diff --git a/scripts/mzteinit/build.zig b/scripts/mzteinit/build.zig
index 97662fe..84a92ec 100644
--- a/scripts/mzteinit/build.zig
+++ b/scripts/mzteinit/build.zig
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.build.Builder) !void {
     const optimize = b.standardOptimizeOption(.{});
 
     const ansi_term_mod = b.dependency("ansi_term", .{}).module("ansi-term");
-    const s2s_mod = b.dependency("s2s", .{}).module("s2s");
 
     const exe = b.addExecutable(.{
         .name = "mzteinit",
@@ -30,7 +29,6 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.build.Builder) !void {
 
     inline for (.{ mzteinitctl, exe }) |e| {
         e.addModule("ansi-term", ansi_term_mod);
-        e.addModule("s2s", s2s_mod);
     }
 
     const cg_opt = try common.confgenGet(struct {
diff --git a/scripts/mzteinit/build.zig.zon b/scripts/mzteinit/build.zig.zon
index 371374f..3cb0ac5 100644
--- a/scripts/mzteinit/build.zig.zon
+++ b/scripts/mzteinit/build.zig.zon
@@ -7,10 +7,6 @@
             .url = "https://github.com/ziglibs/ansi-term/archive/1614b61486d567b59abe11a097d11aa6ce679819.tar.gz",
             .hash = "1220647eea49d2c48d5e59354291e975f813be3cc5a9d9920a50bbfaa40a891a06ee",
         },
-        .s2s = .{
-            .url = "https://github.com/ziglibs/s2s/archive/f1d0508cc47b2af353658d4e52616a45aafa91ce.tar.gz",
-            .hash = "122084b614cc4ac1e0694812d8863446840a314d8654afebad9b6966ebe6792931b1",
-        },
     },
     .paths = .{""},
 }
diff --git a/scripts/mzteinit/src/mzteinitctl.zig b/scripts/mzteinit/src/mzteinitctl.zig
index 3354126..e2d053c 100644
--- a/scripts/mzteinit/src/mzteinitctl.zig
+++ b/scripts/mzteinit/src/mzteinitctl.zig
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ const std = @import("std");
 
 const Client = @import("sock/Client.zig");
 
+pub const std_options = struct {
+    pub const log_level = .debug;
+};
+
 pub fn main() !void {
     var gpa = std.heap.GeneralPurposeAllocator(.{}){};
     defer _ = gpa.deinit();
@@ -12,19 +16,35 @@ pub fn main() !void {
 
     const verb = std.mem.span(std.os.argv[1]);
 
-    const client = try Client.connect(
-        std.os.getenv("MZTEINIT_SOCKET") orelse return error.SocketPathUnknown,
-    );
-    defer client.deinit();
-
     if (std.mem.eql(u8, verb, "ping")) {
+        const client = try Client.connect(
+            std.os.getenv("MZTEINIT_SOCKET") orelse return error.SocketPathUnknown,
+        );
+        defer client.deinit();
+
         try client.ping(alloc);
     } else if (std.mem.eql(u8, verb, "getenv")) {
         if (std.os.argv.len < 3)
             return error.InvalidArgs;
 
-        const val = try client.getenv(alloc, std.mem.span(std.os.argv[2]));
-        defer if (val) |v| alloc.free(v);
+        const client = if (std.os.getenv("MZTEINIT_SOCKET")) |sockpath|
+            try Client.connect(sockpath)
+        else nosock: {
+            std.log.warn("MZTEINIT_SOCKET not set", .{});
+            break :nosock null;
+        };
+        defer if (client) |cl| cl.deinit();
+
+        const mzteinit_val = if (client) |cl|
+            try cl.getenv(alloc, std.mem.span(std.os.argv[2]))
+        else
+            null;
+        defer if (mzteinit_val) |v| alloc.free(v);
+
+        const val = mzteinit_val orelse getenv: {
+            std.log.warn("Variable not known to MZTEINIT, falling back to current environment.", .{});
+            break :getenv std.os.getenv(std.mem.span(std.os.argv[2]));
+        };
 
         if (val) |v| {
             try std.io.getStdOut().writer().print("{s}\n", .{v});
diff --git a/scripts/mzteinit/src/sock/Client.zig b/scripts/mzteinit/src/sock/Client.zig
index 3a5b047..66c84d9 100644
--- a/scripts/mzteinit/src/sock/Client.zig
+++ b/scripts/mzteinit/src/sock/Client.zig
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 const std = @import("std");
-const s2s = @import("s2s");
 
 const message = @import("message.zig");
 
