diff --git a/oml/item/api.py b/oml/item/api.py
index ca671e9..b19fed3 100644
--- a/oml/item/api.py
+++ b/oml/item/api.py
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ actions.register(cancelDownloads, cache=False)
 
 
 def scan(data):
-    state.main.add_callback(state.websockets[0].put, json.dumps(['scan', {}]))
+    state.tasks.queue('scan', {})
     return {}
 actions.register(scan, cache=False)
 
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ def _import(data):
         }
     '''
     logger.debug('api.import %s', data)
-    state.main.add_callback(state.websockets[0].put, json.dumps(['import', data]))
+    state.tasks.queue('import', data)
     return {}
 actions.register(_import, 'import', cache=False)
 
diff --git a/oml/server.py b/oml/server.py
index f4efad2..bf37f03 100644
--- a/oml/server.py
+++ b/oml/server.py
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ def run():
         import user
         import downloads
         import nodes
+        import tasks
+        state.tasks = tasks.Tasks(app)
         state.node = node.server.start(app)
         state.nodes = nodes.Nodes(app)
         state.downloads = downloads.Downloads(app)
diff --git a/oml/state.py b/oml/state.py
index 4f1e96b..fcb54bd 100644
--- a/oml/state.py
+++ b/oml/state.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 websockets = []
 nodes = False
+tasks = False
 main = None
 online = False
 host = None
diff --git a/oml/tasks.py b/oml/tasks.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..660122b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/oml/tasks.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+# vi:si:et:sw=4:sts=4:ts=4
+from __future__ import division
+
+from Queue import Queue
+from threading import Thread
+
+from websocket import trigger_event
+
+
+import logging
+logger = logging.getLogger('oml.websocket')
+
+class Tasks(Thread):
+
+    def __init__(self, app):
+        self.q = Queue()
+        self.connected = True
+        self._app = app
+        Thread.__init__(self)
+        self.daemon = True
+        self.start()
+
+    def run(self):
+        import item.scan
+        while self.connected:
+            m = self.q.get()
+            if m:
+                print m
+                action, data = m
+                if action == 'ping':
+                    trigger_event('pong', data)
+                elif action == 'import':
+                    item.scan.run_import(data)
+                elif action == 'scan':
+                    item.scan.run_scan()
+                elif action == 'update':
+                    trigger_event('error', {'error': 'not implemented'})
+                else:
+                    trigger_event('error', {'error': 'unknown action'})
+            self.q.task_done()
+
+    def join(self):
+        self.connected = False
+        self.put(None)
+        self.q.join()
+        return Thread.join(self)
+
+    def queue(self, action, data):
+        self.q.put((action, data))
+
diff --git a/oml/user/models.py b/oml/user/models.py
index 70bb42d..1373592 100644
--- a/oml/user/models.py
+++ b/oml/user/models.py
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ class User(db.Model):
         if not user:
             user = cls(id=id, peered=False, online=False)
             user.info = {}
+            user.update_name()
             user.save()
         return user
 
diff --git a/oml/websocket.py b/oml/websocket.py
index 31ed993..94c0b94 100644
--- a/oml/websocket.py
+++ b/oml/websocket.py
@@ -4,9 +4,7 @@ from __future__ import division
 
 from tornado.websocket import WebSocketHandler
 from tornado.ioloop import IOLoop
-from Queue import Queue
 import json
-from threading import Thread
 
 from oxtornado import json_dumps
 
@@ -15,70 +13,37 @@ import state
 import logging
 logger = logging.getLogger('oml.websocket')
 
-class Background:
-
-    def __init__(self, handler):
-        self.handler = handler
-        self.q = Queue()
-        self.connected = True
-        self.main = IOLoop.instance()
-
-    def worker(self):
-        while self.connected:
-            message = self.q.get()
-            action, data = json.loads(message)
-            import item.scan
-            if action == 'ping':
-                self.post(['pong', data])
-            elif action == 'import':
-                item.scan.run_import(data)
-            elif action == 'scan':
-                item.scan.run_scan()
-            elif action == 'update':
-                self.post(['error', {'error': 'not implemented'}])
-            else:
-                self.post(['error', {'error': 'unknown action'}])
-            self.q.task_done()
-
-    def join(self):
-        self.q.join()
-
-    def put(self, data):
-        self.q.put(data)
-
-    def post(self, data):
-        if not isinstance(data, basestring):
-            data = json_dumps(data)
-        self.main.add_callback(lambda: self.handler.write_message(data))
-
 
 class Handler(WebSocketHandler):
-    background = None
 
     def open(self):
         if self.request.host not in self.request.headers['origin']:
             logger.debug('reject cross site attempt to open websocket %s', self.request)
             self.close()
-        self.background = Background(self)
-        state.websockets.append(self.background)
-        self.t = Thread(target=self.background.worker)
-        self.t.daemon = True
-        self.t.start()
+        if self not in state.websockets:
+            state.websockets.append(self)
+
 
     #websocket calls
     def on_message(self, message):
-        self.background.put(message)
+        action, data = json.load(message)
+        if state.tasks:
+            state.tasks.queue(action, data)
 
     def on_close(self):
-        if self.background:
-            state.websockets.remove(self.background)
-            self.background.connected = False
+        if self in state.websockets:
+            state.websockets.remove(self)
+
+    def post(self, event, data):
+        message = json_dumps([event, data])
+        main = IOLoop.instance()
+        main.add_callback(lambda: self.write_message(message))
 
 def trigger_event(event, data):
     if len(state.websockets):
         logger.debug('trigger event %s %s %s', event, data, len(state.websockets))
     for ws in state.websockets:
         try:
-            ws.post([event, data])
+            ws.post(event, data)
         except:
             logger.debug('failed to send to ws %s %s %s', ws, event, data, exc_info=1)