diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/irq.c b/arch/x86/kernel/irq.c
index 9e8ca5e8..017491fb 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/irq.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/irq.c
@@ -235,7 +235,10 @@ void irq_handler(struct state *s)
 	void (*handler) (struct state * s);
 
 	// at first, we check our work queues
-	if( s->int_no == 124 ) 	check_workqueues();
+	if( s->int_no == 124 ) {
+		kprintf( "Got remote interrupt!\n" );
+		check_workqueues();
+	}
 
 	/* 
 	 * Find out if we have a custom handler to run for this
diff --git a/arch/x86/scc/iRCCE_mailbox.c b/arch/x86/scc/iRCCE_mailbox.c
index 8b14480a..901799c2 100644
--- a/arch/x86/scc/iRCCE_mailbox.c
+++ b/arch/x86/scc/iRCCE_mailbox.c
@@ -169,12 +169,10 @@ int iRCCE_mail_recv(
 				iRCCE_mailbox_recv_queue[i]->next;
 			help_header->next = NULL;
 
-
 			*header = help_header;
 			return iRCCE_SUCCESS;
 		}
 	}
-
 	// no mail queued
 	*header = NULL;
 	return iRCCE_MAILBOX_EMPTY;
diff --git a/arch/x86/scc/icc.c b/arch/x86/scc/icc.c
index 1c3e7f05..16e7cc73 100644
--- a/arch/x86/scc/icc.c
+++ b/arch/x86/scc/icc.c
@@ -234,6 +234,8 @@ int icc_ping(int ue)
 
 int icc_mail_ping( void )
 {
+	kprintf( "Hello from mail_ping ... \n" );
+	
 	uint32_t flags;
 	uint64_t timer;
 	int remote_rank = (my_ue+1)%2;
@@ -249,7 +251,7 @@ int icc_mail_ping( void )
 	timer = rdtsc();
 
 	iRCCE_mail_send( 0, 1, 0, NULL, remote_rank );
-	kprintf( "Sent pingrequest to %d ...\n", remote_rank );
+//	kprintf( "Sent pingrequest to %d ...\n", remote_rank );
 
 
 	// wake up receiver
@@ -347,10 +349,10 @@ void icc_check(void)
 
 void icc_mail_check(void)
 {
-	if( !my_ue ) return ;
-
 	iRCCE_MAIL_HEADER* header;
-	int res;
+	int res, count = 0;
+
+//	if( !my_ue ) return;
 
 	kprintf( "Hello from icc_mail_check() \n" );
 
@@ -361,9 +363,11 @@ void icc_mail_check(void)
 			kprintf( "Received mail_ping request ...\n" );
 			iRCCE_mail_send( 0, 2, 0, NULL, header->source );	
 		}
-
+		count++;
 		iRCCE_mail_release( &header );
 	} while( res == iRCCE_SUCCESS );
+
+	kprintf( "received %d headers!\n", count );
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/kernel/main.c b/kernel/main.c
index 4238ea72..f2fcf076 100644
--- a/kernel/main.c
+++ b/kernel/main.c
@@ -86,7 +86,6 @@ int main(void)
 	kprintf("This is MetalSVM %s Build %u, %u\n", 
 			METALSVM_VERSION, &__BUILD_DATE, &__BUILD_TIME);
 	popbg();
-
 	system_init();
 	irq_init();
 	timer_init();
@@ -103,7 +102,6 @@ int main(void)
 	irq_enable();
 
 	kprintf("Kernel starts at %p and ends at %p\n", &kernel_start, &kernel_end);
-		
 	system_calibration();
 	network_init();
 
@@ -115,6 +113,7 @@ int main(void)
 	sleep(5);
 	list_root();
 //	test_init();
+	kprintf( "starting mailbox ...\n " );	
 	mailbox_test_init();
 	per_core(current_task)->status = TASK_IDLE;
 	reschedule();