config.Configuration
-import org.apache.logging.log4j.Level
-
-object Config {
-    private val CATEGORY_RELAY_OPTIONS = "relay_options"
-    private val CATEGORY_CONNECTION = "connection"
-
-    var relayDeathEvents = false
-    var relayAdvancements = false //unused for now
-    var relayJoinLeave = false
-
-    var connectURL = "http://localhost"
-    var authToken = ""
-    var gateway = ""
-
-    fun readConfig() {
-
-        val config = CivilEngineering.config
-        try {
-            config.load()
-            initConfig(config)
-        } catch (e: Exception) {
-            CivilEngineering.logger!!.log(Level.ERROR, "Could not read config file!", e)
-        } finally {
-            if (config.hasChanged()) {
-                config.save()
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    private fun initConfig(cfg: Configuration) {
-        cfg.addCustomCategoryComment(CATEGORY_RELAY_OPTIONS, "Relay options")
-        cfg.addCustomCategoryComment(CATEGORY_CONNECTION, "Connection settings")
-        relayDeathEvents = cfg.getBoolean(
-                "relayDeathEvents",
-                CATEGORY_RELAY_OPTIONS,
-                false,
-                "Relay player death messages"
-        )
-        relayAdvancements = cfg.getBoolean(
-                "relayAdvancements",
-                CATEGORY_RELAY_OPTIONS,
-                false,
-                "Relay player advancements [NOT IMPLEMENTED]"
-        )
-        relayJoinLeave = cfg.getBoolean(
-                "relayJoinLeave",
-                CATEGORY_RELAY_OPTIONS,
-                false,
-                "Relay when a player joins or leaves the game [NOT IMPLEMENTED]"
-        )
-
-        connectURL = cfg.getString(
-                "connectURL",
-                CATEGORY_CONNECTION,
-                "http://example.com:1234",
-                "The URL or IP address of the bridge server, ex. http://example.com:1234"
-        )
-        authToken = cfg.getString(
-                "auth_token",
-                CATEGORY_CONNECTION,
-                "",
-                "Auth token used to connect to the bridge server"
-        )
-        gateway = cfg.getString(
-                "gateway",
-                CATEGORY_CONNECTION,
-                "",
-                "MatterBridge gateway"
-        )
-
-    }
-
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/bridge/ApiMessage.kt b/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/bridge/ApiMessage.kt
index a67129f..c2f5cd8 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/bridge/ApiMessage.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/bridge/ApiMessage.kt
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 package civilengineering.bridge
 
-import civilengineering.Config
+import civilengineering.cfg
 import com.google.gson.Gson
 
 data class ApiMessage(
         val username: String = "",
         val text: String = "",
-        val gateway: String = Config.gateway,
+        val gateway: String = cfg!!.connect.gateway,
         val channel: String = "",
         val userid: String = "",
         val avatar: String = "",
@@ -17,10 +17,6 @@ data class ApiMessage(
         val id: String = ""
 //        val Extra: Any? = null
 ) {
-    fun encode(): String {
-        return gson.toJson(this)
-    }
-
     companion object {
         val gson = Gson()
 
