diff --git a/cmd/cmd.h b/cmd/cmd.h
index 06486b5..d18d90d 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd.h
+++ b/cmd/cmd.h
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ typedef struct __attribute__((__packed__)) {
 typedef struct __attribute__((__packed__)) {
   uint16_t  cmd;      // command to perform, from CmdName enum
   uint32_t  callback; // callback pointer to embed in response
-  uint32_t  _return;  // return value to embed in response (?)
+  uint32_t  _return;  // token to embed in response
   uint16_t  argc;     // number of arguments to command
   CmdArg    args[0];  // really args[argc]
 } CmdPacket;
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ typedef struct {
 
 typedef enum {
   CMD_NULL = 0,
-  CMD_RESET,          // reset esp (not honored in this implementation)
+  CMD_SYNC,           // synchronize and clear
   CMD_IS_READY,       // health-check
   CMD_WIFI_CONNECT,   // (3) connect to AP (not honored in this implementation)
   CMD_MQTT_SETUP,
diff --git a/cmd/handlers.c b/cmd/handlers.c
index 50af21d..62d2f94 100644
--- a/cmd/handlers.c
+++ b/cmd/handlers.c
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@
 #endif
 
 static uint32_t CMD_Null(CmdPacket *cmd);
-static uint32_t CMD_IsReady(CmdPacket *cmd);
-static uint32_t CMD_Reset(CmdPacket *cmd);
+//static uint32_t CMD_Reset(CmdPacket *cmd);
 static uint32_t CMD_WifiConnect(CmdPacket *cmd);
 static uint32_t CMD_AddCallback(CmdPacket *cmd);
 
@@ -30,9 +29,9 @@ static bool wifiCbAdded = false;
 
 // Command dispatch table for serial -> ESP commands
 const CmdList commands[] = {
-  {CMD_NULL,            CMD_Null},
-  {CMD_RESET,           CMD_Reset},
-  {CMD_IS_READY,        CMD_IsReady},
+  {CMD_NULL,            CMD_Null},        // no-op
+  //{CMD_SYNC,            CMD_Sync},        // synchronize
+  //{CMD_IS_READY,        CMD_IsReady},
   {CMD_WIFI_CONNECT,    CMD_WifiConnect},
 #ifdef MQTT
   {CMD_MQTT_SETUP,      MQTTCMD_Setup},
@@ -55,18 +54,13 @@ const CmdList commands[] = {
 #define MAX_CALLBACKS 12
 cmdCallback callbacks[MAX_CALLBACKS]; // cleared in CMD_Reset
 
-// Command handler for IsReady (healthcheck) command
-static uint32_t ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR
-CMD_IsReady(CmdPacket *cmd) {
-  return 1;
-}
-
 // Command handler for Null command
 static uint32_t ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR
 CMD_Null(CmdPacket *cmd) {
   return 1;
 }
 
+#if 0
 // Command handler for Reset command, this was originally to reset the ESP but we don't want to
 // do that in esp-link. It is still good to clear any information the ESP has about the attached
 // uC.
@@ -76,6 +70,7 @@ CMD_Reset(CmdPacket *cmd) {
   os_memset(callbacks, 0, sizeof(callbacks));
   return 1;
 }
+#endif
 
 static uint32_t ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR
 CMD_AddCb(char* name, uint32_t cb) {
diff --git a/include/user_config.h b/include/user_config.h
index 72fe1ac..a939533 100644
--- a/include/user_config.h
+++ b/include/user_config.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #define RESTCMD_DBG
 #define SERBR_DBG
 #define SERLED_DBG
-#undef SLIP_DBG
+#define SLIP_DBG
 #define UART_DBG
 #define MDNS_DBG
 #define OPTIBOOT_DBG
diff --git a/serial/slip.c b/serial/slip.c
index 727f60c..cd88c1e 100644
--- a/serial/slip.c
+++ b/serial/slip.c
@@ -45,13 +45,12 @@ slip_process() {
     if (crc == rcv) {
       CMD_parse_packet((uint8_t*)slip_buf, slip_len-2);
     } else {
-      os_printf("SLIP: bad CRC, crc=%x rcv=%x\n", crc, rcv);
+      os_printf("SLIP: bad CRC, crc=%04x rcv=%04x len=%d\n", crc, rcv, slip_len);
 
       for (short i=0; i<slip_len; i++) {
         if (slip_buf[i] >= ' ' && slip_buf[i] <= '~') {
           DBG("%c", slip_buf[i]);
-        }
-        else {
+        } else {
           DBG("\\%02X", slip_buf[i]);
         }
       }
@@ -79,12 +78,12 @@ static void ICACHE_FLASH_ATTR
 slip_parse_char(char c) {
   if (c == SLIP_END) {
     // either start or end of packet, process whatever we may have accumulated
+    DBG("SLIP: start or end len=%d inpkt=%d\n", slip_len, slip_inpkt);
     if (slip_len > 0) {
-      if (slip_inpkt) slip_process(); else console_process(slip_buf, slip_len);
+      if (slip_len > 2 && slip_inpkt) slip_process();
+      else console_process(slip_buf, slip_len);
     }
     slip_reset();
-    //slip_inpkt = true;
-    DBG("SLIP: start or end\n");
   } else if (slip_escaped) {
     // prev char was SLIP_ESC
     if (c == SLIP_ESC_END) c = SLIP_END;
@@ -94,7 +93,7 @@ slip_parse_char(char c) {
   } else if (slip_inpkt && c == SLIP_ESC) {
     slip_escaped = true;
   } else {
-    if (slip_len == 0 && slip_printable(c)) {
+    if (slip_len == 1 && slip_printable(slip_buf[0]) && slip_printable(c)) {
       // start of packet and it's a printable character, we're gonna assume that this is console text
       slip_inpkt = false;
     }
@@ -111,8 +110,8 @@ slip_parse_buf(char *buf, short length) {
 
   // if we're in-between packets (debug console) then print it now
   if (!slip_inpkt && length > 0) {
-    slip_process();
-    slip_reset();
+    console_process(slip_buf, slip_len);
+    slip_len = 0;
   }
 }