diff --git a/signer/main.go b/signer/main.go
index 8491f69..0ee9687 100644
--- a/signer/main.go
+++ b/signer/main.go
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ func main() {
 	flag.IntVar(&baudrate, "b", 115200, "baud rate")
 	flag.Parse()
 
+	log.SetFormatter(&log.TextFormatter{
+		DisableColors: true,
+		FullTimestamp: true,
+	})
+
 	serialMode := &serial.Mode{
 		BaudRate: baudrate,
 		DataBits: 8,
@@ -33,18 +38,18 @@ func main() {
 	log.Infof("connecting to %s using %+v", address, serialMode)
 	port, err := serial.Open(address, serialMode)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err)
+		log.Fatalf("could not open serial port: %v", err)
 	}
-	log.Println("connected")
+	log.Info("connected")
 
 	count := 0
 
 	defer func() {
 		err := port.Close()
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
+			log.Fatalf("could not close port: %v", err)
 		}
-		log.Println("closed")
+		log.Info("closed")
 	}()
 
 readLoop:
@@ -61,19 +66,19 @@ readLoop:
 		case command := <-commandChan:
 			response, err := Process(command)
 			if err != nil {
-				log.Printf("ERROR %v\n", err)
-			} else {
-				_ = SendResponse(&readWriteCloser, response)
+				log.Errorf("error processing command: %v", err)
+				break readLoop
 			}
+			_ = SendResponse(&readWriteCloser, response)
 		case <-timeout:
-			log.Println("timeout in main loop")
+			log.Error("timeout in main loop")
 			break readLoop
 		case err := <-errChan:
-			log.Printf("ERROR %v\n", err)
+			log.Errorf("error from io goroutine %v", err)
 		}
 
 		count++
-		log.Printf("INFO %d requests processed. Waiting for next request ...\n", count)
+		log.Infof("%d requests processed. Waiting for next request ...", count)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -83,7 +88,7 @@ func SendResponse(port *io.ReadWriteCloser, response *datastructures.SignerRespo
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if ack, err := shared.ReceiveBytes(port, 1, 5); err != nil {
+	if ack, err := shared.ReceiveBytes(port, 1, 5*time.Second); err != nil {
 		return err
 	} else if ack[0] != 0x10 {
 		return errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("invalid ack byte 0x%02x", ack[0]))
@@ -105,7 +110,7 @@ func SendResponse(port *io.ReadWriteCloser, response *datastructures.SignerRespo
 			return err
 		}
 
-		if ack, err := shared.ReceiveBytes(port, 1, 5); err != nil {
+		if ack, err := shared.ReceiveBytes(port, 1, 5*time.Second); err != nil {
 			return err
 		} else if ack[0] == 0x10 {
 			tryAgain = false
@@ -119,14 +124,18 @@ func SendResponse(port *io.ReadWriteCloser, response *datastructures.SignerRespo
 
 // Process the signer request
 func Process(command datastructures.SignerRequest) (response *datastructures.SignerResponse, err error) {
-	log.Printf("INFO analyze %+v\n", command)
+	log.Infof("analyze %+v", command)
 
 	switch command.Action {
 	case datastructures.ActionNul:
 		response, err = handleNulAction(command)
 		return
 	default:
-		return nil, errors.New(fmt.Sprintf("unsupported Action 0x%02x", command.Action))
+		return nil, errors.New(fmt.Sprintf(
+			"unsupported Action 0x%02x %s",
+			int(command.Action),
+			command.Action,
+		))
 	}
 }
 
@@ -139,7 +148,7 @@ func handleNulAction(command datastructures.SignerRequest) (*datastructures.Sign
 
 // Receive a request and generate a request data structure
 func Receive(port *io.ReadWriteCloser, commandChan *chan datastructures.SignerRequest, errorChan *chan error) {
-	header, err := shared.ReceiveBytes(port, 1, 20)
+	header, err := shared.ReceiveBytes(port, 1, 20*time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		*errorChan <- err
 		return
@@ -153,19 +162,19 @@ func Receive(port *io.ReadWriteCloser, commandChan *chan datastructures.SignerRe
 		return
 	}
 
-	lengthBytes, err := shared.ReceiveBytes(port, 3, 2)
+	lengthBytes, err := shared.ReceiveBytes(port, 3, 2*time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		*errorChan <- err
 		return
 	}
 	blockLength := datastructures.Decode24BitLength(lengthBytes)
-	blockData, err := shared.ReceiveBytes(port, blockLength, 5)
+	blockData, err := shared.ReceiveBytes(port, blockLength, 5*time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		*errorChan <- err
 		return
 	}
 
-	checkSum, err := shared.ReceiveBytes(port, 1, 2)
+	checkSum, err := shared.ReceiveBytes(port, 1, 2*time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		*errorChan <- err
 		return
@@ -174,9 +183,10 @@ func Receive(port *io.ReadWriteCloser, commandChan *chan datastructures.SignerRe
 	command, err := datastructures.SignerRequestFromData(lengthBytes, blockData, checkSum[0])
 	if err != nil {
 		*errorChan <- err
+		return
 	}
 
-	trailer, err := shared.ReceiveBytes(port, len(shared.MagicTrailer), 2)
+	trailer, err := shared.ReceiveBytes(port, len(shared.MagicTrailer), 2*time.Second)
 	if err != nil {
 		*errorChan <- err
 		return