@@ -17,19 +16,19 @@ pub fn deinit(self: Client) void {
 }
 
 pub fn ping(self: Client, alloc: std.mem.Allocator) !void {
-    try s2s.serialize(self.stream.writer(), message.Serverbound, .ping);
-    var msg = try s2s.deserializeAlloc(self.stream.reader(), message.Clientbound, alloc);
-    defer s2s.free(alloc, message.Clientbound, &msg);
-    if (msg != .pong)
+    try (message.Serverbound{ .ping = .{} }).write(self.stream.writer());
+    const res = try message.Clientbound.read(self.stream.reader(), alloc);
+    defer res.deinit(alloc);
+    if (!std.meta.eql(res, .{ .pong = .{} }))
         return error.InvalidResponse;
 }
 
 pub fn getenv(self: Client, alloc: std.mem.Allocator, key: []const u8) !?[]u8 {
-    try s2s.serialize(self.stream.writer(), message.Serverbound, .{ .getenv = key });
-    var msg = try s2s.deserializeAlloc(self.stream.reader(), message.Clientbound, alloc);
-    defer s2s.free(alloc, message.Clientbound, &msg);
-    return switch (msg) {
-        .getenv_res => |val| if (val) |v| try alloc.dupe(u8, v) else null,
+    try (message.Serverbound{ .getenv = .{ .data = key } }).write(self.stream.writer());
+    const res = try message.Clientbound.read(self.stream.reader(), alloc);
+    defer res.deinit(alloc);
+    return switch (res) {
+        .getenv_res => |val| if (val.inner) |v| try alloc.dupe(u8, v.data) else null,
         else => error.InvalidResponse,
     };
 }
diff --git a/scripts/mzteinit/src/sock/Server.zig b/scripts/mzteinit/src/sock/Server.zig
index ece103a..a010225 100644
--- a/scripts/mzteinit/src/sock/Server.zig
+++ b/scripts/mzteinit/src/sock/Server.zig
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 const std = @import("std");
-const s2s = @import("s2s");
 
 const message = @import("message.zig");
 
 const Mutex = @import("../mutex.zig").Mutex;
 
+const log = std.log.scoped(.server);
+
 alloc: std.mem.Allocator,
 env: *Mutex(std.process.EnvMap),
 ss: std.net.StreamServer,
@@ -26,29 +27,34 @@ pub fn run(self: *Server) !void {
 }
 
 pub fn handleConnection(self: *Server, con: std.net.StreamServer.Connection) !void {
+    defer con.stream.close();
     while (true) {
-        var msg = s2s.deserializeAlloc(con.stream.reader(), message.Serverbound, self.alloc) catch |e| {
+        const msg = message.Serverbound.read(con.stream.reader(), self.alloc) catch |e| {
             switch (e) {
-                error.EndOfStream => {
-                    con.stream.close();
-                    return;
-                },
+                error.EndOfStream => return,
                 else => return e,
             }
         };
-        defer s2s.free(self.alloc, message.Serverbound, &msg);
+        defer msg.deinit(self.alloc);
 
         switch (msg) {
-            .ping => try s2s.serialize(con.stream.writer(), message.Clientbound, .pong),
+            .ping => {
+                log.info("got ping!", .{});
+                try (message.Clientbound{ .pong = .{} }).write(con.stream.writer());
+            },
             .getenv => |key| {
                 self.env.mtx.lock();
                 defer self.env.mtx.unlock();
 
-                try s2s.serialize(
-                    con.stream.writer(),
-                    message.Clientbound,
-                    .{ .getenv_res = self.env.data.get(key) },
-                );
+                log.info("env var '{s}' requested", .{key.data});
+
+                const payload = message.Clientbound{ .getenv_res = .{
+                    .inner = if (self.env.data.get(key.data)) |v|
+                        .{ .data = v }
+                    else
+                        null,
+                } };
+                try payload.write(con.stream.writer());
             },
         }
     }
diff --git a/scripts/mzteinit/src/sock/message.zig b/scripts/mzteinit/src/sock/message.zig
index ff4be66..13b4ca6 100644
--- a/scripts/mzteinit/src/sock/message.zig
+++ b/scripts/mzteinit/src/sock/message.zig
@@ -1,12 +1,117 @@
 const std = @import("std");
 
