diff --git a/src/bin/fullnode.rs b/src/bin/fullnode.rs
index 9ded7d2f9e..0d9a7ad799 100644
--- a/src/bin/fullnode.rs
+++ b/src/bin/fullnode.rs
@@ -11,11 +11,11 @@ use solana::crdt::{ReplicatedData, TestNode};
 use solana::fullnode::start;
 use std::env;
 use std::fs::File;
-use std::io::{stdin, stdout, Write};
+use std::io::stdin;
 use std::net::{IpAddr, Ipv4Addr, SocketAddr};
 use std::process::exit;
 use std::sync::atomic::AtomicBool;
-use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
+use std::sync::Arc;
 //use std::time::Duration;
 
 fn print_usage(program: &str, opts: Options) {
@@ -79,24 +79,17 @@ fn main() -> () {
             exit(1);
         }
     }
-    let node = TestNode::new_with_bind_addr(repl_data, bind_addr);
+    let mut node = TestNode::new_with_bind_addr(repl_data, bind_addr);
     let exit = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
-    let mut reader = stdin().lock();
     let threads = if matches.opt_present("t") {
         let testnet_address_string = matches.opt_str("t").unwrap();
         let testnet_addr = testnet_address_string.parse().unwrap();
-        start(node, false, &mut reader, Some(testnet_addr), None, exit)
+        start(node, false, None, Some(testnet_addr), None, exit)
     } else {
-        repl_data.current_leader_id = repl_data.id.clone();
+        node.data.current_leader_id = node.data.id.clone();
 
-        let outfile: Write + Send + 'static = if matches.opt_present("o") {
-            let path = matches.opt_str("o").unwrap();
-            let f = File::create(&path).expect(&format!("unable to open output file \"{}\"", path));
-            Mutex::new(f)
-        } else {
-            stdout().lock()
-        };
-        start(node, true, &mut reader, None, Some(&outfile), exit)
+        let outfile = matches.opt_str("o");
+        start(node, true, None, None, outfile, exit)
     };
     for t in threads {
         t.join().expect("join");
diff --git a/src/fullnode.rs b/src/fullnode.rs
index 2e2b09d016..425cfea003 100644
--- a/src/fullnode.rs
+++ b/src/fullnode.rs
@@ -2,32 +2,42 @@ use bank::Bank;
 use crdt::{ReplicatedData, TestNode};
 use entry_writer;
 use server::Server;
-use std::io::{BufRead, Write};
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::io::{stdin, stdout, BufReader};
 use std::net::SocketAddr;
 use std::sync::atomic::AtomicBool;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::thread::JoinHandle;
 //use std::time::Duration;
 
-pub fn start<'a, R: BufRead, W: Write + Send + 'static>(
+pub fn start(
     mut node: TestNode,
     leader: bool,
-    infile: &'a mut R,
+    infile: Option<String>,
     network_entry_for_validator: Option<SocketAddr>,
-    outfile_for_leader: Option<W>,
+    outfile_for_leader: Option<String>,
     exit: Arc<AtomicBool>,
 ) -> Vec<JoinHandle<()>> {
-    eprintln!("creating bank...");
-    let entries = entry_writer::read_entries(infile).map(|e| e.expect("failed to parse entry"));
+    info!("creating bank...");
     let bank = Bank::default();
+    let entry_height = if let Some(path) = infile {
+        let f = File::open(path).unwrap();
+        let mut r = BufReader::new(f);
+        let entries = entry_writer::read_entries(&mut r).map(|e| e.expect("failed to parse entry"));
+        info!("processing ledger...");
+        bank.process_ledger(entries).expect("process_ledger")
+    } else {
+        let mut r = BufReader::new(stdin());
+        let entries = entry_writer::read_entries(&mut r).map(|e| e.expect("failed to parse entry"));
+        info!("processing ledger...");
+        bank.process_ledger(entries).expect("process_ledger")
+    };
 
     // entry_height is the network-wide agreed height of the ledger.
     //  initialize it from the input ledger
-    eprintln!("processing ledger...");
-    let entry_height = bank.process_ledger(entries).expect("process_ledger");
-    eprintln!("processed {} ledger...", entry_height);
+    info!("processed {} ledger...", entry_height);
 
-    eprintln!("creating networking stack...");
+    info!("creating networking stack...");
 
     let local_gossip_addr = node.sockets.gossip.local_addr().unwrap();
     let local_requests_addr = node.sockets.requests.local_addr().unwrap();
@@ -58,22 +68,37 @@ pub fn start<'a, R: BufRead, W: Write + Send + 'static>(
         s.thread_hdls
     } else {
         node.data.current_leader_id = node.data.id.clone();
-        let f = outfile_for_leader.expect("outfile is needed for leader");
-        let outfile: Box<Write + Send + 'static> = Box::new(f);
-        let server = Server::new_leader(
-            bank,
-            entry_height,
-            //Some(Duration::from_millis(1000)),
-            None,
-            node.data.clone(),
-            node.sockets.requests,
-            node.sockets.transaction,
-            node.sockets.broadcast,
-            node.sockets.respond,
-            node.sockets.gossip,
-            exit.clone(),
-            outfile,
-        );
+        let server = if let Some(file) = outfile_for_leader {
+            Server::new_leader(
+                bank,
+                entry_height,
+                //Some(Duration::from_millis(1000)),
+                None,
+                node.data.clone(),
+                node.sockets.requests,
+                node.sockets.transaction,
+                node.sockets.broadcast,
+                node.sockets.respond,
+                node.sockets.gossip,
+                exit.clone(),
+                File::create(file).expect("opening ledger file"),
+            )
+        } else {
+            Server::new_leader(
+                bank,
+                entry_height,
+                //Some(Duration::from_millis(1000)),
+                None,
+                node.data.clone(),
+                node.sockets.requests,
+                node.sockets.transaction,
+                node.sockets.broadcast,
+                node.sockets.respond,
+                node.sockets.gossip,
+                exit.clone(),
+                stdout(),
+            )
+        };
         info!(
             "leader ready... local request address: {} (advertising {})",
             local_requests_addr, node.data.requests_addr
diff --git a/src/streamer.rs b/src/streamer.rs
index c76b6b1348..739489e91e 100644
--- a/src/streamer.rs
+++ b/src/streamer.rs
@@ -228,6 +228,7 @@ fn recv_window(
     let leader_id = crdt.read()
         .expect("'crdt' read lock in fn recv_window")
         .leader_data()
+        .expect("leader not ready")
         .id;
     while let Ok(mut nq) = r.try_recv() {
         dq.append(&mut nq)