diff --git a/src/frameserver/util/anet_helper.h b/src/frameserver/util/anet_helper.h
index 7fd6a350d..cda94dd72 100644
--- a/src/frameserver/util/anet_helper.h
+++ b/src/frameserver/util/anet_helper.h
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ struct anet_options {
  * 'default' will be used */
 	const char* host_tag;
 
+/* petname used to register as a source/linked directory in another - this is a
+ * hint, the server may well assign a different one */
+	const char petname[16];
+
 /* pre-inherited socket to use */
 	int sockfd;
 
@@ -51,7 +55,6 @@ struct anet_options {
 	const char* redirect_exit;
 
 /* similarly, remember any local connection point and use that */
-
 	const char* devicehint_cp;
 
 /* allow connection retries, -1 infinite, 0 no retry */
diff --git a/src/shmif/arcan_shmif_server.c b/src/shmif/arcan_shmif_server.c
index 4d6e681e9..32207697a 100644
--- a/src/shmif/arcan_shmif_server.c
+++ b/src/shmif/arcan_shmif_server.c
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ struct shmifsrv_client* shmifsrv_spawn_client(
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	*clsocket = res->con->dpipe;
+	*clsocket = childend;
 	res->cookie = arcan_shmif_cookie();
 	res->status = AUTHENTICATING;
 
@@ -354,8 +354,10 @@ int shmifsrv_poll(struct shmifsrv_client* cl)
 			int a = !!(atomic_load(&cl->con->shm.ptr->aready));
 			int v = !!(atomic_load(&cl->con->shm.ptr->vready));
 			shmifsrv_leave();
-			return
-				(CLIENT_VBUFFER_READY * v) | (CLIENT_ABUFFER_READY * a);
+			if (a || v)
+				return
+					(CLIENT_VBUFFER_READY * v) | (CLIENT_ABUFFER_READY * a);
+			return CLIENT_IDLE;
 		}
 		else
 			cl->status = BROKEN;
@@ -598,7 +600,9 @@ bool shmifsrv_tick(struct shmifsrv_client* cl)
 	return true;
 }
 
-static int64_t timebase, c_ticks;
+static _Thread_local int64_t timebase;
+static _Thread_local int64_t c_ticks;
+
 int shmifsrv_monotonic_tick(int* left)
 {
 	int64_t now = arcan_timemillis();
diff --git a/src/shmif/arcan_shmif_server.h b/src/shmif/arcan_shmif_server.h
index 8986dc930..879e984cf 100644
--- a/src/shmif/arcan_shmif_server.h
+++ b/src/shmif/arcan_shmif_server.h
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ struct shmifsrv_client;
  * preroll- event stage.
  */
 struct shmifsrv_envp {
+
+	int fd_bin;
 	char* path;
 	char** argv;
 	char** envv;
@@ -188,7 +190,8 @@ enum shmifsrv_client_status {
 	CLIENT_DEAD = -1,
 	CLIENT_NOT_READY = 0,
 	CLIENT_VBUFFER_READY = 1,
-	CLIENT_ABUFFER_READY = 2
+	CLIENT_ABUFFER_READY = 2,
+	CLIENT_IDLE = 3
 };
 int shmifsrv_poll(struct shmifsrv_client*);
 
@@ -197,10 +200,6 @@ int shmifsrv_poll(struct shmifsrv_client*);
  * been created through shmifsrv_allocate_connpoint and is still in a listening
  * state, the underlying descriptor won't be closed in order for the connpoint
  * to be reused.
- *
- * If [full] is set to false, the client will not be directly told that the
- * connection is dead via the normal 'dead-man-switch' handle, only through
- * the event-queue - forcing the client to try and use some recovery mechanism.
  */
 enum shmifsrv_action {
 	SHMIFSRV_FREE_FULL   = 0,
@@ -335,7 +334,7 @@ bool shmifsrv_audio(struct shmifsrv_client* cl,
 		size_t n_samples, unsigned channels, unsigned rate, void* tag), void* tag);
 
 /*
- * [THREAD_UNSAFE]
+ * [THREAD:USES_TLS]
  * This is a helper function that returns the number of monotonic ticks
  * since the last time this function was called. It is thus a global state
  * shared by many clients, along with the optional time to next tick. The
@@ -351,7 +350,7 @@ bool shmifsrv_audio(struct shmifsrv_client* cl,
 int shmifsrv_monotonic_tick(int* left);
 
 /*
- * [THREAD_UNSAFE]
+ * [THREAD:USES_TLS]
  * Explicitly rebase the shared clock counter due to a large stall,
  * pause, global suspend action and so on.
  */