+const native_endian = @import("builtin").cpu.arch.endian();
+
 pub const Serverbound = union(enum) {
-    ping,
-    getenv: []const u8,
+    ping: NullPayload,
+    getenv: BytesPayload,
+
+    pub usingnamespace MessageFunctions(Serverbound);
 };
 
 pub const Clientbound = union(enum) {
-    pong,
-    getenv_res: ?[]const u8,
+    pong: NullPayload,
+    getenv_res: OptionalPayload(BytesPayload),
+
+    pub usingnamespace MessageFunctions(Clientbound);
 };
 
+pub const NullPayload = struct {
+    fn read(_: anytype, _: std.mem.Allocator) !NullPayload {
+        return .{};
+    }
+
+    fn write(_: NullPayload, _: anytype) !void {}
+};
+
+pub const BytesPayload = struct {
+    data: []const u8,
+
+    fn read(reader: anytype, alloc: std.mem.Allocator) !BytesPayload {
+        const len = try reader.readInt(usize, native_endian);
+        const data = try alloc.alloc(u8, len);
+        errdefer alloc.free(data);
+        try reader.readNoEof(data);
+
+        return .{ .data = data };
+    }
+
+    fn write(self: *const BytesPayload, writer: anytype) !void {
+        try writer.writeInt(usize, self.data.len, native_endian);
+        try writer.writeAll(self.data);
+    }
+
+    fn deinit(self: BytesPayload, alloc: std.mem.Allocator) void {
+        alloc.free(self.data);
+    }
+};
+
+pub fn OptionalPayload(comptime T: type) type {
+    return struct {
+        inner: ?T,
+
+        const Self = @This();
+
+        fn read(reader: anytype, alloc: std.mem.Allocator) !Self {
+            const present_byte = try reader.readByte();
+            return switch (present_byte) {
+                0 => .{ .inner = null },
+                1 => .{ .inner = try T.read(reader, alloc) },
+                else => error.InvalidPacket,
+            };
+        }
+
+        fn write(self: *const Self, writer: anytype) !void {
+            if (self.inner) |i| {
+                try writer.writeByte(1);
+                try i.write(writer);
+            } else {
+                try writer.writeByte(0);
+            }
+        }
+
+        fn deinit(self: Self, alloc: std.mem.Allocator) void {
+            if (@hasDecl(T, "deinit")) {
+                if (self.inner) |i| {
+                    i.deinit(alloc);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    };
+}
+
+fn EnumIntRoundUp(comptime T: type) type {
+    const int_info = @typeInfo(@typeInfo(T).Enum.tag_type).Int;
+    return std.meta.Int(int_info.signedness, std.mem.alignForward(u16, int_info.bits, 8));
+}
+
+fn MessageFunctions(comptime Self: type) type {
+    return struct {
+        const Tag = std.meta.Tag(Self);
+
+        pub fn read(reader: anytype, alloc: std.mem.Allocator) !Self {
+            switch (try std.meta.intToEnum(
+                Tag,
+                try reader.readInt(EnumIntRoundUp(Tag), native_endian),
+            )) {
+                inline else => |t| {
+                    const Field = std.meta.FieldType(Self, t);
+                    return @unionInit(Self, @tagName(t), try Field.read(reader, alloc));
+                },
+            }
+        }
+
+        pub fn write(self: *const Self, writer: anytype) !void {
+            try writer.writeInt(EnumIntRoundUp(Tag), @intFromEnum(self.*), native_endian);
+            switch (self.*) {
+                inline else => |*t| try t.write(writer),
+            }
+        }
+
+        pub fn deinit(self: Self, alloc: std.mem.Allocator) void {
+            switch (self) {
+                inline else => |d| if (@hasDecl(@TypeOf(d), "deinit")) d.deinit(alloc),
+            }
+        }
+    };
+}