diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/icc.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/icc.h
index 56e29ca2..b778e2f0 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/icc.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/icc.h
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ int icc_halt(void);
 int icc_send_irq(int ue);
 void icc_mail_check(void);
 int icc_mail_ping(void);
+int icc_irq_ping(void);
 int icc_mail_ping_irq(void);
 int icc_mail_noise(void);
 
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/irq.c b/arch/x86/kernel/irq.c
index 49602774..47d4d028 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/irq.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/irq.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include <asm/isrs.h>
 #include <asm/apic.h>
 
+#define FPGA_BASE 0xf9000000
 /* 
  * These are our own ISRs that point to our special IRQ handler
  * instead of the regular 'fault_handler' function 
@@ -236,8 +237,18 @@ void irq_handler(struct state *s)
 	
 	// at first, we check our work queues
 	if( s->int_no == 124 ) {	
-		check_workqueues();
+		kprintf( "hello from rem_interrupt\n" );
 	}
+		int status_reg1 = FPGA_BASE + 0x0D008;
+		int cont1 = *((int*)status_reg1);
+		int comp = 1;
+		int core_num = -1;
+
+		if( cont1 & comp ) {
+			kprintf( "Interrupt from core 1\n" );
+		}
+		check_workqueues();
+//	}
 	/* 
 	 * Find out if we have a custom handler to run for this
 	 * IRQ and then finally, run it 
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/timer.c b/arch/x86/kernel/timer.c
index 995fb747..71af6a5e 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/timer.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/timer.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ void timer_wait(unsigned int ticks)
 	uint64_t eticks = timer_ticks + ticks;
 
 	while (timer_ticks < eticks) {
-		//check_workqueues();
+//		check_workqueues();
 
 		// recheck break condition
 		if (timer_ticks >= eticks)
diff --git a/arch/x86/scc/iRCCE_mailbox.c b/arch/x86/scc/iRCCE_mailbox.c
index d2d946e1..dbf58f78 100644
--- a/arch/x86/scc/iRCCE_mailbox.c
+++ b/arch/x86/scc/iRCCE_mailbox.c
@@ -350,6 +350,9 @@ int iRCCE_mail_send(
 		RC_cache_invalidate();
 	}
 
+	/* disable interrupts */
+	flags = irq_nested_disable();
+
 	// check if mailbox is closed
 	RCCE_acquire_lock( dest );
 	RC_cache_invalidate();
@@ -373,19 +376,17 @@ int iRCCE_mail_send(
 	iRCCE_memcpy_put( (void*)iRCCE_mailbox_send[dest],
 			(void*)&header, RCCE_LINE_SIZE );
 	
-	/* disable interrupts */
-	flags = irq_nested_disable();
-
 	// set senders flag
 	RC_cache_invalidate();
 	iRCCE_mailbox_send[dest]->sent = RCCE_FLAG_SET;
 	*(int *)RCCE_fool_write_combine_buffer = 1;			
 	RC_cache_invalidate(); 
 
+	RCCE_release_lock( dest );
+
 	/* enable interrupts */
 	irq_nested_enable(flags);
 
-	RCCE_release_lock( dest );
 	
 	return iRCCE_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/arch/x86/scc/icc.c b/arch/x86/scc/icc.c
index 58db46ab..71239ec9 100644
--- a/arch/x86/scc/icc.c
+++ b/arch/x86/scc/icc.c
@@ -195,9 +195,33 @@ int icc_halt(void)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-#define ROUNDS 300000
+#define ROUNDS 100000
 #define CORE_A 1	 	// sender
-#define CORE_B 9		// receiver 
+#define CORE_B 4		// receiver 
+
+
+int icc_send_spec_irq(int core_num) {
+	int addr = FPGA_BASE+0x0D608;
+	int tmp;
+	tmp=ReadConfigReg(addr);
+
+	kprintf( "tmp = %x\n", tmp );
+	tmp |= 1;
+	kprintf( "tmp = %x\n", tmp );
+	SetConfigReg(addr, tmp);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+
+int icc_irq_ping() 
+{
+	if( my_ue != 0 ) return -1;
+
+	icc_send_spec_irq(1);
+	icc_send_irq(1);	
+	kprintf( "sending irq to 1!\n");
+	return 0;
+}
 
 static inline void icc_mail_check_tag(iRCCE_MAIL_HEADER* mail) {
 	char* recv_buffer;
@@ -236,14 +260,6 @@ int icc_mail_ping( void )
 	kprintf( "rounds = %d\n", ROUNDS );
 
