diff --git a/c8_arduino/src/checkm8_arduino.ino b/c8_arduino/src/checkm8_arduino.ino
index 5997d27..86b602c 100644
--- a/c8_arduino/src/checkm8_arduino.ino
+++ b/c8_arduino/src/checkm8_arduino.ino
@@ -236,8 +236,8 @@ void loop()
                         if(usb_args.data_len - chunk_i > ARD_BUF_SIZE) chunk_size = ARD_BUF_SIZE;
                         else chunk_size = usb_args.data_len - chunk_i;
 
+                        Serial.write(chunk_size);
                         recv_serial(usb_data_buf, chunk_size);
-                        Serial.write(PROT_ACK);
 
                         i = 0;
                         while(i < chunk_size)
diff --git a/c8_remote/include/payload.h b/c8_remote/include/payload.h
index e5d0321..1021e6c 100644
--- a/c8_remote/include/payload.h
+++ b/c8_remote/include/payload.h
@@ -24,9 +24,10 @@ typedef enum
 
 int install_payload(struct pwned_device *dev, PAYLOAD_T p, LOCATION_T loc);
 int uninstall_payload(struct pwned_device *dev, PAYLOAD_T p);
+struct dev_cmd_resp *execute_payload(struct pwned_device *dev, PAYLOAD_T p, int response_len, int nargs, ...);
 
-struct dev_cmd_resp *execute_payload(struct pwned_device *dev, PAYLOAD_T p, int nargs, ...);
-struct dev_cmd_resp *read_payload(struct pwned_device *dev, long long addr, int len);
-struct dev_cmd_resp *write_payload(struct pwned_device *dev, long long addr, unsigned char *data, int len);
+struct dev_cmd_resp *read_gadget(struct pwned_device *dev, long long addr, int len);
+struct dev_cmd_resp *write_gadget(struct pwned_device *dev, long long addr, unsigned char *data, int len);
+struct dev_cmd_resp *execute_gadget(struct pwned_device *dev, long long addr, int response_len, int nargs, ...);
 
 #endif //CHECKM8_TOOL_PAYLOAD_H
diff --git a/c8_remote/main.c b/c8_remote/main.c
index 80005ae..87b94f6 100644
--- a/c8_remote/main.c
+++ b/c8_remote/main.c
@@ -1,11 +1,17 @@
 #include "checkm8.h"
-#include "payload.h"
 
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+#include "usb_helpers.h"
+#include "command.h"
+#include "payload.h"
+
+#ifdef CHECKM8_LOGGING
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <execinfo.h>
-#include <usb_helpers.h>
-#include "command.h"
+#endif
 
 void checkm8_debug_indent(const char *format, ...)
 {
@@ -47,7 +53,63 @@ int main()
         return -1;
     }
 
+    unsigned long long data0 = 0xdeadbeefdeadbeef;
+    unsigned long long data1 = 0xdeadbeefdeadbeef;
 
-    free_dev_cmd_resp(resp);
+    ret = open_device_session(dev);
+    if(IS_CHECKM8_FAIL(ret))
+    {
+        printf("failed to open device session\n");
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    for(int i = 0; i < 100000; i++)
+    {
+        printf("encrypting ");
+        for(int j = 0; j < 8; j++)
+        {
+            printf("%02X", ((unsigned char *) &data0)[j]);
+        }
+
+        for(int j = 0; j < 8; j++)
+        {
+            printf("%02X", ((unsigned char *) &data1)[j]);
+        }
+
+        printf("\n");
+        resp = execute_gadget(dev,
+                              0x100000f0c, 16, 9,
+                              16, // action (AES_ENCRYPT)
+                              0x1800b0048, 0x1800b0010, // dest and src addresses
+                              16, // data size
+                              0x20000201, // AES_UID_KEY
+                              0, 0, // no
+                              data0, data1);
+
+        if(IS_CHECKM8_FAIL(resp->ret))
+        {
+            printf("failed\n");
+            return -1;
+        }
+
+        memcpy(&data0, &resp->data[0], 8);
+        memcpy(&data1, &resp->data[8], 8);
+        free_dev_cmd_resp(resp);
+
+        printf("\t-> ");
+        for(int j = 0; j < 8; j++)
+        {
+            printf("%02X", ((unsigned char *) &data0)[j]);
+        }
+
+        for(int j = 0; j < 8; j++)
+        {
+            printf("%02X", ((unsigned char *) &data1)[j]);
+        }
+        printf("\n");
+        usleep(250000);
+    }
+
+    close_device_session(dev);
     free_device(dev);
 }
diff --git a/c8_remote/src/command.c b/c8_remote/src/command.c
index 00ef58f..2356c81 100644
--- a/c8_remote/src/command.c
+++ b/c8_remote/src/command.c
@@ -46,16 +46,24 @@ struct dev_cmd_resp *command(struct pwned_device *dev,
     checkm8_debug_indent("command(dev = %p, args = %p, arg_len = %i, response_len = %i)\n",
                          dev, args, arg_len, response_len);
 
