diff --git a/direct/src/directd/directd.cxx b/direct/src/directd/directd.cxx
index ece25db99f..6cfca2db99 100644
--- a/direct/src/directd/directd.cxx
+++ b/direct/src/directd/directd.cxx
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ DirectD::DirectD() :
     _host_name("localhost"),
     _port(8001), _app_pid(0),
     _reader(&_cm, 1), _writer(&_cm, 1), _listener(&_cm, 0),
-    _verbose(false), _shutdown(false) {
+    _shutdown(false) {
 }
 
 DirectD::~DirectD() {
@@ -148,10 +148,11 @@ DirectD::~DirectD() {
 }
 
 int 
-DirectD::client_ready(const string& client_host, int port) {
-  connect_to(client_host, port);
-  send_command("s");
-  disconnect_from(client_host, port);
+DirectD::client_ready(const string& client_host, int port,
+    const string& cmd) {
+  stringstream ss;
+  ss<<"!"<<cmd;
+  send_one_message(client_host, port, ss.str());
   return 0;
 }
 
@@ -175,11 +176,9 @@ DirectD::wait_for_servers(int count, int timeout_ms) {
     while (_reader.data_available()) {
       NetDatagram datagram;
       if (_reader.get_data(datagram)) {
-        if (_verbose) {
-          nout << "Got datagram " /*<< datagram <<*/ "from "
-               << datagram.get_address() << endl;
-          datagram.dump_hex(nout);
-        }
+        nout << "Got datagram " /*<< datagram <<*/ "from "
+             << datagram.get_address() << endl;
+        datagram.dump_hex(nout);
         //handle_datagram(datagram);
         DatagramIterator di(datagram);
         string s=di.get_string();
@@ -207,7 +206,9 @@ DirectD::server_ready(const string& client_host, int port) {
 
 void
 DirectD::start_app(const string& cmd) {
+  nout<<"start_app(cmd="<<cmd<<")"<<endl;
   _app_pid=StartApp(cmd);
+  nout<<"    _app_pid="<<_app_pid<<endl;
 }
 
 void
@@ -238,9 +239,7 @@ DirectD::handle_datagram(NetDatagram& datagram){
 
 void
 DirectD::handle_command(const string& cmd) {
-  if (_verbose) {
-    cerr<<"command: "<<cmd<<endl;
-  }
+  nout<<"DirectD::handle_command: "<<cmd<<endl;
 }
 
 void
@@ -331,11 +330,9 @@ DirectD::check_for_datagrams(){
   while (_reader.data_available()) {
     NetDatagram datagram;
     if (_reader.get_data(datagram)) {
-      if (_verbose) {
-        nout << "Got datagram " /*<< datagram <<*/ "from "
-             << datagram.get_address() << endl;
-        datagram.dump_hex(nout);
-      }
+      nout << "Got datagram " /*<< datagram <<*/ "from "
+           << datagram.get_address() << endl;
+      datagram.dump_hex(nout);
       handle_datagram(datagram);
     }
   }
@@ -355,7 +352,7 @@ DirectD::listen_to(int port, int backlog) {
     nout << "Cannot grab port " << _port << ".\n";
     exit(1);
   }
-  if (_verbose) nout << "Listening for connections on port " << _port << "\n";
+  nout << "Listening for connections on port " << _port << "\n";
   _listener.add_connection(rendezvous);
 }
 
@@ -366,7 +363,7 @@ DirectD::check_for_new_clients() {
     NetAddress address;
     PT(Connection) new_connection;
     if (_listener.get_new_connection(rv, address, new_connection)) {
-      if (_verbose) nout << "Got connection from " << address << "\n";
+      nout << "Got connection from " << address << "\n";
       _reader.add_connection(new_connection);
       _connections.insert(new_connection);
     }
diff --git a/direct/src/directd/directd.h b/direct/src/directd/directd.h
index 2684d5e812..e477c9cfb2 100644
--- a/direct/src/directd/directd.h
+++ b/direct/src/directd/directd.h
@@ -56,7 +56,9 @@ PUBLISHED:
 
   // Description: Call this function from the client when
   //              import ShowbaseGlobal is nearly finished.
-  int client_ready(const string& client_host, int port);
+  //              cmd: a cli command that will be executed on the remote
+  //                   machine.
+  int client_ready(const string& client_host, int port, const string& cmd);
 