 
-	/* wait 10 sec */
-	timer = rdtsc();
-	while( (rdtsc() - timer) < 533e8 ) {
-		kprintf( "waiting ...\n" );
-	}
-
-	kprintf( "waited ..\n" );
-
 	// disable interrupts
 	flags = irq_nested_disable();
 	
@@ -276,7 +292,7 @@ int icc_mail_ping( void )
 						break;
 					iRCCE_mail_release(&recv_header);
 				}
-			} while( (!recv_header));
+			} while( 1 );
 
 			/* send response */
 			iRCCE_mail_send(0, PING_RESP, 0, NULL, recv_header->source);
@@ -330,6 +346,9 @@ int icc_mail_ping_irq( void )
 		iRCCE_mail_send(0, PING_REQ, 0, NULL, rem_rank);
 
 		/* send interrupt */
+		NOP8;
+		NOP8;
+		NOP8;
 		icc_send_irq(rem_rank);
 
 		/* wait for response */
@@ -376,7 +395,7 @@ int icc_mail_noise() {
 	iRCCE_MAIL_HEADER* recv_mail = NULL;
 
 	// leave function if not participating
-	if( (my_ue == CORE_A)/*  || (my_ue == CORE_B)*/ ) {
+	if( (my_ue == CORE_A)  || (my_ue == CORE_B) ) {
 		return -1;
 	}  
 	
@@ -387,14 +406,14 @@ int icc_mail_noise() {
 		for( j=0; j<num_ranks; ++j ) {
 			if( (j == CORE_A) || (j == CORE_B) ) 
 				continue;
-
-			iRCCE_mail_send(0, 100, 1, NULL, j);
+	
+			iRCCE_mail_send(0, 100, 0, NULL, j);
 			res = iRCCE_mail_recv(&recv_mail);
 			if( res == iRCCE_SUCCESS ) {
 				icc_mail_check_tag(recv_mail);
 				iRCCE_mail_release(&recv_mail);
 			}
-		
+
 		}
 
 		/* read some mails */
@@ -402,13 +421,10 @@ int icc_mail_noise() {
 			icc_mail_check_tag(recv_mail);
 			iRCCE_mail_release(&recv_mail);	
 		}
-		
-//		irq_nested_enable(flags);
-//		NOP8;
-//		NOP8;
-
+	
 	}
 
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/include/metalsvm/tasks.h b/include/metalsvm/tasks.h
index 86a41e18..289c7d8d 100644
--- a/include/metalsvm/tasks.h
+++ b/include/metalsvm/tasks.h
@@ -140,13 +140,13 @@ int sys_execve(const char* fname, char** argv, char** env);
 
 static inline void check_workqueues(void)
 {
-	uint32_t flags = irq_nested_disable();
+//	uint32_t flags = irq_nested_disable();
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_ROCKCREEK
 	icc_mail_check();
 #endif
 
-	irq_nested_enable(flags);
+//	irq_nested_enable(flags);
 }
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/kernel/tests.c b/kernel/tests.c
index b0a5ec08..61e1c56d 100644
--- a/kernel/tests.c
+++ b/kernel/tests.c
@@ -88,8 +88,9 @@ static int STDCALL foo(void* arg)
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_ROCKCREEK
 int STDCALL mail_ping(void* arg) {
-		icc_mail_ping();        
-		//icc_mail_ping_irq();        
+	//	icc_mail_ping();        
+	//	icc_mail_ping_irq();        
+		icc_irq_ping();
 		icc_halt();
 
 	return 0;
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ int test_init(void)
 	//create_kernel_task(NULL, producer, NULL);
 	//create_kernel_task(NULL, consumer, NULL);
 	create_kernel_task(NULL, mail_ping, NULL);
-//	create_kernel_task(NULL, mail_noise, NULL);
+	//create_kernel_task(NULL, mail_noise, NULL);
 	//create_user_task(NULL, "/bin/hello", argv);
 	//create_user_task(NULL, "/bin/tests", argv);
 	//create_user_task(NULL, "/bin/jacobi", argv);