diff --git a/bin/cmd b/bin/cmd
index ce923f2ca4e0e3e18d1e477f450600e8814ce2c4..694c5e40900af336e06ab7541f545d0d7aa81ddd 100755
--- a/bin/cmd
+++ b/bin/cmd
@@ -44,13 +44,14 @@ class CommandLineInterface(object):
         # the command a container uuid as a way to make sure that we can make
         # the command idempotent.
         environ = os.environ
+        container_uuid = argv.ucontainername or str(uuid.uuid4())
         command = {'api': 'up_rpc_req',
                    'type': 'run',
                    'manifest': argv.manifest,
                    'path': argv.command,
                    'args': argv.args,
                    'environ': dict(environ),
-                   'container_uuid': argv.ucontainername or str(uuid.uuid4()),
+                   'container_uuid': container_uuid,
                    }
         msg = RPC_MSG['run'](**command)
         # command fsm
@@ -63,12 +64,7 @@ class CommandLineInterface(object):
         # the first message tells us if we started a container or not
         msg = self.client.recvmsg()
         assert msg.api == 'up_rpc_rep'
-        assert msg.type in ['start', 'process_start']
-        new_container = False
-        if msg.type == 'start':
-            new_container = True
-            msg = self.client.recvmsg()
-            assert msg.type == 'process_start'
+        assert msg.type == 'process_start'
         state = 'started'
         while(True):
             msg = self.client.recvmsg()
@@ -85,17 +81,13 @@ class CommandLineInterface(object):
                     erreof = True
             elif msg.type == 'process_exit':
                 logger.info("process ended: %r", msg)
-                if not new_container:
-                    state = 'exiting'
-            elif msg.type == 'exit':
-                if state == 'started':
-                    state = 'exiting'
-                    exitmsg = msg
-                else:
-                    logger.info("unexpected exit message: %r", msg)
+                state = 'exiting'
+                exitmsg = msg
+            else:
+                logger.error("unexpected message: %r", msg)
             if outeof and erreof and state == 'exiting':
                 state = 'exit'
-                logger.info("container ended: %r", exitmsg)
+                logger.info("command ended: %r", exitmsg)
                 break
 
     def do_list(self, argv):
diff --git a/nrm/daemon.py b/nrm/daemon.py
index 5f27201377f57ce14c3284d46f09b19881a42379..9680fb4e8d68366b09aed4a53858a4d32ce90327 100644
--- a/nrm/daemon.py
+++ b/nrm/daemon.py
@@ -100,14 +100,14 @@ class Daemon(object):
                     p = container.power['profile']
                     p['start'] = self.machine_info['energy']['energy']
                     p['start']['time'] = self.machine_info['time']
-                update = {'api': 'up_rpc_rep',
-                          'type': 'start',
+                update = {'api': 'up_pub',
+                          'type': 'container_start',
                           'container_uuid': container_uuid,
                           'errno': 0 if container else -1,
                           'power': container.power['policy'] or dict()
                           }
-                self.upstream_rpc_server.sendmsg(RPC_MSG['start'](**update),
-                                                 client)
+                self.upstream_pub_server.sendmsg(
+                        PUB_MSG['container_start'](**update))
                 self.container_owner[container.uuid] = client
 
             # now deal with the process itself
@@ -219,8 +219,8 @@ class Daemon(object):
                     # kill everything
                     if self.container_owner[container.uuid] == clientid:
                         # deal with container exit
-                        msg = {'api': 'up_rpc_rep',
-                               'type': 'exit',
+                        msg = {'api': 'up_pub',
+                               'type': 'container_exit',
                                'container_uuid': container.uuid,
                                'profile_data': dict(),
                                }
@@ -242,8 +242,8 @@ class Daemon(object):
                                         container.uuid, diff)
                             msg['profile_data'] = diff
                         self.container_manager.delete(container.uuid)
-                        self.upstream_rpc_server.sendmsg(
-                                RPC_MSG['exit'](**msg), clientid)
+                        self.upstream_pub_server.sendmsg(
+                                PUB_MSG['container_exit'](**msg))
                         del self.container_owner[container.uuid]
             else:
                 logger.debug("child update ignored")
diff --git a/nrm/messaging.py b/nrm/messaging.py
index 053bcd3e818c1211b6d39fca0fa07d112c5cb4bc..4c71924ee8d94d871dc6a4155e067dd7fa65eef1 100644
--- a/nrm/messaging.py
+++ b/nrm/messaging.py
@@ -29,23 +29,24 @@ MSGFORMATS['up_rpc_req'] = {'list': {},
                             'kill': {'container_uuid': basestring},
                             'setpower': {'limit': basestring},
                             }
-MSGFORMATS['up_rpc_rep'] = {'start': {'container_uuid': basestring,
-                                      'errno': int,
-                                      'power': dict},
-                            'list': {'payload': list},
+MSGFORMATS['up_rpc_rep'] = {'list': {'payload': list},
                             'stdout': {'container_uuid': basestring,
                                        'payload': basestring},
                             'stderr': {'container_uuid': basestring,
                                        'payload': basestring},
-                            'exit': {'container_uuid': basestring,
-                                     'profile_data': dict},
                             'process_start': {'container_uuid': basestring,
                                               'pid': int},
                             'process_exit': {'container_uuid': basestring,
                                              'status': basestring},
                             'getpower': {'limit': basestring},
                             }
-MSGFORMATS['up_pub'] = {'power': {'total': int, 'limit': float}}
+MSGFORMATS['up_pub'] = {'power': {'total': int, 'limit': float},
+                        'container_start': {'container_uuid': basestring,
+                                            'errno': int,
+                                            'power': dict},
+                        'container_exit': {'container_uuid': basestring,
+                                           'profile_data': dict},
+                        }
 
 # Mirror of the message formats, using namedtuples as the actual transport
 # for users of this messaging layer.