diff --git a/server/include/utils.h b/server/include/utils.h
index 239904ccf..e91bfeab9 100644
--- a/server/include/utils.h
+++ b/server/include/utils.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <sched.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -99,6 +100,13 @@ cpu_set_t to_cpu_set(int set);
 /** Allocate and initialize memory. */
 void * alloc(size_t bytes);
 
+/** Wait until timer elapsed
+ *
+ * @retval 0 An error occured. Maybe the timer was stopped.
+ * @retval >0 The nummer of runs this timer already fired.
+ */
+uint64_t timerfd_wait(int fd);
+
 /** Get delta between two timespec structs */
 double timespec_delta(struct timespec *start, struct timespec *end);
 
diff --git a/server/src/file.c b/server/src/file.c
index 6e7a68657..701737ac3 100644
--- a/server/src/file.c
+++ b/server/src/file.c
@@ -98,15 +98,15 @@ int file_read(struct node *n, struct msg *pool, int poolsize, int first, int cnt
 {
 	int i = 0;
 	struct file *f = n->file;
-	uint64_t runs;
 	
 	if (f->in) {
-		read(f->tfd, &runs, sizeof(runs)); /* blocking for 1/f->rate seconds */
-	
-		for (i=0; i<cnt; i++) {
-			struct msg *m = &pool[(first+i) % poolsize];
+		/* Blocking for 1/f->rate seconds */
+		if (timerfd_wait(f->tfd)) {
+			for (i=0; i<cnt; i++) {
+				struct msg *m = &pool[(first+i) % poolsize];
 
-			msg_fscan(f->in, m);
+				msg_fscan(f->in, m);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	else
diff --git a/server/src/path.c b/server/src/path.c
index 192f45633..0ae8796a6 100644
--- a/server/src/path.c
+++ b/server/src/path.c
@@ -27,10 +27,6 @@ struct list paths;
 static void * path_send(void *arg)
 {
 	struct path *p = arg;
-
-	int ret;
-	uint64_t runs;
-
 	struct itimerspec its = {
 		.it_interval = timespec_rate(p->rate),
 		.it_value = { 1, 0 }
@@ -40,19 +36,17 @@ static void * path_send(void *arg)
 	if (p->tfd < 0)
 		serror("Failed to create timer");
 
-	ret = timerfd_settime(p->tfd, 0, &its, NULL);
-	if (ret)
+	if (timerfd_settime(p->tfd, 0, &its, NULL))
 		serror("Failed to start timer");
 
-	while (1) {
-		/* Block until 1/p->rate seconds elapsed */
-		read(p->tfd, &runs, sizeof(runs));
 		
 		FOREACH(&p->destinations, it)
 			p->sent += node_write(p->in, p->pool, p->poolsize, p->received, p->in->combine);
 		
 		debug(10, "Sent %u messages to %u destination nodes", p->in->combine, p->destinations.length);
 	}
+	/* Block until 1/p->rate seconds elapsed */
+	while (timerfd_wait(p->tfd))	
 
 	return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/server/src/random.c b/server/src/random.c
index 5feeda828..89c182ba7 100644
--- a/server/src/random.c
+++ b/server/src/random.c
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
 
-	uint64_t runs;
 	int rate = atoi(argv[2]);
 	struct msg m = MSG_INIT(atoi(argv[1]));
 
@@ -53,16 +52,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	/* Print header */
 	fprintf(stderr, "# %-6s%-12s\n", "seq", "data");
 
-	while (1) {
-		/* Block until 1/p->rate seconds elapsed */
-		read(tfd, &runs, sizeof(runs));
-		
+	/* Block until 1/p->rate seconds elapsed */
+	while ((m.sequence = timerfd_wait(tfd))) {
 		msg_random(&m);
 		msg_fprint(stdout, &m);
 		
 		fflush(stdout);
-
-		m.sequence++;
 	}
 
 	close(tfd);
diff --git a/server/src/socket.c b/server/src/socket.c
index fec5fcd8f..1c3aac511 100644
--- a/server/src/socket.c
+++ b/server/src/socket.c
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ int socket_read(struct node *n, struct msg *pool, int poolsize, int first, int c
 	if (bytes != 0)
 		error("Packet length does not match message header length!");
 
-	return 0;
+	return cnt;
 }
 
 int socket_write(struct node *n, struct msg *pool, int poolsize, int first, int cnt)
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ int socket_write(struct node *n, struct msg *pool, int poolsize, int first, int
 	if (ret < 0)
 		serror("Failed send");
 
-	return 0;
+	return cnt;
 }
 
 int socket_parse(config_setting_t *cfg, struct node *n)
diff --git a/server/src/utils.c b/server/src/utils.c
index e06856b3f..3d49990b9 100644
--- a/server/src/utils.c
+++ b/server/src/utils.c
@@ -79,6 +79,13 @@ void * alloc(size_t bytes)
 	return p;
 }
 
+uint64_t timerfd_wait(int fd)
+{
+	uint64_t runs;
+	
+	return read(fd, &runs, sizeof(runs)) < 0 ? 0 : runs;
+}
+
 double timespec_delta(struct timespec *start, struct timespec *end)
 {
 	double sec  = end->tv_sec - start->tv_sec;