diff --git a/src/client/distren.c b/src/client/distren.c
--- a/src/client/distren.c
+++ b/src/client/distren.c
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h> /* sprintf, printf */
 #include <stdlib.h> /* malloc, free */
+
 #include "options.h"
+#include "execio.h"
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
@@ -28,8 +30,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     {
       "ssh",
       "protofusion.org",
-      "echo",
-      "hello from protofusion.org"
+      "sh",
+      "-c",
+      "\"echo hello from ${HOSTNAME} 1>&2\"",
+      (char *)NULL
     };
 
   fprintf(stderr, "testing execio (It shouldn't work) :-)\n");
diff --git a/src/common/execio.c b/src/common/execio.c
--- a/src/common/execio.c
+++ b/src/common/execio.c
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ int execio_open(struct execio **rem, con
   
   int counter;
   int counter2;
+  int maxfds;
 
   /* create two pipes to facilitate communication with child */
   if(pipe(pipe_write))
@@ -111,6 +112,7 @@ int execio_open(struct execio **rem, con
       if(counter < pipe_read[1])
 	counter = pipe_read[1];
       counter2 = 0;
+      maxfds = counter;
       while(counter > 2)
 	{
 	  if(!close(counter))
@@ -119,7 +121,7 @@ int execio_open(struct execio **rem, con
 	}
       
       /* stderr is the only stream we haven't confiscated atm - just for fun - I will confiscate it later, though, to support parsing error messages */
-      fprintf(stderr, "closed %d fds before execing \"%s\"\n", counter2, progname);
+      fprintf(stderr, "closed %d/%d fds before execing \"%s\"\n", counter2, maxfds, progname);
 
       /*
 	now exec: execvp uses interpreter to find the file to exec
diff --git a/src/common/execio.h b/src/common/execio.h
--- a/src/common/execio.h
+++ b/src/common/execio.h
@@ -41,7 +41,11 @@ struct execio
   pid_t child;
 };
 
-/* nonzsero return on error */
+/*
+  runs progname with the arguments in argv. argv must be null terminated!!!!!!!!!
+
+  returns nonzsero return on error 
+*/
 int execio_open(struct execio **rem, const char *progname, char *const argv[]);
 
 /*