+    int close, ret;
     struct dev_cmd_resp *cmd_resp = calloc(1, sizeof(struct dev_cmd_resp));
     unsigned char resp_buf[response_len];
 
-    if(!is_device_session_open(dev))
+    if(is_device_session_open(dev)) close = 0;
+    else
     {
-        cmd_resp->ret = CHECKM8_FAIL_NODEV;
-        return cmd_resp;
+        ret = open_device_session(dev);
+        close = 1;
+
+        if(IS_CHECKM8_FAIL(ret))
+        {
+            checkm8_debug_indent("\tfailed to open device session\n");
+            cmd_resp->ret = CHECKM8_FAIL_NODEV;
+            return cmd_resp;
+        }
     }
 
-    int ret;
     ret = dfu_send_data(dev, nullbuf, 16);
     if(IS_CHECKM8_FAIL(ret))
     {
@@ -128,14 +136,16 @@ struct dev_cmd_resp *command(struct pwned_device *dev,
 
     cmd_resp->ret = CHECKM8_SUCCESS;
     memcpy(&cmd_resp->magic, resp_buf, 8);
-    if(response_len - 8 > 0)
+    if(response_len - 16 > 0)
     {
-        checkm8_debug_indent("\tcopying %i bytes of output to response data section\n", response_len - 8);
-        cmd_resp->data = calloc(1, response_len - 8);
-        memcpy(cmd_resp->data, &resp_buf[8], response_len - 8);
+        checkm8_debug_indent("\tcopying %i bytes of output to response data section\n", response_len - 16);
+        cmd_resp->data = calloc(1, response_len - 16);
+        memcpy(cmd_resp->data, &resp_buf[16], response_len - 16);
     }
 
-    cmd_resp->len = response_len - 8;
+    cmd_resp->len = response_len - 16;
+
+    if(close) close_device_session(dev);
     return cmd_resp;
 }
 
diff --git a/c8_remote/src/payload.c b/c8_remote/src/payload.c
index 81401d0..80716ce 100644
--- a/c8_remote/src/payload.c
+++ b/c8_remote/src/payload.c
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ int uninstall_payload(struct pwned_device *dev, PAYLOAD_T p)
     return CHECKM8_SUCCESS;
 }
 
-struct dev_cmd_resp *execute_payload(struct pwned_device *dev, PAYLOAD_T p, int nargs, ...)
+struct dev_cmd_resp *execute_payload(struct pwned_device *dev, PAYLOAD_T p, int response_len, int nargs, ...)
 {
     checkm8_debug_indent("execute_payload(dev = %p, p = %i, nargs = %i, ...)\n", dev, p, nargs);
     int ret, i;
@@ -205,47 +205,39 @@ struct dev_cmd_resp *execute_payload(struct pwned_device *dev, PAYLOAD_T p, int
     }
     va_end(arg_list);
 
-    resp = dev_exec(dev, 16, nargs + 1, args);
+    resp = dev_exec(dev, response_len, nargs + 1, args);
     close_device_session(dev);
     return resp;
 }
 