   // Description: Call this function from the client after
   //              calling <count> client_ready() calls.
@@ -64,7 +66,7 @@ PUBLISHED:
   //              Call listen_to(port) prior to calling
   //              wait_for_servers() (or better yet, prior
   //              to calling client_ready()).
-  bool wait_for_servers(int count, int timeout_ms);
+  bool wait_for_servers(int count, int timeout_ms=2*60*1000);
 
   // Description: Call this function from the server when
   //              import ShowbaseGlobal is nearly finished.
@@ -79,16 +81,15 @@ PUBLISHED:
   // Description: process command string.
   void send_command(const string& cmd);
 
-public:
+protected:
   void spawn_background_server();
   void start_app(const string& cmd);
   void kill_app();
-  void handle_command(const string& cmd);
+  virtual void handle_command(const string& cmd);
   void handle_datagram(NetDatagram& datagram);
   void send_one_message(const string& host_name, 
       int port, const string& message);
 
-protected:
   QueuedConnectionManager _cm;
   QueuedConnectionReader _reader;
   ConnectionWriter _writer;
@@ -100,7 +101,6 @@ protected:
   typedef pset< PT(Connection) > ConnectionSet;
   ConnectionSet _connections;
 
-  bool _verbose;
   bool _shutdown;
   
   void check_for_new_clients();
diff --git a/direct/src/directdServer/directdClient.cxx b/direct/src/directdServer/directdClient.cxx
index 4e076cdec8..09d6aa5e44 100644
--- a/direct/src/directdServer/directdClient.cxx
+++ b/direct/src/directdServer/directdClient.cxx
@@ -49,9 +49,7 @@ DirectDClient::cli_command(const string& cmd) {
 
 void
 DirectDClient::run_client(const string& host, int port) {
-  if (_verbose) {
-    cerr<<"client"<<endl;
-  }
+  nout<<"client"<<endl;
   
   connect_to(host, port);
 
diff --git a/direct/src/directdServer/directdServer.cxx b/direct/src/directdServer/directdServer.cxx
index 8db79fd676..208de9f293 100644
--- a/direct/src/directdServer/directdServer.cxx
+++ b/direct/src/directdServer/directdServer.cxx
@@ -26,17 +26,9 @@ DirectDServer::~DirectDServer() {
 
 void
 DirectDServer::handle_command(const string& cmd) {
-  if (_verbose) {
-    cerr<<"command: "<<cmd<<endl;
-  }
+  nout<<"DirectDServer::handle_command: "<<cmd<<", size="<<cmd.size()<<endl;
   if (cmd.size()==1) {
     switch (cmd[0]) {
-    case 's': {
-      string c;
-      read_command(c);
-      start_app(c);
-      }
-      break;
     case 'k':
       kill_app();
       break;
@@ -45,9 +37,20 @@ DirectDServer::handle_command(const string& cmd) {
       break;
     default:
       cerr<<"unknown command: "<<cmd<<endl;
+      break;
     }
   } else {
-    start_app(cmd);
+    switch (cmd[0]) {
+    case '!': {
+      string c=cmd.substr(1, string::npos);
+      //read_command(c);
+      start_app(c);
+      }
+      break;
+    default:
+      start_app(cmd);
+      break;
+    }
   }
 }
 
@@ -74,7 +77,7 @@ DirectDServer::read_command(string& cmd) {
 
 void
 DirectDServer::run_server(int port) {
-  if (_verbose) cerr<<"server"<<endl;
+  nout<<"server"<<endl;
   
   listen_to(port);
 
@@ -96,7 +99,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     return 1;
   }
 
-  cerr<<"directdServer"<<endl;
+  cerr<<"directdServer "<<__DATE__<<endl;
   int port=8001;
   if (argc > 1) {
     port=(atoi(argv[argc-1]));
diff --git a/direct/src/directdServer/directdServer.h b/direct/src/directdServer/directdServer.h
index fc71bf8af2..c755bc3e08 100644
--- a/direct/src/directdServer/directdServer.h
+++ b/direct/src/directdServer/directdServer.h
@@ -35,6 +35,6 @@ public:
 
 protected:
   void read_command(string& cmd);
-  void handle_command(const string& cmd);
+  virtual void handle_command(const string& cmd);
 };