diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 95e35356..09b277d6 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -3,3 +3,5 @@ WORKDIR /gopath/src/github.com/nytlabs/streamtools
 ADD . /gopath/src/github.com/nytlabs/streamtools
 RUN make clean
 RUN make
+RUN ["mkdir", "-p", "/gopath/bin"]
+RUN ["ln", "-s", "/gopath/src/github.com/nytlabs/streamtools/build/st", "/gopath/bin/st"]
diff --git a/st/library/fromSQS.go b/st/library/fromSQS.go
index 92d5032d..14692c4d 100644
--- a/st/library/fromSQS.go
+++ b/st/library/fromSQS.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/goamz/goamz/aws"
 	"github.com/goamz/goamz/sqs"
 
-	"strconv"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/nytlabs/streamtools/st/blocks" // blocks
@@ -16,52 +15,68 @@ import (
 
 // lots of this code stolen brazenly from JP https://github.com/jprobinson
 func (b *FromSQS) listener() {
+	log.Println("in listener")
 	b.lock.Lock()
+	// OK I KNOW that everything inside this lock is bad. This is a quick fix. Promise to do better in the future. 
+	log.Println("in lock")
 	accessKey, ok := b.auth["AccessKey"].(string)
 	if !ok {
 		b.Error("could not assert AccessKey to a string")
+		b.listening = false
+		b.lock.Unlock()
 		return
 	}
 	accessSecret, ok := b.auth["AccessSecret"].(string)
 	if !ok {
 		b.Error("could not assert AccessSecret to a string")
+		b.listening = false
+		b.lock.Unlock()
 		return
 	}
 	queueName, ok := b.auth["QueueName"].(string)
 	if !ok {
 		b.Error("could not assert queue name to a string")
+		b.listening = false
+		b.lock.Unlock()
 		return
 	}
-	maxNstring, ok := b.auth["MaxNumberOfMessages"].(string)
+	maxN, ok := b.auth["MaxNumberOfMessages"].(string)
 	if !ok {
 		b.Error("could not assert MaxNumberOfMessages to a string")
+		b.listening = false
+		b.lock.Unlock()
 		return
 	}
+	log.Println("authenticating with aws")
 	auth := aws.Auth{AccessKey: accessKey, SecretKey: accessSecret}
 	sqsClient := sqs.New(auth, aws.USEast)
+	log.Println("getting SQS queue")
 	queue, err := sqsClient.GetQueue(queueName)
 	if err != nil {
 		b.Error(err)
+		b.listening = false
+		b.lock.Unlock()
 		return
 	}
 
-	maxN, err := strconv.Atoi(maxNstring)
-	if err != nil {
-		b.Error(err)
-		return
-	}
-
+	log.Println("setting listening flag")
 	b.listening = true
 	b.lock.Unlock()
 
+	params := map[string]string{
+		"WaitTimeSeconds":"1",
+		"MaxNumberOfMessages":maxN,
+	}
+
 	var resp *sqs.ReceiveMessageResponse
+	log.Println("starting read loop")
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-b.stop:
 			log.Println("Exiting SQS read loop")
 			return
 		default:
-			resp, err = queue.ReceiveMessage(maxN)
+			resp, err = queue.ReceiveMessageWithParameters(params)
 			if err != nil {
 				b.Error(err)
 			}
@@ -150,6 +165,7 @@ func (b *FromSQS) Run() {
 			}
 
 			b.stopListening()
+			log.Println("starting new listener")
 			go b.listener()
 		case <-b.quit:
 			b.stopListening()