diff --git a/src/server/slave.c b/src/server/slave.c
--- a/src/server/slave.c
+++ b/src/server/slave.c
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   /* Notifies the user if there no username in .conf */
   if(username == NULL || strcmp(username, "!username") == 0 )
     fprintf(stderr, "\nPlease ensure that your username is present in distrenslave.conf\n");
-  else 
+  else
     if( username != NULL || strcmp(username, "!username") != 0 )
       {
 	// Log in the user
@@ -132,13 +132,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 
   fprintf(stderr, "Loading config (fasten your seatbelts for a SEGFAULT :-D )...\n");
-  
+
 
   fprintf(stderr, "Connecting to server...\n");
   tmp = remoteio_open(&comm_slave, commonopts->remoteio, server);
   if(tmp)
     {
-      fprintf(stderr, "Error connecting to server; exitting\n");
+      fprintf(stderr, "Error connecting to server; exiting\n");
       return 1;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/server/slavefuncs.c b/src/server/slavefuncs.c
--- a/src/server/slavefuncs.c
+++ b/src/server/slavefuncs.c
@@ -39,13 +39,13 @@
 /**
    Sends the server a single request (see protocol.h)
 */
-int sendSignal(struct remoteio *rem, int signal)
+int sendSignal(struct remoteio *rem, char signal)
 {
   size_t written;
   size_t towrite;
   char *ssignal;
 
-  _distren_asprintf(&ssignal, "%d", signal);
+  _distren_asprintf(&ssignal, "%c", signal);
   towrite = strlen(ssignal);
   while( towrite
 	 && !remoteio_write(rem, ssignal, towrite, &written))
@@ -62,6 +62,34 @@ int sendSignal(struct remoteio *rem, int
    */
   return 1;
 }
+
+/**
+   Sends the server an extended signal (request + data)
+*/
+int sendExtSignal(struct remoteio *rem, char signal, char *data){
+  size_t written;
+  size_t towrite;
+  char *ssignal;
+  _distren_asprintf(&ssignal, "%c%s", signal, data); // Just append the data FIXME: We should do this differently
+  towrite = strlen(ssignal);
+  while( towrite
+          && !remoteio_write(rem, ssignal, towrite, &written))
+     {
+       printf(stderr, "Writing...");
+       towrite -= written;
+     }
+   if(written)
+     return 0;
+
+   /**
+      if remoteio_write returned 1, the connection
+      is probably dead or there was a real error
+    */
+   return 1;
+}
+
+
+
 /**
  utility function for XPath-ish stuff:
  */
diff --git a/src/server/slavefuncs.h b/src/server/slavefuncs.h
--- a/src/server/slavefuncs.h
+++ b/src/server/slavefuncs.h
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@
 
 
 struct msg;
-int sendSignal(struct remoteio *rem, int signal);
+int sendSignal(struct remoteio *rem, char signal);
+int sendExtSignal(struct remoteio *rem, char signal, char *data);
 xmlNodePtr xml_quickxpath(xmlXPathContextPtr xpathctxt, xmlChar *path);
 int software_updatecheck();
 int delete_jobdata(int jobnum, char *datadir);