diff --git a/internal/server/server.go b/internal/server/server.go
index be2bbc9..ffcec2f 100644
--- a/internal/server/server.go
+++ b/internal/server/server.go
@@ -163,8 +163,9 @@ func (s *Server) Shutdown() {
 
 		log := s.Child("sessions")
 		s.Lock()
-		if len(s.sessions) > 0 {
-			log.Info("broadcasting shutdown to %d active sessions", len(s.sessions))
+		numSessions := len(s.sessions)
+		if numSessions > 0 {
+			log.Info("broadcasting shutdown to %d active sessions", numSessions)
 			for id, sn := range s.sessions {
 				log.Info("sending done signal to session: %d", id)
 				sn.done <- true
@@ -174,7 +175,9 @@ func (s *Server) Shutdown() {
 		}
 		s.Unlock()
 
-		log.Info("waiting on connected sessions to shut down")
+		if numSessions > 0 {
+			log.Info("waiting on %d connected sessions to shut down", numSessions)
+		}
 		s.waitOnSessions.Wait()
 		log.Info("all sessions have shut down")
 	}()
diff --git a/internal/wire/client.go b/internal/wire/client.go
index 47c8e1d..361558f 100644
--- a/internal/wire/client.go
+++ b/internal/wire/client.go
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ func (c *Client) readLoop(notifications chan<- Response) {
 	defer close(notifications)
 
 	for {
+		c.Info("waiting for a reader frame")
 		_, r, err := c.conn.NextReader()
 		if err != nil {
 			if websocket.IsCloseError(err, websocket.CloseNormalClosure) {
@@ -130,7 +131,7 @@ func (c *Client) writeLoop() {
 		select {
 		case p := <-c.outbox:
 			c.lastSeq++
-			req := NewRequest(c.lastSeq, p.v)
+			req := Request{c.lastSeq, p.v}
 
 			w, err := c.conn.NextWriter(websocket.TextMessage)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/wire/request.go b/internal/wire/request.go
index b7b519c..c548d20 100644
--- a/internal/wire/request.go
+++ b/internal/wire/request.go
@@ -1,15 +1,41 @@
 package wire
 
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+)
+
 type Request struct {
-	Seq  int         `json:"seq"`
-	Type string      `json:"type"`
-	Body interface{} `json:"body"`
+	Seq  int
+	Body Value
+}
+
+func (r Request) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
+	return json.Marshal([]interface{}{r.Seq, r.Body.NetTag(), r.Body})
 }
 
-func NewRequest(seq int, v Value) Request {
-	return Request{
-		Seq:  seq,
-		Type: v.NetTag(),
-		Body: v,
+func (r *Request) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) error {
+	var parts [3]json.RawMessage
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(b, &parts); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(parts[0], &r.Seq); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	var tag string
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(parts[1], &tag); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	f, ok := registry[tag]
+	if !ok {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unknown tag: %q", tag)
+	}
+	v := f()
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(parts[2], v); err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
+	r.Body = v
+	return nil
 }