-struct dev_cmd_resp *read_payload(struct pwned_device *dev, long long addr, int len)
+struct dev_cmd_resp *read_gadget(struct pwned_device *dev, long long addr, int len)
 {
-    checkm8_debug_indent("read_payload(dev = %p, addr = %lx, len = %i)\n", dev, addr, len);
-    int ret;
-    struct dev_cmd_resp *resp;
-
-    ret = open_device_session(dev);
-    if(IS_CHECKM8_FAIL(ret))
-    {
-        checkm8_debug_indent("\tfailed to get device bundle\n");
-        resp = calloc(1, sizeof(struct dev_cmd_resp));
-        resp->ret = ret;
-        return resp;
-    }
-
-    resp = dev_read_memory(dev, addr, len);
-    close_device_session(dev);
-    return resp;
+    checkm8_debug_indent("read_gadget(dev = %p, addr = %lx, len = %i)\n", dev, addr, len);
+    return dev_read_memory(dev, addr, len);
 }
 
-struct dev_cmd_resp *write_payload(struct pwned_device *dev, long long addr, unsigned char *data, int len)
+struct dev_cmd_resp *write_gadget(struct pwned_device *dev, long long addr, unsigned char *data, int len)
 {
-    checkm8_debug_indent("write_payload(dev = %p, addr = %lx, data = %p, len = %i)\n", dev, addr, data, len);
-    int ret;
-    struct dev_cmd_resp *resp;
-
-    ret = open_device_session(dev);
-    if(IS_CHECKM8_FAIL(ret))
-    {
-        checkm8_debug_indent("\tfailed to get device bundle\n");
-        resp = calloc(1, sizeof(struct dev_cmd_resp));
-        resp->ret = ret;
-        return resp;
-    }
-
-    resp = dev_write_memory(dev, addr, data, len);
-    close_device_session(dev);
-    return resp;
+    checkm8_debug_indent("write_gadget(dev = %p, addr = %lx, data = %p, len = %i)\n", dev, addr, data, len);
+    return dev_write_memory(dev, addr, data, len);
 }
+
+struct dev_cmd_resp *execute_gadget(struct pwned_device *dev, long long addr, int response_len, int nargs, ...)
+{
+    checkm8_debug_indent("execute_gadget(dev = %p, addr = %lx, nargs = %i)\n", dev, addr, nargs);
+    int i;
+
+    unsigned long long args[nargs + 1];
+    args[0] = addr;
+
+    va_list arg_list;
+    va_start(arg_list, nargs);
+    for(i = 0; i < nargs; i++)
+    {
+        args[i + 1] = va_arg(arg_list, unsigned long long);
+        checkm8_debug_indent("\textracted arg %lx\n", args[i + 1]);
+    }
+    va_end(arg_list);
+
+    return dev_exec(dev, response_len, nargs + 1, args);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/c8_remote/src/usb_helpers.c b/c8_remote/src/usb_helpers.c
index 1fe0bc7..9f07775 100644
--- a/c8_remote/src/usb_helpers.c
+++ b/c8_remote/src/usb_helpers.c
@@ -528,23 +528,12 @@ int ctrl_transfer(struct pwned_device *dev,
             index = 0;
             while(index < data_len)
             {
-                if(data_len - index > ARD_BUF_SIZE) amount = ARD_BUF_SIZE;
-                else amount = data_len - index;
-
+                amount = 0;
+                while(read(dev->ard_fd, &amount, 1) == 0);
                 checkm8_debug_indent("\twriting data chunk of size %i\n", amount);
                 write(dev->ard_fd, &data[index], amount);
 
-                while(read(dev->ard_fd, &buf, 1) == 0);
-                if(buf == PROT_ACK)
-                {
-                    checkm8_debug_indent("\treceived data ack\n");
-                    index += amount;
-                }
-                else
-                {
-                    checkm8_debug_indent("\treceived unexpected response %x\n", buf);
-                    return CHECKM8_FAIL_PROT;
-                }
+                index += amount;
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/include/checkm8_config.h b/include/checkm8_config.h
index 69b261e..5132351 100644
--- a/include/checkm8_config.h
+++ b/include/checkm8_config.h
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #define CHECKM8_TOOL_CHECKM8_CONFIG_H
 
 //#define LIBUSB_LOGGING
-#define CHECKM8_LOGGING
+//#define CHECKM8_LOGGING
 
 #define WITH_ARDUINO
 #define ARDUINO_DEV "/dev/ttyACM0"