diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index bddde771..cdfe99bf 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -12,10 +12,12 @@ func main() {
 	flag.Parse()
 
 	c := croc.Init()
-	if *role == 0 {
+	if *role == -1 {
 		err = c.Relay()
-	} else if *role == 1 {
+	} else if *role == 0 {
 		err = c.Send("foo")
+	} else {
+		err = c.Receive()
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
diff --git a/src/api.go b/src/api.go
index c1fb7312..35116773 100644
--- a/src/api.go
+++ b/src/api.go
@@ -2,20 +2,6 @@ package croc
 
 import "time"
 
-type Croc struct {
-	TcpPorts            []string
-	ServerPort          string
-	Timeout             time.Duration
-	UseEncryption       bool
-	UseCompression      bool
-	CurveType           string
-	AllowLocalDiscovery bool
-
-	// private variables
-	// rs relay state is only for the relay
-	rs relayState
-}
-
 // Init will initialize the croc relay
 func Init() (c *Croc) {
 	c = new(Croc)
@@ -26,15 +12,14 @@ func Init() (c *Croc) {
 	c.UseCompression = true
 	c.AllowLocalDiscovery = true
 	c.CurveType = "p521"
+	c.rs.Lock()
+	c.rs.channel = make(map[string]*channelData)
+	c.rs.Unlock()
 	return
 }
 
 // Relay initiates a relay
 func (c *Croc) Relay() error {
-	c.rs.Lock()
-	c.rs.channel = make(map[string]*channelData)
-	c.rs.Unlock()
-
 	// start relay
 	go c.startRelay(c.TcpPorts)
 
@@ -44,12 +29,12 @@ func (c *Croc) Relay() error {
 
 // Send will take an existing file or folder and send it through the croc relay
 func (c *Croc) Send(fname string) (err error) {
-	err = c.send(fname)
+	err = c.client(0)
 	return
 }
 
 // Receive will receive something through the croc relay
 func (c *Croc) Receive() (err error) {
-
+	err = c.client(1)
 	return
 }
diff --git a/src/client.go b/src/client.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3ceada16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/client.go
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+package croc
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"net/url"
+	"os"
+	"os/signal"
+	"time"
+
+	log "github.com/cihub/seelog"
+	"github.com/gorilla/websocket"
+)
+
+func (c *Croc) client(role int) (err error) {
+	defer log.Flush()
+
+	// initialize the channel data for this client
+	c.cs.Lock()
+	c.cs.channel = newChannelData("")
+	c.cs.Unlock()
+
+	interrupt := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
+	signal.Notify(interrupt, os.Interrupt)
+
+	// connect to the websocket
+	// TODO:
+	// use predefined host and HTTPS, if exists
+	u := url.URL{Scheme: "ws", Host: "localhost:8003", Path: "/"}
+	log.Debugf("connecting to %s", u.String())
+	ws, _, err := websocket.DefaultDialer.Dial(u.String(), nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Error("dial:", err)
+		return
+	}
+	defer ws.Close()
+
+	// read in the messages and process them
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		defer close(done)
+		for {
+			var cd channelData
+			err := ws.ReadJSON(&cd)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Debugf("sender read error:", err)
+				return
+			}
+			log.Debugf("recv: %+v", cd)
+			err = c.processState(cd)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Warn(err)
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
+	// initialize by joining as corresponding role
+	// TODO:
+	// allowing suggesting a channel
+	err = ws.WriteJSON(payload{
+		Open: true,
+		Role: role,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Errorf("problem opening: %s", err.Error())
+		return
+	}
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-done:
+			return
+		case <-interrupt:
+			// send Close signal to relay on interrupt
+			log.Debugf("interrupt")
+			c.cs.Lock()
+			channel := c.cs.channel.Channel
+			uuid := c.cs.channel.UUID
+			c.cs.Unlock()
+			// Cleanly close the connection by sending a close message and then
+			// waiting (with timeout) for the server to close the connection.
+			log.Debug("sending close signal")
+			errWrite := ws.WriteJSON(payload{
+				Channel: channel,
+				UUID:    uuid,
+				Close:   true,
+			})
+			if errWrite != nil {
+				log.Debugf("write close:", err)
+				return
+			}
+			select {
+			case <-done:
+			case <-time.After(time.Second):
+			}
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+func (c *Croc) processState(cd channelData) (err error) {
+	c.cs.Lock()
+	defer c.cs.Unlock()
+
+	// first check if there is relay reported error
+	if cd.Error != "" {
+		err = errors.New(cd.Error)
+		return
+	}
+	// TODO:
+	// check if the state is not aligned (i.e. have h(k) but no hh(k))
+	// throw error if not aligned so it can exit
+
+	// first update the channel data
+	// initialize if has UUID
+	if cd.UUID != "" {
+		c.cs.channel.UUID = cd.UUID
+		c.cs.channel.Ports = cd.Ports
+		c.cs.channel.Channel = cd.Channel
+		c.cs.channel.Role = cd.Role
+		c.cs.channel.Ports = cd.Ports
+		log.Debugf("initialized client state")
+	}
+	// copy over the rest of the state
+	if cd.TransferReady {
+		c.cs.channel.TransferReady = true
+	}
+	for key := range cd.State {
+		c.cs.channel.State[key] = cd.State[key]
+	}
+
+	// TODO:
+	// process the client state
+	log.Debugf("processing client state: %+v", c.cs.channel)
+	return
+}
diff --git a/src/models.go b/src/models.go
index 9dfb5f9c..691d543a 100644
--- a/src/models.go
+++ b/src/models.go
@@ -19,11 +19,33 @@ var (
 	availableStates = []string{"curve", "h_k", "hh_k", "x", "y"}
 )
 