@@ -28,4 +24,8 @@ data class ApiMessage(
             return gson.fromJson(json, ApiMessage::class.java)
         }
     }
+
+    fun encode(): String {
+        return gson.toJson(this)
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/bridge/CancellableConnectionFollowThread.kt b/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/bridge/CancellableConnectionFollowThread.kt
deleted file mode 100644
index a18c7a8..0000000
--- a/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/bridge/CancellableConnectionFollowThread.kt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,52 +0,0 @@
-package civilengineering.bridge
-
-import java.io.InputStreamReader
-import java.net.HttpURLConnection
-
-/**
- * Created by nikky on 20/01/18.
- * @author Nikky
- * @version 1.0
- */
-
-class CancellableConnectionFollowThread(httpConnClosure: () -> HttpURLConnection, private val mhandler: (String) -> Unit) : Thread() {
-    private val cancelGuard = Object()
-    private var waitingOnNetwork = true
-    var cancelled = false
-        private set
-    private val httpConn = httpConnClosure()
-
-    override fun run() {
-        try {
-            httpConn.allowUserInteraction = false
-            httpConn.instanceFollowRedirects = true
-            httpConn.requestMethod = "GET"
-
-            InputStreamReader(httpConn.inputStream).useLines {
-                it.forEach {
-                    synchronized(cancelGuard) {
-                        if (cancelled) return
-                        waitingOnNetwork = false
-                    }
-                    mhandler(it)
-                    synchronized(cancelGuard) {
-                        if (cancelled) return
-                        waitingOnNetwork = true
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-        } catch (e: Exception) {
-        } finally {
-            httpConn.disconnect()
-        }
-    }
-
-    fun abort() {
-        synchronized(cancelGuard) {
-            httpConn.disconnect()
-            cancelled = true
-            if (waitingOnNetwork) stop()
-        }
-        join()
-    }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/bridge/HttpStreamConnection.kt b/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/bridge/HttpStreamConnection.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..35ed1f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/bridge/HttpStreamConnection.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+package civilengineering.bridge;
+
+import civilengineering.CivilEngineering
+import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpGet
+import org.apache.http.impl.client.HttpClients
+import java.io.InputStream
+import java.net.SocketException
+
+val BUFFER_SIZE = 1000
+
+class HttpStreamConnection(private val getClosure: () -> HttpGet, private val mhandler: (String) -> Unit) : Thread() {
+    private val client = HttpClients.createDefault()
+    private var stream: InputStream? = null
+
+    val get = getClosure()
+    var cancelled: Boolean = false
+        private set
+
+
+    override fun run() {
+        val response = client.execute(get)
+        val content = response.entity.content.buffered()
+        stream = content
+        //val reader = content.bufferedReader()
+        var buffer = ""
+        val buf = ByteArray(BUFFER_SIZE)
+        try {
+            while (!get.isAborted) {
+                val chars = content.read(buf)
+                CivilEngineering.logger.debug("incoming: $chars ")
+                if (chars > 0) {
+                    buffer += String(buf.dropLast(buf.count() - chars).toByteArray())
+
+                    CivilEngineering.logger.info(buffer)
+
+                    while (buffer.contains("\n")) {
+                        val line = buffer.substringBefore("\n")
+                        buffer = buffer.substringAfter("\n")
+                        mhandler(line)
+                    }
+                } else if (chars < 0) {
+                    break
+                }
+            }
+        } catch (e: SocketException) {
+
+        }
+        CivilEngineering.logger.info("closing stream")
+        content.close()
+        CivilEngineering.logger.info("thread finished")
+        return
+    }
+
+    fun close() {
+        cancelled = true
+        get.abort()
+        join()
+        println("killed thread")
+
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/bridge/MessageHandler.kt b/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/bridge/MessageHandler.kt
index 5b2c848..91342b2 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/bridge/MessageHandler.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/bridge/MessageHandler.kt
@@ -1,24 +1,31 @@
 package civilengineering.bridge
 
 import civilengineering.CivilEngineering
-import civilengineering.Config
-import java.io.DataOutputStream
+import civilengineering.cfg
+import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpGet
+import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpPost
+import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpRequestBase
+import org.apache.http.entity.ContentType
+import org.apache.http.entity.StringEntity
+import org.apache.http.impl.client.HttpClients
 import java.io.IOException
-import java.net.HttpURLConnection
-import java.net.URL
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentLinkedQueue
 
+
 object MessageHandler {
 
-    private fun createThread(): CancellableConnectionFollowThread {
+    fun HttpRequestBase.authorize() {
+        if (cfg!!.connect.authToken.isNotEmpty() && getHeaders("Authorization").isEmpty())
+            setHeader("Authorization", "Bearer " + cfg!!.connect.authToken)
+    }
+
+    private fun createThread(): HttpStreamConnection {
         CivilEngineering.logger.info("building bridge")
-        return CancellableConnectionFollowThread(
+        return HttpStreamConnection(
                 {
-                    CivilEngineering.logger.info("Connecting to bridge server @ " + Config.connectURL)
-                    val httpConn = URL(Config.connectURL + "/api/stream").openConnection() as HttpURLConnection
-                    if (Config.authToken.isNotBlank())
-                        httpConn.setRequestProperty("Authorization", "Bearer ${Config.authToken}")
-                    httpConn
+                    HttpGet(cfg!!.connect.url + "/api/stream").apply {
+                        authorize()
+                    }
                 },
                 {
                     rcvQueue.add(
@@ -29,9 +36,7 @@ object MessageHandler {
         )
     }
 
