diff --git a/src/common/protocol.c b/src/common/protocol.c
--- a/src/common/protocol.c
+++ b/src/common/protocol.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 */
 
 #include "protocol.h"
+#include "remoteio.h"
 
 #include <malloc.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
@@ -44,6 +45,42 @@ int distren_request_new(struct distren_r
   return 0;
 }
 
+int distren_request_send(struct remoteio *rem, struct distren_request *req, void *data)
+{
+  void *packet;
+  void *packet_ptr;
+  size_t len;
+  size_t byteswritten;
+  int write_err;
+
+  if(req->magic != DISTREN_REQUEST_MAGIC)
+    fprintf(stderr, "distren_request_send got a bad req\n");
+
+  len = sizeof(struct distren_request) + req->len;
+
+  packet = malloc(len);
+  if(!packet)
+    {
+      fprintf(stderr, "Error allocating memory for packet\n");
+      return 1;
+    }
+  memcpy(packet, req, sizeof(struct distren_request));
+  memcpy(packet + sizeof(struct distren_request), data, req->len);
+
+  write_err = 0;
+  packet_ptr = packet;
+  while(len
+	&& !write_err)
+    {
+      write_err = remoteio_write(rem, packet_ptr, len, &byteswritten);
+      len -= byteswritten;
+      packet_ptr += byteswritten;
+    }
+  free(packet);
+
+  return 0;
+}
+
 int distren_request_new_fromdata(struct distren_request **req, void *data, size_t len)
 {
   struct distren_request *newreq;