diff --git a/src/client.py b/src/client.py
--- a/src/client.py
+++ b/src/client.py
@@ -17,13 +17,8 @@ class Connection:
 		fr=self.socket.makefile(mode="rb")
 		fw=self.socket.makefile(mode="wb")
 
-		networkReader=NetworkReader(fr)
-		networkReader.start()
-		networkWriter=NetworkWriter(fw)
-		networkWriter.start()
-
-		self.incoming=networkReader.output # synchronized message queue
-		self.outcoming=networkWriter.input
+		self.incoming=NetworkReader(fr)
+		self.outcoming=NetworkWriter(fw)
 
 	def __enter__(self):
 		return self.incoming,self.outcoming
@@ -40,16 +35,15 @@ def negotiate():
 	# initialize session
 	with Connection() as (incoming,outcoming):
 		jsonData={"command":"init", "blockSize":localTree.BLOCK_SIZE, "blockCount":localTree.leafCount, "version":conf.version}
-		outcoming.put((jsonData,b""))
+		outcoming.writeMsg(jsonData)
 
 	# determine which blocks to send
 	while len(nodeStack)>0:
 		with Connection() as (incoming,outcoming):
 			i=nodeStack.pop()
-			jsonData={"command":"req", "index":i}
-			outcoming.put((jsonData,b""))
+			outcoming.writeMsg({"command":"req", "index":i})
 
-			jsonData,binData=incoming.get(timeout=2)
+			jsonData,binData=incoming.readMsg()
 			assert jsonData["index"]==i
 			assert jsonData["dataType"]=="hash"
 
@@ -76,12 +70,11 @@ def sendData(blocksToTransfer):
 
 			print("block #{0}: {1}...{2}".format(i2,binData[:5],binData[-5:]))
 
-			outcoming.put((jsonData,binData),timeout=2)
+			outcoming.writeMsg(jsonData,binData)
 			i1=i2
 
 	with Connection() as (incoming,outcoming):
-		jsonData={"command":"end"}
-		outcoming.put((jsonData,b""),timeout=2)
+		outcoming.writeMsg({"command":"end"})
 
 	print("closing...")
 	dataFile.close()
diff --git a/src/networkers.py b/src/networkers.py
--- a/src/networkers.py
+++ b/src/networkers.py
@@ -1,20 +1,10 @@
-import threading
-import queue
-import json
+import json
 
 
-class NetworkReader(threading.Thread):
+class NetworkReader:
 	def __init__(self,stream):
-		threading.Thread.__init__(self,daemon=True)
-		self.parent=threading.current_thread()
-		
 		self.stream=stream
-		self.output=queue.Queue()
-		
-	def run(self):
-		if not self.parent.is_alive(): return
-		self.output.put(self.readMsg(),timeout=5)
-			
+
 	def readMsg(self):
 		data=self.stream.readline()
 		if not data: pass # !! raise something
@@ -29,23 +19,15 @@ class NetworkReader(threading.Thread):
 		return (jsonData,binData)
 		
 
-class NetworkWriter(threading.Thread):
+class NetworkWriter:
 	def __init__(self,stream):
-		threading.Thread.__init__(self,daemon=True)
-		self.parent=threading.current_thread()
-		
 		self.stream=stream
-		self.input=queue.Queue()
-		
-	def run(self):
-		if not self.parent.is_alive(): return
-		msg=self.input.get(timeout=5)
-		if msg is None: return
-		self.stream.write(self.prepMsg(msg))
+
+	def writeMsg(self,*args):
+		self.stream.write(self.prepMsg(*args))
 		self.stream.flush()
-			
-	def prepMsg(self, msg):
-		jsonData,binData=msg
+
+	def prepMsg(self,jsonData,binData=b""):
 		jsonData=bytes(json.dumps(jsonData)+"\n",encoding="utf-8")
 		jsonLength=bytes("json-length: "+str(len(jsonData))+"\n",encoding="utf-8")
 		binLength=bytes("bin-length: "+str(len(binData))+"\n",encoding="utf-8")
diff --git a/src/server.py b/src/server.py
--- a/src/server.py
+++ b/src/server.py
@@ -20,13 +20,8 @@ class Connection:
 		fr=self.socket.makefile(mode="rb")
 		fw=self.socket.makefile(mode="wb")
 
-		networkReader=NetworkReader(fr)
-		networkReader.start()
-		networkWriter=NetworkWriter(fw)
-		networkWriter.start()
-
-		self.incoming=networkReader.output # synchronized message queue
-		self.outcoming=networkWriter.input
+		self.incoming=NetworkReader(fr)
+		self.outcoming=NetworkWriter(fw)
 
 	def __enter__(self):
 		return self.incoming,self.outcoming
@@ -49,7 +44,7 @@ i1=-1
 
 while True:
 	with Connection(ss) as (incoming,outcoming):
-		jsonData,binData=incoming.get(timeout=2)
+		jsonData,binData=incoming.readMsg()
 		dataFile=open(filename,mode="rb+")
 
 		if jsonData["command"]=="init":
@@ -63,7 +58,7 @@ while True:
 			jsonResponse={"command":"send", "index":jsonData["index"], "dataType":"hash"}
 			binResponse=nodeHash
 
-			outcoming.put((jsonResponse,binResponse),timeout=2)
+			outcoming.writeMsg(jsonResponse,binResponse)
 
 		elif jsonData["command"]=="send" and jsonData["dataType"]=="data": # needlessly allow hashes and data in mixed order
 			print("received data block #{0}: {1}...{2}".format(jsonData["index"],binData[:5],binData[-5:]))