-    private var cancellableThread: CancellableConnectionFollowThread = createThread()
-
-    private var xmitQueue = ConcurrentLinkedQueue<ApiMessage>()
+    private var streamConnection: HttpStreamConnection = createThread()
 
     var rcvQueue = ConcurrentLinkedQueue<ApiMessage>()
 
@@ -43,16 +48,17 @@ object MessageHandler {
     fun stop() {
         CivilEngineering.logger.info("bridge closing")
 //        MessageHandler.transmit(ApiMessage(text="bridge closing", username="Server"))
-        cancellableThread.abort()
+        streamConnection.close()
+
         CivilEngineering.logger.info("bridge closed")
     }
 
     fun start(): Boolean {
-        if (cancellableThread.cancelled) {
-            cancellableThread = createThread()
+        if (streamConnection.cancelled) {
+            streamConnection = createThread()
         }
-        if (!cancellableThread.isAlive) {
-            cancellableThread.start()
+        if (!streamConnection.isAlive) {
+            streamConnection.start()
 //            MessageHandler.transmit(ApiMessage(text="bridge connected", username="Server"))
             return true
         }
@@ -62,31 +68,16 @@ object MessageHandler {
     @Throws(IOException::class)
     private fun transmitMessage(message: ApiMessage) {
         //open a connection
-        val url = URL(Config.connectURL + "/api/message")
-        val urlConnection = url.openConnection()
-        val connection = urlConnection as HttpURLConnection
+        val client = HttpClients.createDefault()
+        val post = HttpPost(cfg!!.connect.url + "/api/message")
 
-        //configure the connection
-        connection.allowUserInteraction = false
-        connection.instanceFollowRedirects = true
-        connection.setRequestProperty("Content-Type", "application/json")
-        connection.requestMethod = "POST"
-        if (Config.authToken.isNotEmpty()) {
-            connection.setRequestProperty("Authorization", "Bearer " + Config.authToken)
-        }
+        post.entity = StringEntity(message.encode(), ContentType.APPLICATION_JSON)
+        post.authorize()
 
-        //encode the ApiMessage for sending
-        val json = message.encode()
-
-        //send the message
-        connection.doOutput = true
-        val post = DataOutputStream(connection.outputStream)
-        post.writeBytes(json)
-        post.flush()
-        post.close()
-
-        if (connection.responseCode != 200) {
-            CivilEngineering.logger.error("Server returned " + connection.responseCode)
+        val response = client.execute(post)
+        val code = response.statusLine.statusCode
+        if (code != 200) {
+            CivilEngineering.logger.error("Server returned $code for $post")
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/eventhandlers/DeathEventHandler.kt b/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/eventhandlers/DeathEventHandler.kt
index 387a01b..9e52d03 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/eventhandlers/DeathEventHandler.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/civilengineering/eventhandlers/DeathEventHandler.kt
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 package civilengineering.eventhandlers
 
-import civilengineering.Config
 import civilengineering.bridge.ApiMessage
 import civilengineering.bridge.MessageHandler
+import civilengineering.cfg
 import net.minecraft.entity.player.EntityPlayer
 import net.minecraftforge.event.entity.living.LivingDeathEvent
 import net.minecraftforge.fml.common.eventhandler.SubscribeEvent
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import net.minecraftforge.fml.common.eventhandler.SubscribeEvent
 class DeathEventHandler {
     @SubscribeEvent
     fun handleLivingDeathEvent(event: LivingDeathEvent) {
-        if (Config.relayDeathEvents) {
+        if (cfg!!.relay.deathEvents) {
             val entity = event.entityLiving
             if (entity is EntityPlayer) {
                 val message = entity.getCombatTracker().deathMessage.unformattedText