diff --git a/cmd/warren/cmd_run.go b/cmd/warren/cmd_run.go
index 74ae0e6..f0b016d 100644
--- a/cmd/warren/cmd_run.go
+++ b/cmd/warren/cmd_run.go
@@ -30,12 +30,14 @@ func runRun(cmd *warren.Command, args ...string) {
 	}
 
 	s, err := net.Dial(warren.CmdSockType(), warren.CmdSockAddr())
-	defer s.Close()
+	if s != nil {
+		defer s.Close()
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal("Error connecting to warrend:", err)
 	}
 
-	s.Write([]byte(strings.Join(args, " ") + "\000"))
+	warren.WriteStringz(s, strings.Join(args, " "))
 
 	resp, err := warren.ReadStringz(s)
 
diff --git a/cmd/warrend/cmd_status.go b/cmd/warrend/cmd_status.go
index 9c63dba..e2d1136 100644
--- a/cmd/warrend/cmd_status.go
+++ b/cmd/warrend/cmd_status.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"github.com/dballard/warren/lib/warren"
 	"net"
 )
@@ -21,10 +20,10 @@ var statusCmd = &SockCommand{
 }
 
 func statusRun(cmd *SockCommand, c net.Conn, args ...string) {
-	if len(args) == 0 || args[0] == "help" {
-		fmt.Print(cmd.Help)
+	if len(args) > 0 && args[0] == "help" {
+		warren.WriteStringz(c, cmd.Help)
 		return
 	}
 
-	c.Write([]byte("status\000"))
+	warren.WriteStringz(c, "status")
 }
diff --git a/cmd/warrend/main.go b/cmd/warrend/main.go
index 4639a58..4018155 100644
--- a/cmd/warrend/main.go
+++ b/cmd/warrend/main.go
@@ -34,31 +34,34 @@ func sockCmdHandle(c net.Conn) {
 	data, err := warren.ReadStringz(c)
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Println(err)
+		warren.WriteStringz(c, "read error:"+err.Error())
 		return
 	}
 	fmt.Println("cmdHandle got command:", string(data))
 
 	// BAD: TODO: handle quotes "
-	var args = strings.Split(" ", data)
+	var args = strings.Split(data, " ")
 
 	// parse args
 	var icmd = warren.GetCommand(args[0])
 	// get and run cmd
 	if icmd == nil {
-		c.Write([]byte("Unknown command " + args[0]))
+		warren.WriteStringz(c, "Unknown command "+args[0])
 		// usage ?
+
 		return
 	}
 	icmd.(*SockCommand).Exec(c, args[1:])
-
-	c.Write([]byte("echo: " + data))
+	warren.WriteStringz(c, "echo: "+data)
 }
 
 func main() {
 	warren.RegisterCommand(statusCmd)
 
 	cmdSock, err := net.Listen(warren.CmdSockType(), warren.CmdSockAddr())
-	defer cmdSock.Close()
+	if cmdSock != nil {
+		defer cmdSock.Close()
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal("Listen on sock error:", err)
 	}
diff --git a/lib/warren/warren.go b/lib/warren/warren.go
index ea12468..88a7b2b 100644
--- a/lib/warren/warren.go
+++ b/lib/warren/warren.go
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ func AppName() string {
 	return name
 }
 
+func WriteStringz(c net.Conn, str string) (err error) {
+	_, err = c.Write([]byte(str + "\000"))
+	return
+}
+
 func ReadStringz(c net.Conn) (string, error) {
 	data := ""
 	buf := make([]byte, 1024) // Max size of buff based on?
@@ -51,9 +56,10 @@ func ReadStringz(c net.Conn) (string, error) {
 		nr, err := c.Read(buf)
 		if err != nil {
 			fmt.Println("readStringz read error:", err)
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("readStringz error", err)
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("readStringz error:", err)
 		}
 		data += string(buf[0:nr])
 	}
-	return data, nil
+	//return minux \000
+	return data[0 : len(data)-1], nil
 }