diff --git a/CommandDistributor.cpp b/CommandDistributor.cpp
index 94be666..2068dc6 100644
--- a/CommandDistributor.cpp
+++ b/CommandDistributor.cpp
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 #ifdef CD_HANDLE_RING
   // wifi or ethernet ring streams with multiple client types
   RingStream *  CommandDistributor::ring=0;
-  byte CommandDistributor::ringClient=NO_CLIENT;
+//  byte CommandDistributor::ringClient=NO_CLIENT;
   CommandDistributor::clientType  CommandDistributor::clients[8]={
     NONE_TYPE,NONE_TYPE,NONE_TYPE,NONE_TYPE,NONE_TYPE,NONE_TYPE,NONE_TYPE,NONE_TYPE};
 
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ void  CommandDistributor::parse(byte clientId,byte * buffer, RingStream * stream
   if (Diag::WIFI && Diag::CMD)
     DIAG(F("Parse C=%d T=%d B=%s"),clientId, clients[clientId], buffer);
   ring=stream;
-  ringClient=stream->peekTargetMark();
+  //  ringClient=stream->peekTargetMark();
 
   // First check if the client is not known
   // yet and in that case determinine type
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ void  CommandDistributor::parse(byte clientId,byte * buffer, RingStream * stream
   else if (clients[clientId] == WITHROTTLE_TYPE)
     WiThrottle::getThrottle(clientId)->parse(ring, buffer);
 
-  ringClient=NO_CLIENT;
+  //  ringClient=NO_CLIENT;
 }
 
 void CommandDistributor::forget(byte clientId) {
@@ -90,6 +90,8 @@ void CommandDistributor::forget(byte clientId) {
 // This will not be called on a uno 
 void CommandDistributor::broadcastToClients(clientType type) {
 
+  byte rememberClient;
+
   /* Boadcast to Serials */
   if (type==COMMAND_TYPE) SerialManager::broadcast(broadcastBufferWriter->getString());
 
@@ -97,8 +99,9 @@ void CommandDistributor::broadcastToClients(clientType type) {
   // If we are broadcasting from a wifi/eth process we need to complete its output
   // before merging broadcasts in the ring, then reinstate it in case
   // the process continues to output to its client.
-  if (ringClient!=NO_CLIENT) {
-    DIAG(F("CD precommit client %d"), ringClient);
+  if (ring) {
+  if ((rememberClient = ring->peekTargetMark()) != NO_CLIENT) {
+    DIAG(F("CD precommit client %d"), rememberClient);
     ring->commit();
   }
   /* loop through ring clients */
@@ -111,11 +114,11 @@ void CommandDistributor::broadcastToClients(clientType type) {
       ring->commit();
     }
   }
-  if (ringClient!=NO_CLIENT) {
-    DIAG(F("CD postmark client %d"), ringClient);
-    ring->mark(ringClient);
+  if (ring->peekTargetMark()!=NO_CLIENT) {
+    DIAG(F("CD postmark client %d"), rememberClient);
+    ring->mark(rememberClient);
+  }
   }
-
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/CommandDistributor.h b/CommandDistributor.h
index 7da3c8f..c5b6ad7 100644
--- a/CommandDistributor.h
+++ b/CommandDistributor.h
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ private:
   static StringBuffer * broadcastBufferWriter;
   #ifdef CD_HANDLE_RING
     static RingStream * ring;
-    static const byte NO_CLIENT=255;
-    static byte ringClient;
+  static const byte NO_CLIENT=255; //XXX remove later
+  //    static byte ringClient;
     static clientType clients[8];
   #endif
 };
diff --git a/RingStream.cpp b/RingStream.cpp
index 4c7176e..fcf6ed7 100644
--- a/RingStream.cpp
+++ b/RingStream.cpp
@@ -143,7 +143,8 @@ int RingStream::freeSpace() {
 
 // mark start of message with client id (0...9)
 void RingStream::mark(uint8_t b) {
-    DIAG(F("RS mark client %d at %d"), b, _pos_write);
+  DIAG(F("RS mark client %d at %d core %d"), b, _pos_write, xPortGetCoreID());
+    _ringClient = b;
     _mark=_pos_write;
     write(b); // client id
     write((uint8_t)0);  // count MSB placemarker
@@ -154,7 +155,7 @@ void RingStream::mark(uint8_t b) {
 // peekTargetMark is used by the parser stash routines to know which client
 // to send a callback response to some time later. 
 uint8_t RingStream::peekTargetMark() {
-  return _buffer[_mark];
+  return _ringClient;
 }
 
 void RingStream::info() {
@@ -171,9 +172,10 @@ bool RingStream::commit() {
         return false; // commit failed
   }
   if (_count==0) {
-    DIAG(F("RS commit count=0 rewind back to %d"), _mark);
+    DIAG(F("RS commit count=0 rewind back to %d core %d"), _mark, xPortGetCoreID());
     // ignore empty response
     _pos_write=_mark;
+    _ringClient = NO_CLIENT;         //XXX make else clause later
     return true; // true=commit ok
   }
   // Go back to the _mark and inject the count 1 byte later
@@ -184,10 +186,11 @@ bool RingStream::commit() {
   if (_mark==_len) _mark=0;
   _buffer[_mark]=lowByte(_count);
   { char s[_count+2];
-    strncpy(s, (const char*)&(_buffer[_mark+1]), _count-2);
-    s[_count-1]=0;
-    DIAG(F("RS commit count=%d %s"), _count, s);
+    strncpy(s, (const char*)&(_buffer[_mark+1]), _count);
+    s[_count]=0;
+    DIAG(F("RS commit count=%d core %d \"%s\""), _count, xPortGetCoreID(), s);
   }
+  _ringClient = NO_CLIENT;
   return true; // commit worked
 }
 void RingStream::flush() {
@@ -195,6 +198,6 @@ void RingStream::flush() {
   _pos_read=0;
   _buffer[0]=0;
   _flashInsert=NULL; // prepared for first read
-  
+  _ringClient = NO_CLIENT;
 }
   
diff --git a/RingStream.h b/RingStream.h
index cfc82eb..a3aad49 100644
--- a/RingStream.h
+++ b/RingStream.h
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ class RingStream : public Print {
    int _count;
    byte * _buffer;
    char * _flashInsert;
+  static const byte NO_CLIENT=255; // must be same as in CommandDistributor
+   byte _ringClient = NO_CLIENT;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/WifiESP32.cpp b/WifiESP32.cpp
index a91372f..164374f 100644
--- a/WifiESP32.cpp
+++ b/WifiESP32.cpp
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ public:
 static std::vector<NetworkClient> clients; // a list to hold all clients
 static WiFiServer *server = NULL;
 static RingStream *outboundRing = new RingStream(2048);
+//static RingStream *eventRing = new RingStream(2048);
 static bool APmode = false;
 
 void wifiLoop(void *){
@@ -260,7 +261,8 @@ void WifiESP::loop() {
 	  cmd[len]=0;
 	  outboundRing->mark(clientId);
 	  CommandDistributor::parse(clientId,cmd,outboundRing);
-	  outboundRing->commit();
+	  if (outboundRing->peekTargetMark()!=255) //XXX fix 255 later
+	    outboundRing->commit();
 	}
       }
     } // all clients