diff --git a/src/shadowsocks/conn.go b/src/shadowsocks/conn.go
index cd0a6e8..5ba7e6e 100644
--- a/src/shadowsocks/conn.go
+++ b/src/shadowsocks/conn.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package shadowsocks
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -16,56 +17,66 @@ type Conn struct {
 	net.Conn
 }
 
-var initTableCalled = false
-
 func InitTable(passwd string) {
 	encTable, decTable = GetTable(passwd)
-	initTableCalled = true
 }
 
-// addr should be in the form of host:port
-func Dial(addr string, server string) (c Conn, err error) {
-	if !initTableCalled {
-		panic("shadowsocks internal error, must call InitTable first.")
-	}
-	conn, err := net.Dial("tcp", server)
-	if err != nil {
-		return
-	}
-
+func addrBufFromString(addr string) (buf []byte, err error) {
 	arr := strings.Split(addr, ":")
 	if len(arr) != 2 {
-		c.Close()
-		return Conn{}, errors.New("shadowsocks: malformed dial address")
+		return nil, errors.New(
+			fmt.Sprintf("shadowsocks: malformed address %s", addr))
 	}
 	host, portStr := arr[0], arr[1]
 	port, err := strconv.Atoi(portStr)
 	if err != nil {
-		c.Close()
-		return Conn{}, err
+		return nil, errors.New(
+			fmt.Sprintf("shadowsocks: invalid port %s", addr))
 	}
 
 	hostLen := len(host)
 	l := 1 + 1 + hostLen + 2 // addrType + lenByte + address + port
-	buf := make([]byte, l, l)
+	buf = make([]byte, l, l)
 	buf[0] = 3
 	buf[1] = byte(hostLen)
 	copy(buf[2:], host)
 	buf[2+hostLen] = byte(port >> 8 & 0xFF)
 	buf[2+hostLen+1] = byte(port) & 0xFF
+	return
+}
 
-	c = Conn{conn}
-	_, err = c.Write(buf)
+// Expose this for use by local.go and server.go
+func DialWithAddrBuf(addrBuf []byte, server string) (c Conn, err error) {
+	if encTable == nil {
+		panic("shadowsocks internal error, must call InitTable first.")
+	}
+	conn, err := net.Dial("tcp", server)
 	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	c = Conn{conn}
+	if _, err = c.Write(addrBuf); err != nil {
 		c.Close()
 		return
 	}
 	return
 }
 
+// addr should be in the form of host:port
+func Dial(addr string, server string) (c Conn, err error) {
+	addrBuf, err := addrBufFromString(addr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	return DialWithAddrBuf(addrBuf, server)
+}
+
+// TODO addrBufFromIP and DialWithIP
+// can be used to rewrite local.go
+
 func (c Conn) Read(b []byte) (n int, err error) {
 	buf := make([]byte, len(b), len(b))
-	n, err = c.Read(buf)
+	n, err = c.Conn.Read(buf)
 	if n > 0 {
 		Encrypt2(decTable, buf[0:n], b[0:n])
 	}
@@ -74,6 +85,6 @@ func (c Conn) Read(b []byte) (n int, err error) {
 
 func (c Conn) Write(b []byte) (n int, err error) {
 	buf := Encrypt(encTable, b)
-	n, err = c.Write(buf)
+	n, err = c.Conn.Write(buf)
 	return
 }