+type Croc struct {
+	TcpPorts            []string
+	ServerPort          string
+	Timeout             time.Duration
+	UseEncryption       bool
+	UseCompression      bool
+	CurveType           string
+	AllowLocalDiscovery bool
+
+	// private variables
+	// rs relay state is only for the relay
+	rs relayState
+
+	// cs keeps the client state
+	cs clientState
+}
+
 type relayState struct {
 	channel map[string]*channelData
 	sync.RWMutex
 }
 
+type clientState struct {
+	channel *channelData
+	sync.RWMutex
+}
+
 type channelData struct {
 	// Public
 	// Channel is the name of the channel
@@ -36,8 +58,14 @@ type channelData struct {
 	// Ports returns which TCP ports to connect to
 	Ports []string `json:"ports"`
 
+	// Error is sent if there is an error
+	Error string `json:"error"`
+
+	// Sent on initialization
 	// UUID is sent out only to one person at a time
 	UUID string `json:"uuid"`
+	// Role is the role the person will play
+	Role int `json:"role"`
 
 	// Private
 	// isopen determine whether or not the channel has been opened
diff --git a/src/sender.go b/src/sender.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 0a54be6b..00000000
--- a/src/sender.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,73 +0,0 @@
-package croc
-
-import (
-	"net/url"
-	"os"
-	"os/signal"
-	"time"
-
-	log "github.com/cihub/seelog"
-	"github.com/gorilla/websocket"
-)
-
-func (c *Croc) send(fname string) (err error) {
-	interrupt := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
-	signal.Notify(interrupt, os.Interrupt)
-
-	u := url.URL{Scheme: "ws", Host: "localhost:8003", Path: "/"}
-	log.Debugf("connecting to %s", u.String())
-
-	ws, _, err := websocket.DefaultDialer.Dial(u.String(), nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Error("dial:", err)
-		return
-	}
-	defer ws.Close()
-
-	done := make(chan struct{})
-
-	go func() {
-		defer close(done)
-		for {
-			var cd channelData
-			err := ws.ReadJSON(&cd)
-			if err != nil {
-				log.Debugf("sender read error:", err)
-				return
-			}
-			log.Debugf("recv: %+v", cd)
-		}
-	}()
-
-	// initialize
-	err = ws.WriteJSON(payload{
-		Open: true,
-	})
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Errorf("problem opening: %s", err.Error())
-		return
-	}
-
-	for {
-		select {
-		case <-done:
-			return
-		case <-interrupt:
-			log.Debugf("interrupt")
-
-			// Cleanly close the connection by sending a close message and then
-			// waiting (with timeout) for the server to close the connection.
-			errWrite := ws.WriteMessage(websocket.CloseMessage, websocket.FormatCloseMessage(websocket.CloseNormalClosure, ""))
-			if errWrite != nil {
-				log.Debugf("write close:", err)
-				return
-			}
-			select {
-			case <-done:
-			case <-time.After(time.Second):
-			}
-			return
-		}
-	}
-	return
-}
diff --git a/src/server.go b/src/server.go
index 0c58e5ca..56853b3e 100644
--- a/src/server.go
+++ b/src/server.go
@@ -18,21 +18,41 @@ func (c *Croc) startServer(tcpPorts []string, port string) (err error) {
