diff --git a/include/villas/dumper.hpp b/include/villas/dumper.hpp
index 41f07bd9b..0877dc7d6 100644
--- a/include/villas/dumper.hpp
+++ b/include/villas/dumper.hpp
@@ -18,19 +18,23 @@ namespace node {
 class Dumper {
 
 protected:
+	bool active;
 	int socketFd;
-	std::string socketName;
+	std::string socketPath;
 	bool supressRepeatedWarning;
 	uint64_t warningCounter;
 	Logger logger;
 
 public:
-	Dumper(const std::string &socketNameIn);
+	Dumper();
 	~Dumper();
 
 	int openSocket();
 	int closeSocket();
+	bool isActive();
+	int setActive();
 
+	int setPath(std::string socketPathIn);
 	void writeDataCSV(unsigned len, double *yData, double *xData = nullptr);
 	void writeDataBinary(unsigned len, double *yData, double *xData = nullptr);
 };
diff --git a/lib/dumper.cpp b/lib/dumper.cpp
index 708507df8..9eb8431ee 100644
--- a/lib/dumper.cpp
+++ b/lib/dumper.cpp
@@ -18,30 +18,38 @@
 using namespace villas;
 using namespace villas::node;
 
-Dumper::Dumper(const std::string &socketNameIn) :
-	socketName(socketNameIn),
+Dumper::Dumper() :
+	active(false),
+	socketPath(""),
 	supressRepeatedWarning(true),
 	warningCounter(0),
 	logger(logging.get("dumper"))
-{
-	openSocket();
-}
+{}
 
 Dumper::~Dumper() {
 	closeSocket();
 }
 
+bool Dumper::isActive(){
+	return active;
+}
+
+int Dumper::setActive() {
+	active = true;
+	return 1;
+}
+
 int Dumper::openSocket()
 {
 	socketFd = socket(AF_LOCAL, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
 	if (socketFd < 0) {
-		logger->info("Error creating socket {}", socketName);
+		logger->info("Error creating socket {}", socketPath);
 		return -1;
 	}
 
 	sockaddr_un socketaddrUn;
 	socketaddrUn.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
-	strcpy(socketaddrUn.sun_path, socketName.c_str());
+	strcpy(socketaddrUn.sun_path, socketPath.c_str());
 
 	int ret = connect(socketFd, (struct sockaddr *) &socketaddrUn, sizeof(socketaddrUn));
 	if (!ret)
@@ -59,6 +67,11 @@ int Dumper::closeSocket()
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int Dumper::setPath(std::string socketPathIn) {
+	socketPath = socketPathIn;
+	return 1;
+}
+
 void Dumper::writeDataBinary(unsigned len, double *yData, double *xData){
 
 	if (warningCounter > 10)
@@ -67,22 +80,23 @@ void Dumper::writeDataBinary(unsigned len, double *yData, double *xData){
 	if (yData == nullptr)
 		return;
 
-	unsigned dataLen = len * sizeof(yData[0]);
+	unsigned dataLen = len * sizeof(double);
 	ssize_t bytesWritten = write(socketFd, &dataLen, sizeof(dataLen));
 	if ((size_t) bytesWritten != sizeof(len)) {
-		logger->warn("Could not send all content (Len) to socket {}", socketName);
+		logger->warn("Could not send all content (Len) to socket {}", socketPath);
 		warningCounter++;
 	}
 
-	bytesWritten = write(socketFd, "d000", 4);
-	if (bytesWritten != 4) {
-		logger->warn("Could not send all content (Type) to socket {}", socketName);
+	static const char buf[] = "d000";
+	bytesWritten = write(socketFd, buf, sizeof(buf));
+	if (bytesWritten != sizeof(buf)) {
+		logger->warn("Could not send all content (Type) to socket {}", socketPath);
 		warningCounter++;
 	}
 
 	bytesWritten = write(socketFd, yData, dataLen );
 	if (bytesWritten != (ssize_t) dataLen && (!supressRepeatedWarning || warningCounter <1 )) {
-		logger->warn("Could not send all content (Data) to socket {}", socketName);
+		logger->warn("Could not send all content (Data) to socket {}", socketPath);
 		warningCounter++;
 	}
 }
@@ -102,7 +116,7 @@ void Dumper::writeDataCSV(unsigned len, double *yData, double *xData)
 		auto str = ss.str();
 		auto bytesWritten =  write(socketFd, str.c_str(), str.length());
 		if ((size_t) bytesWritten != str.length() && (!supressRepeatedWarning || warningCounter < 1)) {
-			logger->warn("Could not send all content to socket {}", socketName);
+			logger->warn("Could not send all content to socket {}", socketPath);
 			warningCounter++;
 		}
 	}