 	var upgrader = websocket.Upgrader{} // use default options
 	http.HandleFunc("/", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		ws, err := upgrader.Upgrade(w, r, nil)
+		log.Debugf("connecting remote addr: %s", ws.RemoteAddr().String())
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Error("upgrade:", err)
 			return
 		}
 		defer ws.Close()
+		var channel string
 		for {
+			log.Debug("waiting for next message")
 			var p payload
 			err := ws.ReadJSON(&p)
 			if err != nil {
-				log.Debugf("read:", err)
+				if _, ok := err.(*websocket.CloseError); ok {
+					// on forced close, delete the channel
+					log.Debug("closed channel")
+					c.rs.Lock()
+					if _, ok := c.rs.channel[channel]; ok {
+						delete(c.rs.channel, channel)
+					}
+					c.rs.Unlock()
+				} else {
+					log.Debugf("read:", err)
+				}
+
 				break
 			}
-			err = c.processPayload(ws, p)
+			channel, err = c.processPayload(ws, p)
 			if err != nil {
-				log.Warn("problem processing payload %+v: %s", err.Error())
+				// if error, send the error back and then delete the channel
+				log.Warn("problem processing payload %+v: %s", p, err.Error())
+				ws.WriteJSON(channelData{Error: err.Error()})
+				c.rs.Lock()
+				delete(c.rs.channel, p.Channel)
+				c.rs.Unlock()
+				return
 			}
 		}
 	})
@@ -110,6 +130,7 @@ func (c *Croc) joinChannel(ws *websocket.Conn, p payload) (channel string, err e
 	err = ws.WriteJSON(channelData{
 		Channel: p.Channel,
 		UUID:    c.rs.channel[p.Channel].uuids[p.Role],
+		Role:    p.Role,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return
@@ -144,19 +165,44 @@ func (c *Croc) joinChannel(ws *websocket.Conn, p payload) (channel string, err e
 	return
 }
 
-func (c *Croc) processPayload(ws *websocket.Conn, p payload) (err error) {
+func (c *Croc) processPayload(ws *websocket.Conn, p payload) (channel string, err error) {
+	channel = p.Channel
+
+	// if the request is to close, delete the channel
 	if p.Close {
+		log.Debugf("closing channel %s", p.Channel)
 		c.rs.Lock()
 		delete(c.rs.channel, p.Channel)
 		c.rs.Unlock()
 		return
 	}
 
-	channel := p.Channel
+	// if request is to Open, try to open
 	if p.Open {
 		channel, err = c.joinChannel(ws, p)
-	} else if p.Update {
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+	}
+
+	// check if open, otherwise return error
+	c.rs.Lock()
+	if _, ok := c.rs.channel[channel]; ok {
+		if !c.rs.channel[channel].isopen {
+			err = errors.Errorf("channel %s is not open, need to open first", channel)
+			c.rs.Unlock()
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	c.rs.Unlock()
+
+	// if the request is to Update, then update the state
+	if p.Update {
 		// update
+		err = c.updateChannel(p)
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
 	}
 
 	// TODO:
@@ -176,7 +222,7 @@ func (c *Croc) processPayload(ws *websocket.Conn, p payload) (err error) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	c.rs.Lock()
+	c.rs.Unlock()
 	return
 }